North Perry referendum a hot dispute

North Perry Village voters might decide a proposed citizens referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot to forbid Village Council authorizing a contract or purchase exceeding $250,000 unless local voters approve the expense.

It is the second such attempt since a failed 2003 effort to prevent council from tapping into cash reserves from the village-based Perry Nuclear Power Plant to build a boat marina and beach on what is now the $5.2 million expanded Townline Park on the Lake Erie shoreline.

With 40 registered voters' signatures required and 70 obtained on petitions, the current issue will be reviewed by the Lake County Elections Board, county Prosecutor Charles E. Coulson and Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner's office.

With Mayor Ed Klco agreeing, Village Council voted this week to forward the petitions to the Elections Board, despite village Solicitor Joseph M. Gurley writing that the petitioners have "no legal right" to get the issue on the ballot.

"You should not forward the fatally flawed petition to the Board of Elections," Gurley wrote to village officials.

"The initiative petition involved herein is illegal, contrary to Ohio law, and therefore would be void. The proposed ordinance places an illegal restriction on the legal authority of Village Council."

Referendum leaders are Nathan Orosz, who led the 2003 attempt that failed by a 190-157 vote, citizen Mary Ann Rideout and Dr. Frank Sailors, who is running unopposed this fall for what became a vacant seat on the Perry School Board. Among petition signers is Larry Klco, the mayor's brother who is making his first elective bid for a council seat.

Orosz said this year's issue revolves around Village Council spending $750,000 for land to join the Perry Joint Development District and agreeing on, but not yet spending an estimated $180,000 to $250,000 for land as a site for a proposed wind turbine.

"What this referendum really will show is that the Village Council must limit itself to spending. Don't just spend $250,000 or more without the people's vote," said Orosz, who is a building and remodeling contractor.

"They have this money from the Nuclear Power Plant and they expect it never to run out. They could have put the $750,000 in an investment account for a period to see what the JEDD is really going to do before they buy more land."

Council President Richard C. Shreve said he agrees with Gurley's legal opinion that Ohio "municipalities shall have authority to exercise all power of local self-government."

But Shreve and council voted unanimously to forward the issue to the elections and legal officials.

"My thought personally is that it does make the ballot, it's the right of the people to make the decision that it's our duty to expend in a proper way," the council president said. "But we discussed the wind turbine land and never bought anything. We purchased Perry Park Road as a part of JEDD, and it was a good business deal at the time and all done in public."

Klco said he agrees with the issue getting on the ballot.

"Enough people signed it. We serve the community. Sometimes you have to listen to the people. It's about spending a large amount of money. Whether I agree or disagree, we're supposed to serve the people," the mayor said.

Petition leader Orosz said one of his issues is that the mayor himself spent money without council approval to help fix a neighbor's residential property and council officially voted to order Klco to repay the village $10,000 for unauthorized expenses.

The money hasn't been paid by the mayor.

"I think it was sour grapes because Ed Klco stepped into the mayor's race and won. The mayor did step over the line. He got a public reprimand, and that should have been the end of it. But I do not believe he should have to pay that money," Orosz said.

In separate interviews, the council president and mayor, who aren't on the fall ballot, said they agree that the incident could be among election issue discussions. But they declined further comment.