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Council declines to rename Hilliard East Park for Timothy A. Ward after motion fails for lack of second
Summary
Resolution 25R29, which would have renamed Hilliard East Park to the Timothy A. Ward Memorial Park, failed on April 14 after no council member seconded the motion. Supporters, including a Masonic Lodge representative, spoke during public comment in favor of the change.
HILLIARD, Ohio — A proposal to rename Hilliard East Park for former mayor Timothy A. Ward failed at the April 14 Hilliard City Council meeting after no council member seconded the resolution.
The clerk read Resolution 25R29 by title. When council sought a sponsor and second, no member offered a second; the council president announced the motion had failed for lack of a second and recorded the resolution as failed.
Members of the public spoke in favor of honoring Ward during the public comment period. Patrick Mayer, representing the Avery Masonic Lodge, described Ward’s military service and public roles and urged council to adopt the resolution; Mayer said many Masons and community members support the dedication. Mayer identified himself as a lodge trustee and first vice president of the local Masonic district and noted Ward’s service in local and state government.
The outcome: The resolution was declared failed by the clerk and no renaming will occur as a result of this meeting.
Why it matters: Naming public facilities after private citizens is a recurring policy decision for municipal governments and can prompt calls for a narrower, repeatable process. After the resolution failed, a council member later asked the city manager to prepare a draft naming policy for council review to define when and how future naming requests should be handled; council approved that directive 7-0 later in the meeting.
Next steps: Staff will prepare a proposed naming policy for future council consideration.
