Let’s Give The People Their Voice
To the Editor:
Most people in Maumee are now aware of the ongoing recall effort. A lot of people are already for or against it, but what is undeniable is that the Citizens of Maumee have the right to pursue this action. Section 705.92 of the Ohio Revised Code lays this out plainly.
But how did we get here? The quick answer is the breach of trust.
Since 2020, things have changed relatively quickly here in Maumee. What was a quiet town quickly became noisy due to the discovery of the sewer issues, as well as the overhaul of uptown Maumee, during a global pandemic. One can endlessly argue whether the changes have been good or bad, or somewhere in the middle, but what can be said for certain is that the city has massively blundered severely in a few key areas, with the biggest issues being communication with its citizens and government overreach. And one man stands in the middle of it all: Dr. Patrick Burtch.
The origin of the recall effort likely started with the reconfiguration of traffic in uptown. While the updating of infrastructure was badly needed, many feel that the changes went too far. I remember that there was an informational meeting at the Maumee Indoor Theater sometime in early 2021, but like most people, I thought, “Oh, they’re going to spruce up uptown. Cool,” and I didn’t go. Not many people realized the overhaul that was going to happen. Eyebrows were raised when the temporary lane restrictions went up and traffic started backing up in both directions. However, the collective voice of the people didn’t rise up and the changes became permanent. Who was at the forefront? Dr. Burtch. Trust started to be questioned.
Next, local businesses noticed the mandates from the city regarding forced improvements. Whether it was forcing a business to replace and add curbs to an entire parking lot instead of just fixing what was broken, or forcing cosmetic improvements because someone simply bought a commercial space, trust was being broken. Who was the one leading the charge? Dr. Burtch.
The first big breach of trust then came with the now-infamous rental ordinance. This dead horse has been thoroughly beaten, but who was sitting next to former Mayor Richard Carr as he essentially told concerned members of the real estate industry, “This is what we’re going to do and there’s nothing you can do about it”? Dr. Burtch.
Then, there was the likely tens of thousands of dollars that were spent fighting the citizen-led referendum against this ordinance. After Maumee officials refused to turn their signatures into the Board of Elections, the citizens had to turn to the Ohio Supreme Court, which ruled, “Turn in the signatures.” Maumee still refused to do so, and the referendum was not allowed on the 2023 ballot. Had they done that, the referendum would have likely failed easily in the 2023 climate of Maumee. But they continued to fight it with the Board of Elections and even appealed to the Court of Common Pleas and the 6th District Court of Appeals, all of which said, “Put it on the ballot.” This breach of trust falls on everyone: Mayors Carr and MacDonald, city council and Dr. Burtch.
Finally, the biggest breach of trust was the short-lived Sewer Ordinance 20-2024. City council passed this ordinance that appeared innocuous enough: no downspouts or sump pumps to drain into the sewer system. However, Dr. Burtch’s interpretation was draconian, in that “clay equals fail,” which is what was used in any house in Maumee built before the mid-1980s. Council members I spoke with said that they were not aware that this was going to be the interpretation of the ordinance. This put the burden of fixing the sewer issue 100 percent on the backs of residents, with most not even knowing they had an issue until they went to sell their homes in this short time period. Dr. Burtch and city council came after the common person of Maumee finally, and the people had had enough.
The uprising was astounding, with “Trapped in Maumee” signs everywhere. Referendum petitions were signed at light speed, and the city smartly repealed the ordinance. But the damage was done, and trust was shattered. Everyone was again responsible, not just Dr Burtch.
Recall is not a flippant thing to pursue, nor should it be taken lightly. If Issue 2 regarding the rental ordinance was defeated 3-to-1, it shows there is an overwhelming sentiment of distrust in our elected and unelected officials. We have seen the city’s resistance to letting its residents speak at the polls, so it’s no surprise to see Dr. Burtch appeal against the recall effort in both The Mirror and The Blade as a last-ditch effort to sway people into thinking it’s just a bunch of rich real estate people conning gullible residents. Again, he and our elected officials just can’t seem to read the room.
So, if the citizens leading this charge for recall do everything correctly, we should be given this option to recall our elected officials. Give. The People. Their Voice.
Dave Poeppelmeier
Maumee