Castle new councilman
By Jane Beathard
Staff Writer
Members of London City Council welcomed Rex Castle into their ranks on Tuesday.
Castle fills the fourth ward seat left vacant in January when Stan Kavy was appointed to the city’s board of public utilities.
Members of the Madison County Republican Central Committee representing London selected Castle for the position in recent weeks. He was the only applicant, chairman Steve Saltsman said.
The 54-year-old Castle is a lifelong London resident and a 1977 graduate of London High School and Tolles Technical Center. He is manager of data processing at COBA/Select Sires, Inc. in Hilliard.
On Tuesday, Castle expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve on council.
He sought the job to help resolve mounting financial problems plaguing London and other area municipalities. Castle’s application said he wants to make the city a place where residents can raise families and stay long after those families are grown.
“I want the city to better itself,” Castle said.
Also on Tuesday, council voted to increase sewer rates by 4 percent annually for the next three years. The increase will cost the average resident an extra $1.55 each month, beginning with April’s city utility bill.
Kavy introduced the ordinance to increase sewer fees at the Jan. 17 meeting. Other members debated the issue through two additional meetings prior to Tuesday’s unanimous vote.
In other routine business on Tuesday, council members:
• Approved a $5,220 payment to Mabe’s Clothing for basketball shirts
• Authorized police chief Dave Wiseman to apply for a $30,000 grant from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services for a new cruiser. Auditor Katie Hensel estimated the cruiser will cost $36,000, with the city picking up the cost difference.
• Authorized safety-services director Steve Hume to negotiate a new contract with the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, representing police dispatchers and sergeants
• Authorized Hume to sign a memorandum of understanding with the firefighters union, foregoing step salary increases in order to re-hire part-time personnel
• Approved a resolution opposing proposed state legislation regulating municipal income tax collection
• Approved a letter supporting improvements to Londonerry Apartments on Bowman Court and allowing the owner to apply for low-income housing tax credits
• Approved $130,000 in improvements to the Toland Street bridge
• Approved an $8,000 improvement project on McLene Avenue
• Approved the purchase of $10,000 in new turnout gear for the London Fire Department
• Authorized the board of public utilities to sell two used truck beds as scrap metal
$$220 for t-shirts to Mabe”s? This seems a bit costly to me, how many t-shirts were ordered for God’s sake??? Did someone get bids from other places for cheaper shirts? I bet Mabe is one of the cronies for eades so I am sure the answer to my question is a big NO. I know there is another guy in town who does shirts, did anybody bother checking prices with him?
From the way i understood it, parents paid for those t-shirts. There at least a hundred purchased. The city received money for these t-shirts, but hadn’t paid for them when the parks director was forced out of a job.
You can un-knot your panties, Jackie.
You didn’t answer my question sheesh. Did the other person in town have the opportunity to profit from this t-shirt sale? Or was it simply Mr. Mabe because he is a yes man and probably friends with all the city council members? If 100 shirts were purchased, that would be approximately $50 per shirt….. come on now you can do better than that lame excuse. Parents are not going to pay $50 for a basketball T-SHIRT!!! I am sure you have a better explanation so let’s hear it. And FYI, I don’t wear panties.
I guess firing the parks and recs director wasn’t enough for Jackie. Look out for a lady with a torch and pitchfork, Ryan.
The parks and rec director DID NOT get fired. Not sure where you get your information. His position was simply reduced to part-time. Apparently our city and the youth he claimed to care so much about wasn’t worth much to him, only money. So what about the shirts? What parent paid $50 a shirt? Come on know it all, let’s hear your answers. Your pitchfork comment is unnecessary and extremely immature. Are you one of Ryan’s youth that he supported and coached? Must be….. that explains everything about you.
As a 1977 graduate of Central Ohio Joint Vocational School, like Rex, I am always a little uneasy when I hear it called Tolles. Just a technicality? Ask graduates of The Plains or Madison South where they graduated from.
Congratulations to Rex though. He is a good, honest, and mature person. London is lucky to have him on the council.
It’s good to see a new face on council. His experience as a Manager, and as a Treasurer with LABC should serve him well in this position. Maybe a new look at old problems will help out. Good luck and dont get discouraged when you run into the “walls” some of the council members put up.