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Gillam, Brown-Clark, Boles complain to state about Youngstown downsizing

Published: Wed, December 5, 2012 @ 12:09 a.m.

house bill 606

By Marc Kovac



The debate over the elimination of a seat on Youngstown Municipal Court spilled over into the Statehouse on Tuesday, as city officials and a local newspaper editor voiced their opposition to the plan.

City Councilwoman Annie Gillam, Clerk of Courts Sarah Brown Clark and Buckeye Review Managing Editor Clarence Boles are among the opponents who provided testimony to the Ohio House’s judiciary committee, which is considering legislation that would reduce the number of municipal judges.

They and others hope to persuade state lawmakers to postpone a vote on House Bill 606, sponsored by Democratic Reps. Bob Hagan, from Youngstown, and Ronald Gerberry, from Austintown.

“All we’re asking is that our state representative hold a series of public forums, preferably four ... [in] all four corners of the town and solicit the opinion in a fair and reasonable way as to the elimination or continuation of the [judgeship],” Boles said, adding, “We don’t think we’re asking too much to be afforded a fair and responsible consideration for the discussion of [the seat].”

HB 606 would reduce the bench in the municipal court from three to two judges, eliminating the seat that was vacated when Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr. retired earlier this year. Gov. John Kasich has held off on appointing someone to the seat, awaiting legislative action on the issue.

The three-judge system has been in place for nearly 60 years and was established when the city had about 140,000 residents. The community is now home to less than half of that total.

According to statistics compiled by the government relations counsel for the Ohio Supreme Court, there were 13,000-plus criminal, civil and traffic cases before the court last year, amounting to 4,421 per judge. That’s less than half the statewide average of 9,629 cases. With two judges, the average would be about 6,600 cases.

The Mahoning County Bar Association and others support the move.

“It is ultimately the recommendation of the Mahoning County Bar Association Board of Trustees that the Youngstown Municipal Court can run efficiently and provide adequate access to justice for the citizens served by the court with two full-time judgeships,” Scott R. Cochran, a member of the group’s consolidation advisory committee, wrote in a statement provided to lawmakers.

But Youngstown officials at the Statehouse on Tuesday said a majority of city council members oppose the consolidation, and the legislature should postpone eliminating the judgeship until the end of next year.

Gillam said the extra judge is needed as the city combats crime, with the existing workload prompting the need for a magistrate to assist with cases.

“They say that the courts are a mess,” she said. “We feel we need at least a year so we can organize our court system and not leave it in disarray. ...They’re talking about saving money, but I think it will save the city money, it will save [the state] money because you won’t have to put as much money in the prison system. And it will also save lives.”

Boles criticized Hagan for moving forward with the legislation, after city officials asked him to “cease and desist.”

“We don’t understand what the big rush is,” added Brown-Clark. “Did not city council vote to tell Rep. Hagan not to pursue this?”

But one Democratic member of the House judiciary committee questioned why the decision should be postponed, given that other courts in the state have had to eliminate seats due to shrinking populations.

It’s not just a local issue,” said Rep. Dennis Murray, from Sandusky. “[It’s a] state issue. Other taxpayers pay for this judgeship. ... Youngs-town is not the first community to have to do this.”

Tuesday was HB 606’s second hearing, and the bill could move before the end of the session this month.


1chuck_carney(499 comments)posted 1 year, 7 months ago

Will Bertram write about more angry white men, namely Betras, Hagan and Gerberry, who want to eliminate a judgeship from one of the most crime-ridden cities in the state?

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2Knightcap(672 comments)posted 1 year, 7 months ago

While downsizing the municipal judges, throw in Ckark, Gillam and the rest of council. Upsize the YPD. Too much waste and public trough feeding in the clerk's and council's departments.

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3AtownParent(561 comments)posted 1 year, 7 months ago

Brown-Clark is a menace to efficient government. She opposed the safe surrender program and now opposes saving the court system money by eliminating a non-essential judge seat. After the travesty the Youngstown Council members did to the charter amendments suggestion, none of them should be allowed to speak in public about anything, let alone a cost reducing measure since they are unable to do the same to their own governing board. I am not sure what dog the Buckeye Review guy has in this fight.

