Tallmadge council retreats to executive session to consider clerk appointment, pending court action

The Tallmadge City Council adjourned into executive session at 8:21 p.m. Thursday to discuss a pending court action and to consider the appointment and employment of a new clerk of council. Council President Jonathan Bolas said administration would be excused from that portion of the session except for the law director.

The executive session was called under the meeting’s agenda item for executive session. The council recorded a roll call before going into closed session; all seven councilmembers voted to adjourn for executive session. The meeting resumed at about 9:06 p.m., and the council took no public vote or announcement on either item before adjourning for the evening.

Why it matters: a clerk-of-council appointment and pending court litigation can affect council operations and the city’s legal posture; an executive session allows the council to discuss confidential personnel and litigation matters out of public view.

What happened in the meeting: President Jonathan Bolas read the executive-session subjects and asked that “the administration be excused with the exception of Miss Raber” (the law director) for the clerk discussion. Council then adjourned to the executive session by motion and recorded roll call votes. When council returned at 9:06 p.m., no formal appointment or public update about the litigation was announced.

Next steps: Because personnel hires and litigation settlements or strategy often remain confidential until finalized, the council could announce actions on either matter in a future open meeting, depending on legal and personnel requirements.