Lorain/Elyria, OH
Elyria to lose 10 cops next year
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ELYRIA — The Elyria Police Department will have 10 fewer police officers next year.
A group of Elyria police officers gathers outside Monday's City Council meeting, where cuts were announced. (Photo by Bruce Bishop, The Chronicle-Telegram.)
Some will retire, others will see their rank reduced and pay cut by thousands, and five — the youngest officers on the force — will lose their jobs, said Safety Service Director Chris Eichenlaub.
Monday night, Eichenlaub outlined a cost-cutting plan for 2010 that will have the Police Department covering a large portion of the projected $4 million deficit. To achieve a smaller police budget — $2.05 million less — the department will use a combination of retirements, demotions and layoffs, he said.
“I’m not saying it has to be done today, but it should happen by the end of the year or beginning of next year,” Eichenlaub said during Monday’s City Council meeting.
Council members absorbed the proposed plan without asking any questions, and the meeting lasted only about an hour, with just 20 minutes devoted to the reduction plan.
Mayor Bill Grace said the cuts were regrettable but necessary, considering the difficult financial year Elyria has weathered.
“These are not insignificant by any stretch of the imagination,” he said. “We will be down 10 police officers next year.”
Grace also dismissed any claim that the upcoming recall election affected the reductions.
One doesn’t have anything to do with the other, he said.
“I said before, we needed to cut $4 million, and we are cutting $4 million,” he said.
There was little talk about the recall election at Monday’s meeting, although both Craig Bevan and Kim Ach, co-founders of the recall group Stand Up Elyria, were both in attendance.
The only mention of the upcoming election came from Council President Ken Burkhard, D-7th Ward. He called for a special meeting Wednesday to set a date for the recall election as well as discuss the possibility of a Council resolution in support of Grace.
Many Elyria police officers listened stone-faced to the quick rundown by Eichenlaub of how their department will absorb the multimillion-dollar cuts.
None said anything publicly, but Police Chief Michael Medders had softened the blow with a short memo to his officers earlier in the day.
Medders told his officers in the one-page memo that he wished he had some good news to pass on to then, but he did not.
Instead, he laid out a plan for next year that will see the reduction of four supervisor positions in addition to his and Capt. Robert Hood’s retirement.
The retirement of Hood, who retired earlier this year, and Medders, who is expected to leave by the beginning of 2010, will allow either Capt. Duane Whitely or Capt. Dan Jaykel to move into the position of police chief. In the end, the number of police captains will be reduced from three to one and save roughly $220,000.
Two sergeants will be demoted and returned to the road patrol, for a savings of about $15,000.
Grace said another $375,000 will be saved by the reduction of five patrol officers. However, the net loss of officers on the street will only be three because the sergeants will rejoin the road patrol.
In addition, one officer is accepting a position with the Avon Police Department, and another officer will be deployed to Afghanistan in January, saving the department another $170,000.
The closure of the city jail, which took place in September, will save the department about $1 million next year. The remaining $270,000 will be made up in miscellaneous cuts and the civilian cuts that were already made this year.
The $2.05 million will come from the general fund ($1.8 million) and police levy fund ($250,000).
Medders said he does not know how long the layoffs will be in place. However, “the economy will have to turn around before the officers and civilians can be called back,” he said.
Eichenlaub said nearly every other department funded by the general fund will have to endure cuts to make up the additional $2.25 million needed to close the budget gap.
In addition to the proposed cuts to the Police Department:
- The Health Department will lose $100,000.
- The Municipal Clerk of Court Office will lose $200,000.
- City Hall offices — those of the elected officials and Building Department — will lose $100,000.
That $400,000 reduction may come with more layoffs, but Grace said earlier Monday that it will be up to the department heads to craft a budget.
The Parks and Recreation and Fire Departments survived Monday night without hearing about additional cuts to their departments.
However, both will have to make do in 2010 with the massive cuts they faced this year, as both departments saw dozens of their employees laid off in 2009. Together, the cuts in 2009 will save the city about $1.85 million.
Still, Eichenlaub warned fire officials not to see that as a guarantee that no layoffs will come to the department next year.
“I’m not saying there will be no layoffs in the Fire Department, but in the near future its looks like any cuts that will be made can be accomplished through attrition,” he said.
