Sunbury charter review panel votes to remove “village” language as members debate council–manager option

Sunbury Charter Review Commission members on Jan. 28 voted to strike transitional "village" language from the city charter and spent the bulk of the meeting debating whether to move toward a council–manager form of government.

The commission unanimously approved minutes from its first meeting and then approved a motion to remove references to the "village" in the charter name, a change proponents said would avoid confusion now that Sunbury has city status. Both motions passed 7–0.

The meeting’s central discussion focused on the form of municipal government that should guide the charter amendments. Commissioners, the mayor and staff discussed three broad models—strong mayor, council–manager and the hybrid form Sunbury currently uses—and weighed which would best serve a city that has grown rapidly in recent years.

"It is extremely challenging, to be full time employed, which the charter permits, and, also be the head of council and the head of the planning and zoning commission and leading the police department in the fastest growing city in Central Ohio," Mayor Joe St. John said, urging the commission to consider how the mayoral role might evolve. He…