Hiram council appoints Steve Schuller as village administrator; James McGee reassigned after executive session

Hiram Village Council voted unanimously on Feb. 13 to appoint Assistant Village Administrator Steve Schuller as Village Administrator at an annual salary of $57,000 and to reassign James McGee to the Assistant Village Administrator role at $55,000, following an executive session for personnel matters.

The motions came after earlier discussion and a postponement earlier in the meeting. Mayor Anne Haynam had proposed reassigning Schuller to Village Administrator and McGee to assistant administrator with different salaries; Council postponed that proposal during the regular session to allow more review. After reconvening from an executive session at 10:47 p.m., the Council approved the personnel changes by voice vote, 5-0.

Village Administrator James McGee had raised questions during the public portion of the personnel discussion about his pay and noted he has no written warnings in his personnel file, prompting Council members to request additional documentation before acting. The Council first voted to postpone the personnel decision earlier in the meeting; the final, post-executive-session motion to appoint Schuller and reassign McGee was moved by Mr. Smith and seconded by Council President Chris Szell.

Also on Feb. 13 Council approved how Fiscal Officer Susan Skrovan-DeYoung's unused 2023 vacation time would be handled: one-third paid out, one-third carried forward for use by Dec. 31, 2024, and one-third forfeited. That motion passed by a 5-0 voice vote.

The decisions follow routine procedural steps: the Council convened in executive session for personnel at 9:25 p.m. and reconvened at 10:47 p.m. The meeting adjourned at 10:57 p.m.

Next steps: the Council will post the vacant Council seat following the resignation of Keith Holmes and will review that vacancy in March. The personnel changes and related payroll setup were to be implemented through the fiscal office and payroll system.