Fire Chief Rich Benton did not speak about possible cuts. Instead, he asked Council members to carefully review the packet of information he sent them about applying for a federal grant that can be used to pay for firefighters. He wants to get the grant submitted as quickly as possible because it has a deadline of Dec. 18.
Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.
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Bill Wallace
Yes, a fakenamed poster trying to post as if he was my deceased father.
I am sure you can see a difference. If not, too bad. And I did not bring my father into that conversation.
Besides, she is a fakename like you. We have no way to verify anything she says. We can simply see her agenda in her post. Funny you showed up right away - maybe you are Loving Life?
Thanks
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Sito
You are a liar and a hypocrite who it has been proven uses “fake names” and you have no credibility.
Besides, you are a fakename—
You sound just like a little kid with that line Sito, after you just got caught lying trying to cover “that you just read her post”
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Bill
Sito won’t answer my question on the other thread on Elyria Mayor Grace faces recall election
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post 43 - she went there (and I read it)
Go back to being Loving Life. I could understand her. When you changed to Bill Wallace you confused the thread.
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Are you dirtdigger or Ken Behner? Make up your mind!
(Report comment)
Or are you Loving Life, Bill Wallace, dirtdigger and Ken Behner?
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Christopher, I have in my procession, an agenda from a city council meeting that was Burkhard’s and it has an item on it in which was presented without a committee report and had the names of those making the motion and those seconding it? Hmm conspiracy? you tell me, if no committee reported the item, and no meeting ever took place, how in the world did they decide who and when a motion and second would be made?
And for the record, I have never claimed to be your father, If i where your father I would have you committed for your mental state. My references to Son, are a simple way of expressing that you are below me, Son!
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Sito
Keep trying to cover yourself. It isn’t working.
You attacked someone on here for the same thing.
Do you know if LL’s mother is deceased? Yes it is the same thing.
You are a hypocrite (FACT), you are a liar (FACT) and you have no credibility, something you prove yourself over and over again (FACT).
I denounced that poster for posing as your deceased just as I also am denouncing you.
At least that other poster wasn’t a hypocrite.
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Sito
You call others cowards, well Sito you are the biggest coward of them all, you do not go to Council meetings yourself but yet you tell people they should educate themselves by attending them. I think you screwed up Sito and that is why you won’t answer my question about the Mayor and the Fire fighters
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Could someone please advise what should a community do when the mayor and his sidekicks are out of touch with the community, Should we just wait til he has served his time and during that time continue to provide large incomes for him and his band of crooks, or do the people have the right to disrupt his life by standing up and going for a recall
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Sam Jones
We do have the right to disrupt their lives and recalling Grace who has his blind followers as evidenced by 1 or 2
posters on this forum.
Grace and his administration has been content with, “it’s good enough”.
Do you know of any corporatations or businesses that are successful with the concept “it’s good enough”?
I
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Bill Wallace
I really do understand the people that are saying that the recall is a waste of taxpayers money but I believe that is the only way the BOY WONDER, ROTHGERY and the EICHEBLAUBS and we can not forget T MOYER, will realize that even if the recall does not work, the people of this city are sick of the SOS of the overpaid people that do not even do a 40 hour week and are compensated
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Sam jones
History is doomed to repeat itself in Elyria because of the reasons stated in my last post. When the bobble heads were re-elected the writing was on the wall. I can only hope that I am wrong and they remove Grace from office.
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10 cops gone and the mayor cuts $29.00 from his office?? Nowhere in the layoffs being mentioned did I hear of any assd’s or secretaries being laid off. Grace needs to do this city a favor and resign. The $50,000 that we save, could pay a good portion towards keeping a policeman on the streets.
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Bill Jackson
He can show that reduction of $29.00 because all of his work is done by T Moyer, E Rothgery ADMIN ASST
she does no court work and that is totally unfair to the taxpayers of the municipalities that the court represents it is not a city court but a municipal court taking money from townships in its jurisdiction I beliveve and thats not theft in office
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I would say with her being a Canadian Citizen she should not even be working for the U.S. Citizens, she pays no taxes and she get all the perks that only a American can only dream of.
