Madison Local board elects Sean Douglas president, approves tax budget and consent calendar

Sean Douglas was elected president of the Madison Local School District Board of Education and Michelle Hayes was elected vice president during the board’s organizational meeting Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. The board also approved its 2025 tax budget, appointed representatives to external bodies and approved a broad consent calendar that delegates several administrative authorities to the superintendent and staff.

The board voted unanimously on the leadership slate and on routine organizational items. In roll calls recorded during the meeting, each voting member recorded an affirmative vote for the agenda approval, the leadership elections, the meeting schedule, the appointments and the consent calendar. The board approved the tax budget and the other motions by recorded roll call votes with all voting members present voting yes.

Treasurer Sarah Palm presented the tax budget to the board and said she would submit the document to the Lake County auditor’s office the next day. "This is the tax budget that we do yearly at the organizational meeting," Palm said. She described the tax budget as the document that provides justification for levy proceeds, shows how levy funds will support the district and lists near-term debt requirements and sources used for the amended certificate of appropriations.

Among appointments the board approved, members named Sarah Palm as the board’s representative to the Tax and Incentive Review Council for 2025 and reappointed the board’s legislative liaison, identified in the meeting as Jeff, to again serve as the Ohio School Boards Association legislative liaison for the coming year.

The consent calendar passed in one motion and included a package of routine and administrative approvals: affirming existing board policies; adopting Robert’s Rules of Order; authorizing the president to adjust advisory committee membership to fill vacancies; authorizing the superintendent and treasurer to use outside legal counsel as needed and designating multiple law firms (names transcribed in the meeting record); entering into an agreement with the Ohio School Boards Association for a legal assistance service for Jan. 1–Dec. 31, 2025 at a cost recorded in the transcript as $250; authorizing board-member compensation under the Ohio Revised Code and board policy; renewing certain subscriptions (the transcript lists an amount of no more than $300 for some subscriptions); waiving the reading of minutes; authorizing the superintendent or designee to file project applications; permitting the treasurer to make routine budget adjustments; and appointing Sarah Palm as the district records officer and public-records training designee.

The board also considered and approved a delegation of hiring and resignation-acceptance authority. The board’s resolution gives the superintendent authority, when the board is not in session, to make offers of employment on behalf of the board that will be subject to later ratification. The resolution also grants the superintendent authority to accept employee resignations on the board’s behalf; as discussed in the meeting, that acceptance is described in the adopted language as final unless the board later approves a rescission. In response to a question about that provision, the superintendent (name not specified in the transcript) said, "No. This one is a little bit different in that if somebody resigns, if I accept it, it's irrevocable. I will always bring them to an agenda for final authorization, but this gives, you know..." (excerpted).

Other routine organizational items approved included the board’s regular meeting schedule for 2025 and several board and staff appointments made during the organizational meeting. After completing the agenda the board adjourned.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Approve agenda — Outcome: Approved (roll-call votes recorded as affirmative from all voting members present). - Motion: Elect Sean Douglas as board president — Outcome: Approved (unanimous roll-call affirmatives). - Motion: Elect Michelle Hayes as vice president — Outcome: Approved (unanimous roll-call affirmatives). - Motion: Approve 2025 meeting schedule — Outcome: Approved (unanimous roll-call affirmatives). A board member noted potential conflict with a May 6 date that coincides with graduation-related events. - Motion: Appoint Sarah Palm as the board’s representative to the Tax and Incentive Review Council for 2025 — Outcome: Approved (unanimous roll-call affirmatives). - Motion: Appoint Jeff as OSBA legislative liaison — Outcome: Approved (unanimous roll-call affirmatives). - Motion: Approve consent calendar (authorizations including policies, legal-designations, OSBA agreement, compensation authority, subscriptions, records officer appointment, and others as transcribed) — Outcome: Approved (unanimous roll-call affirmatives). Notable items transcribed: OSBA legal-assistance fee $250; OSBA dues $8,293; subscription spending "no more than $300" recorded in the transcript. - Motion: Approve 2025 tax budget — Outcome: Approved (unanimous roll-call affirmatives). Treasurer Sarah Palm said she would submit the budget to the Lake County auditor the following day. - Motion: Other appointment(s) recorded in the minutes (name transcribed as "Barbagall" in the meeting record) — Outcome: Approved (unanimous roll-call affirmatives). Position or committee referenced in the transcript is not specified.

The meeting record shows limited debate beyond scheduling details and discussion about the scope and implications of delegating resignation-acceptance authority to the superintendent. The board completed votes by roll call and adjourned the organizational meeting.