By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com

While there wasn’t much legislative news coming out of Tuesday’s regular session of Galion City Council, there was news nonetheless.

The special session held on Sept. 2 dealt with most of the pressing ordinances and robbed the ensuing regular meeting of its legislative thunder. What was left was an agenda with no legislation, an absent council member, and an absent mayor. Despite all that, a few important issues received attention.

One of this subjects dominating Galion news recently has been the lawsuit leveled at the City by the Citizens for Galion group. It was not a surprise then when Galion Law Director Thomas Palmer addressed the dismissal of this lawsuit last week by the Ohio Supreme Court. Palmer thanked the administration, City Council, his office, and the office of Donald McTigue for the “team effort” that went in to defending the City during this time.

The Citizens for Galion group was in the process of filing its merit briefs last week to the Ohio Supreme Court, the County Prosecutor, Palmer’s Office, and McTigue’s office, when they ran past the deadline on Sept. 3. They opted not to seek an extension, and on Friday the Ohio Supreme Court dismissed the suit.

“Now it’s time to put this matter behind us,” Palmer said.

Councilman Mike Richart handed out congratulations to those were involved with the Shumaker Ditch project. He called the successful completion of the project “a tribute to cooperation and group effort.” Council President Carl Watt echoed Richart’s words with commendations of his own.

Auditor Brian Treisch shed some light on a legislative issue that will be coming down the road shortly. There are new rules on income tax collection coming from the Ohio legislature that will be introduced at the next finance committee meeting. These rules will need to be fully digested and passed into law before December.

“It is substantial,” Treisch said, speaking of the consideration it will need. “But I’m not sure there’ a lot we can do about it.”

That Finance Committee meeting will be at 7:30 p.m., Sept. 15, in Council Chambers. There will also be a Laws and Ordinances committee meeting at 7 p.m. on Sept. 30 in Council Chambers.