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“Bill Wallace says:
November 18, 2009 at 11:49 am
Sito
Keep trying to cover yourself. It isn’t working.
You attacked someone on here for the same thing.
Do you know if LL’s mother is deceased? Yes it is the same thing.
You are a hypocrite (FACT), you are a liar (FACT) and you have no credibility, something you prove yourself over and over again (FACT).
I denounced that poster for posing as your deceased just as I also am denouncing you.
At least that other poster wasn’t a hypocrite. ”
————————
I did not come on this site and pretend to be someone’s deceased parent.
Bill Wallace you are a fraud appearing on here as a fakename.
People know who I am because I post with my real name. And they can verify anything I have said by calling me at 725-5775. 100% credible.
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“16. Defender says:
November 18, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I would say with her being a Canadian Citizen she should not even be working for the U.S. Citizens, she pays no taxes and she get all the perks that only a American can only dream of.”
———————-
There are millions and millions of citizens that work legally in a country other than there own. Especially in the Great Lakes region. They pay taxes to the city’s they work in and in every other required situation. Your comment is very ignorant.
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#18 Sito says:
Mr. Sito, I talk to a friend of mine that is a imagration judge in Cleveland and he told me that if someine wanted to file a complaint against Terry Moyer, they can start proceedings. It takes alot of time. Sito check it out she doesn’t pay all the taxes that you and I pay, so please do not call me ignorant.
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Sito
Do you remember the name Pappy?
How about this message you sent me.
“I have always, always posted under my real name.”
“I have logged on speaks under another name because Brian Allen would not let me on under my real name.
Sito, when you posted under the name Pappy did you feel that you had any credibility using a fake name.
The only fraud Sito is you.
You attacked Loving Life without provocation.
You attack anyone who uses a screen name.
You even attack people who use their real name saying they are fake.
You can deny all you want that you do not represent the City Of Elyria, but you are a representative of Elyria and a great embarrassment at that.
When you first started posting again on this site you stuck to putting the facts, as you believed them on here.
It did not take you long to revert to the old Sito attacking people for what you believe to be their lack of knowledge.
Calling people ignorant all the time just shows yours.
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Lets all remember the decisions made by the Mayor to lay off safety services, keep parks open and last but not least lay off only enough police so that an Eichenlaub would not be affected.
Amidst your battling with Chris who I believe is trying to get every post off subject, continue to remember the WORKERS who have been layed off, and remember the managers who still have their jobs.
These are decisions made be the Mayor and the Recall should be the subject of EVERY blog.
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ohhhhh Peter Potamas - Gimme my 22 minutes of life back ya hack - all double talk and no results hmmm sounds just like a politcal pundit
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Taxpayer
You are correct.
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i agree mr wallace how appropriate that only 5 officers wewre cut and an eicenlaub is not - baaaaaaaaloney - for crying out loud cut 5 more on top of the five retirees and young men - make a statement dammit!!!!!!!!!!!!
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oh and again how does keeping the rink open employ 6 supervisors and a secretary in the main office? and the 6-10 parks maintenance employed - and the parft -timers? hmmmmmm come on already!!!!!!!!!
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sorry part - timers - i really think that the biggest elyria union should say hey! what the hey? then again just like most politically motivated cretins they will roll over and show their bellies
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So go to the union meetings as citizens of Elyria and tell them what they should be doing. Why you wasting time with your fakename telling other fakenamers that will not do anything either about unions?
Again, perfect animal for you (and the fakenames).
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Chris -
You just attacked the one other person that has actually spoken up for you, not attacked you, has read your posts, has very intelligent insite into political matters and is probably my favorite among all polsters on this site because she tries to do what I do - see BOTH sides.
I hope to God you are having a very bad day and that is why you posted what you did against her.
LL - I know you can speak up for yourself, so hope I am not out of place.
Off to find my brownie pan……
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dude you better watch yourself - sending a nasty threatening e-mail is bad enough but you have no right to say a damn thing - you have not yet come up with a better solution all you do is try to incite people with what may be obvious complaints - not all of us suck choclate milk outa the mayor’s ass. btw - on three occasions i have tried to enter the so called inner sanctum of a union meeting - if you are not a member then you are not welcome - been there done that - asshole
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as far as fake names - big mackey is very well endowed - well then again you know that dont you?
