GALION — Galion City Council is preparing to move forward after the coming retirement of a city employee.
Effective Dec. 31, Galion Assistant Law Director David Keller will retire, vacating the position in charge of the city’s prosecution of misdemeanors and traffic offenses in municipal court.
Council had its final reading on a resolution authorizing an agreement between Keller and the city for a retirement payout.
With the coming vacancy, council had its first reading of an ordinance to enter into a contracted agreement with the Crawford County Prosecutor’s Office for the handling of prosecution work for minor offenses performed inside the city limits.
In the agreement is an annual payment of $35,000 from the city to the county for the services.
Galion Law Director Thomas Palmer said Keller’s base salary was more than $50,000 and included additional funds for his employee benefits. He said the individual who will be tasked with the prosecutorial duties in Galion will remain an employee of the county and their compensation will remain with the county.
The county will be responsible for assigning who will be responsible with the new duties, which begin Jan. 1.
Palmer said he also hopes to add a research assistant for the city’s law office. He hopes the person hired for the job will be able to perform jobs such as organizing a record of city-owned property, something Palmer said has not been done in 150 years.
The assistant would not qualify for benefits, which would assist in keeping the employee costs down.
Palmer told council even after possibly adding a research assistant, the contract with the county and the assistant still would create savings for the city.
The city does not plan on filling the assistant law director position after Keller’s retirement.
Council’s next meeting is Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.