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4zz3(919 comments)posted 1 year, 7 months ago

Knightcap hit it on the head!! City counsil is a prime example of throwing good money in the toilet!! The gravy train is over people, its time to get off you have been over-collecting wages for years. Consider yourself lucky the people have spoken GET OFF. With Thugstown crime rate threw the roof, plea deals following a close second, the mass exodus away from here, city schools in the toilet and broke and we need you because of WHY?? put the money where we need it 1) New YPD administration that has a clue, and can lead with results without the tricky crime plan names!. 2) More YPD officers. 3) Less waste at the top for a city now our size (less judges and administration.)

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5gdog4766(1387 comments)posted 1 year, 7 months ago

Council needs downsized, pay needs cut, Clark's staff needs cut and those cronies remaining need to start working. And the only reason Clark and the rest oppose this is because they will cry racism is a minority is not used to fill the vacancy. Which is funny because those of us who know Clark know she is a vehement white hating racist. Her days spent on council were filled with racist rants and false complaints.

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6legaleagle(25 comments)posted 1 year, 7 months ago

I completely agree with the elimination of a third judge for the city of Youngstown. As for Ms. Brown Clark, she is afraid that with the two judges remaining her position will be an appointed position and not elected. She is a waste as a "Clerk of Court." The city council opposes it because they don’t want the people to really open their eyes and determine that they too make a lavish dime on our taxpayers’ money. Moreover, can someone explain what it is that they produce for this City? It is really time for our voters to open their eyes from the murky waters we have been splashed with. I find it to be a complete abomination that we have so many City "Council Members" that draw a pay from the city that is declining day in and day out, for simply attending one meeting per month and going to banquets. Additionally, I do hope that Ms. Sara Brown Clark who may I add was and is the definition of a waste to tax payers money get dethroned upon the new legislation being adopted and put forth in action. In conclusion this, my taxpayer friends’ is my humble opinion.
Youngstown leads in city council salaries, benefits from the Vindicator on October 7, 2012
Here is what some council members stated and quoted…
Tell me why there is such an opposition ……
“Why not the mayor?” Gillam asked. {When he thought his salary would be on the chopping block} “Also, we don’t have a set number of hours we work. Our hours are not continuous; I receive calls at home, and go out to attend banquets within my ward.”

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7DwightK(1224 comments)posted 1 year, 7 months ago

Youngstown doesn't need three courts. The population isn't there to support it. The city also needs a few less council members.

Using the money saved from running the court to hire extra police to help prevent crime sounds like a good idea.

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8busyman(239 comments)posted 1 year, 7 months ago

I will say this again. If Judge Douglas would have been a non African American, would we be having this discussion? The African American city council community in Youngstown are only thinking about themselves, their good paying city jobs and not having an African American judge representative in the court system. If Judge Douglas was not the one that retired this would have been a no brainer to save TAXPAYER'S MONEY. I am sure that the city will find other jobs for those city workers that are displaced.

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9One_Who_Stayed(236 comments)posted 1 year, 7 months ago


The big rush is that people like you and the rest of the useless, trough feeding, old time Youngstown politicians have been wasting our time, money and resources for far too long already.

"Boles criticized Hagan for moving forward with the legislation, after city officials asked him to cease and desist.”

Hey City Council - how does it feel to be ignored when you make your opinions clearly known? It's kind of like the City Charter Amendment recommendations that you summarily threw out most of after burdening volunteers with all that work. My expectation is that you can expect much more of this from those that you are mis-representing. Well, at least I can promise you - that's what you'll be getting from me.

And what the Sam-Hell does Clarence Boles have to do with anything? Why is his whining even in this article any more than mine or any other average citizen's - after all - that's all he is. I can understand the over-paid entitled city employees crying about this, but he has nothing to do with anything.


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