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Resident raises charter and special-prosecutor concerns; law director responds to records request
Summary
A member of the public asked Elyria City Council to review whether the city law director exceeded charter authority in hiring a special prosecutor; the law director said she would provide records and that budgeted funds covered special-prosecutor costs.
During public comment at the April 7 Elyria City Council meeting, Kathleen Beier of Vermilion raised concerns about the city law director's use of a special prosecutor in a case involving the former county prosecutor and questioned whether the charter allowed the action.
Beier told the council she believed Elyria's charter section 7.03 "provides that council may from time to time provide . . . for such assistance and special counsels to the city law director as it shall deem necessary," and said she questioned the law director's authority to hire a special prosecutor without council approval. Beier also raised concerns about invoicing and a reported discount on a bill for the special prosecutor and said the timing of charges appeared politically sensitive because they were filed shortly before early voting in Elyria.
Later in the meeting Law Director Amanda Deery addressed the podium. She said counsel "may provide as it seems fit" assistance to the law director and that special prosecutors have been paid out of funds that the council approved in the law director's budget. Deery said she would fulfill Beier's public-record request for the number of felony charges filed in Elyria Municipal Court in 2024, noting that the clerk of courts maintains that data and she would obtain it.
Deery reiterated her position that budgeted funds and the charter provide authority for professional services and said she would respond to Beier's records request. No formal council action was taken on Beier's public comments during the meeting.
