Hundreds of community members signed a petition demanding the city nix the proposal, and dozens of people attended Wednesday’s commission meeting to oppose the measure.
“I also want to thank all of the residents who came out — the number of calls, the number of emails,” Turner-Sloss said. “Over 200, 300 individuals signed this petition to make sure our voices are not silenced, marginalized.”
The resolution would have changed some city commission rules of procedure and order. One proposed rule change would have required commission members to informally obtain the support of at least two other members to have the law department create final draft legislation.
Three of the commission’s five members would have needed to support a measure to get it written.
The current rules, approved in 2018, require the support of two commission members.
Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. said he believes strongly in the importance of working together as a team, and the rule change was intended to promote cooperation and teamwork between commission members.
He also said it was meant to prevent the city’s limited staff resources from being wasted on developing legislation that had no chance of passing.
Mims said he wished Turner-Sloss and Fairchild brought up their concerns earlier, such as during a retreat last month when the proposed language was discussed.
Mims said the city will consider rule changes next week at its commission meeting, but this controversial change will not be included.
Commissioners Fairchild and Turner-Sloss voted in favor of the language of the proposed rule change in an informal, nonbinding straw poll during a commission retreat last month.
But Fairchild said it was a rushed, informal and “sloppy” process that led to “sloppy results.” He said he was confused about what part of the language they were voting on.
On Wednesday night, about 10 people spoke at the commission meeting in opposition to the rule change after the resolution was taken off the agenda.
“To state the obvious, if three commissioners are required to support new legislation, all dialogue will have already taken place in private behind closed doors, and by the time residents have a chance to comment, the fate of the legislation will in all likelihood be a forgone conclusion,” said Erin McKenzie, a Dayton resident who said she was relieved to hear the resolution was withdrawn.
The proposed rule would undermine efforts to put forward new and creative ideas and silence commissioners that Dayton voters elected, said Lindy McDonough, a Dayton resident.
“Why even go through the charade of voting on legislation at a commission meeting if a majority of the commissioners already approve it?” she asked. “It sounds like a done deal even before it comes up to vote in a commission meeting.”
Turner-Sloss has described herself and Commissioner Fairchild as “outside the establishment.” The other three commission members were endorsed by the Montgomery County Democratic Party; Fairchild and Turner-Sloss were not.
Dayton City Commissioner Chris Shaw said the rule change was just meant to help address staff capacity.
He said he was very willing to reconsider the measure, but no one raised objections when it was discussed, and he assumed commission members knew what they were voting for during the retreat.
“Every single vote that I make both here in and in other places, I consider the facts and I make a decision, and I’m thorough about making sure that I read all of the materials and know exactly what I am voting on before I ever do so,” he said.
Shaw said he hopes this leads to a reset in the relationships between commission members.
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