Kent fire chief urges Stow voters to favor staggered terms for continuity

James Samuels, a Stow resident and fire chief in the city of Kent, told the Stow City Charter Review Commission during public comment that staggered, offset terms for elected officials would preserve continuity needed to carry out multiyear equipment and budget plans. “If there was a big switch of people… the planning, the progress that we're trying to make… maybe that would just add an additional stressor and hurdle to the process,” Samuels said.

Samuels said his department prepares multi‑year plans and now faces replacing a piece of apparatus with a market price that has risen “upwards of $2,000,000 plus.” He described saving for the vehicle over several years and said sudden turnover on a council could require restarting or re‑explaining decisions already made. “If your whole council changes over at one time, that would be even more of a significant hurdle,” Samuels said.

The comment came during the commission's public‑comment period at the start of its meeting. Samuels identified himself as both a citizen and a municipal department head; he said his perspective as a chief informed how he would vote on charter questions that affect continuity.

Samuels urged staggered terms as a way to reduce repeated short‑term disruption to departments that must plan and budget for expensive capital items over several years. He added that part of a department head's job is educating elected officials and the public so budget votes are “an educated situation.”

The commission did not take a formal vote on the public comment; Samuels' remarks were accepted as part of the meeting record and prompted brief back‑and‑forth with commissioners and attendees.

The commission proceeds with drafting charter amendments that include staggered elections and longer term lengths as part of a broader package it plans to deliver to Stow City Council for consideration.