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Who's running Willoughby Hills? Voters will have a say on Election Day

Voters will have to decide on nine different amendments to the City Charter.

WILLOUGHBY HILLS -- Who’s running Willoughby Hills these days?

Don't ask the residents.

Some would say the inmates are running the asylum in Willoughby Hills. The drama playing out in the city of just 10,000 residents is like a page from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar... maybe even the Hatfields and McCoys.

Some of the issues they've been mudslinging and suing over for several years will come to a head on Election Day.

That's when voters will have to decide on nine, yes, nine different amendments to the City Charter. They were mailed to residents back in September, which some say is a good thing. Voters might have needed that time to understand the 28 pages containing about 16,600 words of language in the proposed amendments, that took me hours to figure out.

The amendments, drafted by city council, were supposedly designed to "give residents and taxpayers the power of choice to reform and clarify their charter... and avoid future lawsuits against their city due to ambiguities."

Willoughby Hills Proposed Amendments by WKYC.com on Scribd

Council member Christopher Hallum, who is aligned with Mayor Robert Weger, says these amendments are just an attempt to strip power from the mayor and give it to council, a claim that has been the theme in most of the lawsuits between the two sides.

Council Vice President John Plecnik says the balance of power they are seeking in these amendments is similar to that which exists in other Lake County municipalities. He also said the complex document originally sent to voters was approved by the Board of Elections, and was culled down to a three-page letter sent by Council President Nancy Fellows to make it easier to understand.

Easier to understand? Yes. Fair and balanced? Some would disagree.

In the letter, the councilwoman urges residents to "Vote Yes on the Charter Amendments," going through every one of them and explaining why each one is needed. Score one for council.

Letter From Council on Amendments by WKYC.com on Scribd

Mayor Weger says he believes these amendments will be defeated. But if they're passed, he says he still doesn't believe it will affect the outcome of his firing of six of the seven councilmembers last month.

On Oct. 3, Weger changed the locks and took down their pictures after accusing them of malfeasance, misfeasance and gross misconduct for everything from holding illegal executive sessions to preventing him from communicating with residents. The mayor won that round.

RELATED | Willoughby Hills mayor fires 6 city council members, claiming 'gross misconduct'

But a judge issued a temporary restraining order on the firings, a hearing on which has been delayed until after the election on Nov. 15. So for now, council got back their power.

But there are two more issues in the air that could change who's in charge once again. The first surrounds the W.H.I.S.P.E.R Program, which helps senior citizens.

Council announced that the program was referred to the county prosecutor and the State’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation for allegations of elder abuse and financial crimes.

RELATED | Lake County Prosecutor recommends criminal investigation of Willoughby Hills mayor's senior program

But in a subsequent letter from the county prosecutor and B.C.I, it was announced that after reviewing the allegations, the State “found no evidence that anyone was exploited” and these suspicions should be put to rest. Although, the prosecutor said the State Auditor, who happens to be running this year for Attorney General, may be looking into other suspicions. Call that a draw?

DeWine Letter Whisper Investigation by WKYC.com on Scribd

But wait, there’s more.

Last April, the State Employment Relations Board began an investigation into unfair labor practices filed by city employees. It's a charge with which the mayor agreed after council eliminated a number of newly unionized positions as part of budget cuts.

Council voted to prevent the mayor from negotiating on behalf of the city, putting it in the hands of the council president.

The mayor sued and won. But then council appealed.

Can you follow the bouncing ball?

A decision is expected shortly, and if a judge rules in the mayor's favor, council could be found guilty of union busting, which means Weger is back to running the city... for now.

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