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you get personal i get real nasty - dont push my limitless imagination punk
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and i do not care if i get banned - i am so arthritic - and stiff most days you could hit me with a truck and i wouldnt feel it
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BM - i personally would like to strangle PP for taking up my time with delusions of granduer. Jeez…..
Also - trying to figure out how CS would know your well endowed. Do not even want to go there…….
Was that your kitten btw?
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All right Bill Wallace I will tell you all the fakenames I have used over the years.
fourmoreyears
otis
cremo
oldbear
westsider
diggy
heman ely
rim greaper
john
council king
mr facts
fedupelryrian
spiderdude
44pride
flamethrower
There are about 40 more. I will post them at different times to keep you guys busy looking them up.
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big mackey is actually an endowed brazillian adult film star - i liked the name even though my kitten was not named that - however i am sure Chris will have something nice to say as usual - he did send me a rather nasty e-mail which had threatening overtones which i do not take lightly - but hwat is an old man to do? i would sure appreciate some brownies - ill make coffee and my famouse pumpkin cheesecake with sour cream topping - it is quite scrumptious
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OMG - pumpkin cheesecake with sour cream topping? Where do you live? Will be there now……Forget the brownies!
Never heard of big mackey but then I don’t really watch adult movies. Like Cars, Ratatouille, Monsters vs. Aliens - more what I am forced to watch now and kindof like em….
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Chris - I can’t even keep this name straight.
How in the heck do people actually make up new names and keep all of them straight - ughhhhh……
Does anyone really know how many policemen are going to lose their jobs? I have heard 3 different numbers now and am getting even more confuseled….
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obscure name - anyways - those are classics - like monsters inc - toy story - beauty and the beast , - all good stuff - oh the key to awesome cheesecake is to pull the main body out when its done - then put the sour cream enhanced topping (vanilla, powdered sugar blend) on the cake when it comes out - and let it sit - it really sets up and forms a most decadent new york style cheese cake with a light fluffy topping - and the fire is almost always crackling CB
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well five young officers for sure - the e=rest they say is history - we have to wait as the mayor had no plan in place and is leaving it up to the department heads
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I am paid very well. It’s easy. Ask the jones’ (wink, wink)
I use to have some of the greatest conversations with myself for hours. Then people would come on jump in (me again when I got bored).
Ever see the movie Sybil? I love it!
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Pay attention to who joins in next.
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and this is to mr jeff kidder - the 12 million that went to the waste water was for the reno vation of the west influent building which was falling down. n ew equipment that was almost rusted through, new sludge presses to remove the waste from the plant - it WAS NEEDED to make Elyria more compliant withe federal regulations to keep waste water current - it is no suprise - it was long overdue as they hjad outdated equipment that was almost rusted out - take a tour - get informed - ask for Mr. Terry Korzan the superintendant - he will educate you - 366-2211
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yes pay attention dont get personal - sift through the BS and form you OWN opinion - well educated is well armed - fore-warned is also well - armed
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Sito
Show me the post where I accused you of posting under another name other than Pappy, which you admitted in a round about way. And the fact that they got your IP address using that name.
And all along, you accuse others for doing the same thing you have done.
Now being caught once might lead others to believe that you have posted under other names. That is your right just as it is other peoples right to do that for any variety of reasons.
I know that there are several posters that use a screen name just so that they do not face repercussions from Grace as they work for the city and no, they are not firefighters.
So just, keep alienating other posters that have at one time or another stuck up for you.
It is what you do best.
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Bill and Sito;
I post under a fake name due to my name. That being said, I also post that if it ever did come to light, I would not be embarassed by what I said. I try to post with ihtegrity, honesty and try (sometimes I do fail) not to get frustrated and say stupid things.
I actually think a lot of the posters on here do the same thing. There are always the exceptions to every rule though.
I also think that everyone here has good days and bad. Some more frustrating than others and maybe we say things that we wish we could take back.
I do think its past my bed time….
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I post under my real name. Yippee.
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Well - I have actually posted under my real name but it was a LONG time ago in a galaxy far far away on some matter that is long forgotten,.,,,
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