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Residents and council spar over OEC finding against Clock Tower Collaborative during Hudson public comment
Summary
Multiple residents and council members addressed an Ohio Elections Commission decision finding Clock Tower Collaborative operated as a PAC; commenters called for accountability while some councilors said the charges against them were dismissed. Council President Foster outlined OEC findings and potential penalties.
During public comment on June 3, 2025, multiple residents raised the Ohio Elections Commission (OEC) finding that the Clock Tower Collaborative had operated as an illegal political action committee. Speakers urged transparency and, in some cases, called for resignations of council members they said benefited from the group’s activities.
Brigitte Girard told the council that the OEC found the Clock Tower Collaborative guilty of violating campaign finance rules and described the organization’s actions as inappropriate for civic leaders. Scott Ruffer, who said he filed the OEC complaint, told the council the donor checks submitted as evidence are now public record and praised Councilmember Skyler Sutton for publicizing the findings.
Several public commenters explicitly named Councilmembers Michael Byrd and Patricia Getz as beneficiaries of the Collaborative’s activities. In response, Councilor Getz stated that she and Dr. Byrd previously appeared before the OEC and that charges against them had been dismissed in January 2024.
Council President Chris Foster provided a detailed summary of the OEC proceeding and its rationale. Foster said the OEC concluded the group was “operating as an illegal PAC,” described discovery that showed checks earmarked for a candidate and for the group on the same dates, and noted the OEC vote was 6-1. He added that OEC penalties could have been substantially larger and that the commission found evidence of coordination and bundling in its record.
Commenters and councilors also disputed the broader political framing: Councilor Kowalski read a letter from a resident defending Hudson Forward Together (HFT) and saying HFT had not functioned as a PAC; she noted the OEC’s small fine ($50) for a single endorsement and urged the community to avoid expanding the matter into a wider conspiracy narrative.
The council did not take formal disciplinary action during the meeting. The comments and council responses left several accusations public and unresolved; councilors reiterated that the OEC hearing was the venue for adjudication and that the record is public.
