Council adds emergency language to ordinance to start rate increase a month earlier

The St. Marys City Council voted to add emergency language to Ordinance 202603, moving the effective date of a planned rate change up by one month.

Council President opened the item and Mister Buck moved to amend the ordinance to add emergency language so the rates could take effect May 1 instead of June 1; Mister Quiro seconded the motion. "The emergency language, folks, means that we would have a third reading on April 13 and then instead of a waiting period of 30 days, it would we could enact it and have it go into effect May 1 instead of June 1," Buck said.

Proponents said an earlier start would help the fund that is currently short. The Director of Public Service and Safety said the city has "already read a $156,000," and that beginning the increase a month earlier "will certainly help us" make the deficit more manageable. Opponents cautioned about the effect on residents and seniors who were preparing for a June 1 start. Mister Williams urged that emergency language should have been included in the original ordinance and warned that moving the date could surprise residents who had budgeted for the June 1 implementation.

City legal counsel clarified voting thresholds: "Just from a legal aspect, in passing it, we with emergency language, it requires 5 of 7 of you to pass it," counsel said, and explained that adding the amendment at this stage requires a majority for the amendment but a two‑thirds vote for final enactment under emergency provisions.

The chair recorded the vote: Miss Rolon and Miss Buchanan voted no; the remaining councilors voted yes. "The rest vote yes. So the motion carries," the Council President said. The amendment passed, enabling the ordinance to move forward on an accelerated schedule.

The council did not enact the ordinance in full during this meeting; the amendment sets the timeline for subsequent readings and any final vote.