Wickliffe council adopts emergency ordinance appointing Tara Schuster as assistant finance director

WICKLIFFE, Ohio — The Wickliffe City Council voted Jan. 12 to adopt Ordinance 2026-01 (amended), confirming the appointment of Tara Schuster as assistant director of finance and declaring the appointment an emergency.

The council first moved to suspend the rules to place the ordinance on third and final reading, then voted to adopt the amended ordinance. Council discussion included a specific amendment addressing the former assistant finance director, Terry Nuss, allowing him to work up to 80 hours under the terms recorded in the ordinance.

Councilman Dorsky asked for confirmation of the change: "But that does mean he will work 80 hours?" Finance Director Metis responded, "Yep. Correct." The ordinance text as introduced names Schuster as assistant director of finance for the City of Wickliffe, Ohio, authorizes compensation and declares an emergency.

Finance Director Metis had earlier welcomed Schuster during department reports, noting the city is prioritizing payroll as the new staff member begins work. The ordinance was moved and seconded on the floor and the council completed roll calls for suspension and adoption; affirmative responses were recorded and the ordinance was adopted as amended.

The council did not provide a detailed, line-by-line roll-call tally in the public transcript for every member; the audio record shows recorded affirmative votes during the roll calls for suspension and adoption. The ordinance language and the amendment referencing Terry Nuss were discussed and confirmed during the meeting.

Next steps: the ordinance takes effect under the emergency declaration included in the adopted measure, and City administration will proceed with onboarding Schuster and implementing any personnel arrangements authorized by the ordinance.