Record Requests Overwhelm Office, Former Mayor says it’s Transparency

Mary Alice Reporting –

During Thursday night’s Uhrichsville council meeting, administration noted how they are being stretched thin due to public records requests.

The notice was given through President Robert Cottrell related to the inquiry’s that have been sent in by former mayor and service director.

According to the announcement, the city has had an on slot of public records requests.

“Since the first of the year, the former mayor has made six requests, five items on each separate public records request which is around 30. Former city service director has made five requests and roughly five items on each one. They city of Uhrichsville will timely and accurately respond to all these public record requests.”

Mayor Jim Zucal added that it is petty nonsense.

“There’s nothing to gain and there’s no good reason why. We will follow the law, Ohio law, but again, that doesn’t mean that I can’t say that this is a burden on our city, and it’s using tax payer funds for nonsense, and it really needs to stop. I think it’s a nuisance.”

Among the records requests includes all the meeting minutes from 2023, when the former administration was in office, and the meeting minutes as they occur in 2024.

Former Mayor Mark Haney commented that he believes the current administration is not transparent as they have not posted minutes, ordinances, or resolutions.

“I think the public should be aware of what’s going on. I think they go into executive sessions under false pretenses. They went in under a code 122 G which doesn’t even exist. We’ve already got one ethics case against this administration and some the council who are already sitting there who were there before. To get some of that information we have to do public record requests.”

For the requests from 2023, Haney said he wanted access to them because there were items within that administration is now back-tracking on and collusion regarding Amy Myers being named as the code enforcer, and according to Haney it’s an ethics violation because “as an elected official, you can’t take a position within the city you were elected for 12 months after your term.” Haney added that as a taxpayer, he won’t sit back and let non-transparency be done to the residents.