Council members and petition organizers used the Nov. 13 Cortland City Council meeting to lay out email exchanges and a recall petition they say show the mayor’s relationship with council has deteriorated and that some residents fear retaliation.

The most serious public comment came from Council Member McClain, who said emails sent by the mayor and by an outside contractor indicated the administration had directed inquiries away from the mayor’s office and that a June 13 letter from the mayor canceled city-run events. McClain said the mayor’s communications included passages that “categorically and unequivocally reject those allegations” while also warning of legal recourse, including retraction demands and potential defamation claims.

Why it matters: Petitioners told council they had collected what they believe are sufficient signatures to trigger Cortland’s recall process under Section 14.3 of the city charter. Petition organizers said they submitted 511 certified signatures and asked the clerk to begin the certification process; council members expressed concern about residents saying they feared retaliation for signing.

Council members described a breakdown in collaboration. Multiple council members said committees that previously worked with the administration went dormant after the dispute over event management and staffing, and several said they would not hesitate to vote for removal if the petition process proves sufficient. “Nobody in the city should fear retaliation,” one council member said.

The mayor’s June letter—read in part during public comment—disputed assertions that she acted outside her authority, calling certain statements “false, misleading, defamatory” and denying improper reassignment of responsibilities. The mayor’s wording that continued dissemination of the alleged falsehoods “may result in legal recourse” was cited by speakers as evidence of a threatening tone.

Procedure and next steps: Council referred procedural questions about the recall to the clerk and the law director. Clerk Rhonda was identified as the official responsible to certify signatures; Law Director Patrick agreed to research whether prior signature-collection thresholds or timeframes affect the petition’s validity and to report back to council. One council member said he would date-stamp the petition and provide follow-up to petition organizers.

The meeting closed the public portion after the presiding officer moved to go into executive session to discuss employment matters involving counsel, the mayor and the law director.

Quotes: “It will impact how we continue to work together moving forward,” Council Member McClain said, introducing the emails and petition material. “They are false, misleading, defamatory,” read a passage attributed to the mayor in a June response to council correspondence. “The clerk will certify those signatures,” the presiding officer said when discussing next steps for the petition.

Context: Speakers repeatedly referenced Cortland’s charter recall provisions and Ohio law; a legal explanation read at the meeting noted that charter cities may prescribe their own recall procedures and pointed to examples and charter language from other Ohio municipalities. Petition organizers said the city’s charter requires signatures from 20% of the electors voting in the last general election and that their certified count approaches the required threshold.

What’s next: Rhonda, the clerk, will proceed with certification of the submitted petition according to the charter; Law Director Patrick said he would research and advise council on legal timing and statutory questions.