Cortland City Council meets to fill mayoral vacancy after certified recall, moves into executive session

The Cortland City Council held a special meeting Monday to begin the process of appointing a council member to fill the vacancy in the mayor’s office after the Trumbull County Board of Elections certified the results of a recall.

The presiding official opened the meeting and said, "We're here today to appoint a member of counsel to fill the vacancy in the office of the mayor," and staff reported they had "the official certified results from the Trumbull County Board of Elections," which the presiding official said confirmed "the mayor was in fact recalled." The council did not name the recalled mayor in the session's recorded segments.

Council members present included Jim Bradley, Ally McGregor, Chelsea Munro, Kevin Pyros, Scott Rowley, Chris Wasley and John McEachern, according to the roll call conducted by staff member Rhonda. The presiding official invited public comment on the "map before us this evening," but no public remarks are recorded in the supplied transcript segments.

A motion to enter executive session "to discuss the appointment of a public official to include city council and the law director" was made and seconded on the record. The council conducted a roll-call vote to authorize the closed session; the responses recorded in the transcript segments were in the affirmative and the council recessed into executive session.

Before leaving the chamber, staff stated, "There will be no voting in the chamber. It'll be done out here if there's a decision to be made," indicating that any formal appointment or vote would occur outside the public council chamber following the closed deliberations.

The meeting recessed into executive session. The transcript segments provided end before any appointment or formal vote on a candidate was recorded; the council did not announce a final appointment in the supplied segments. Any appointment or further public action will be announced by the council when available.