Pitts defers to charter review

LIMA - Saying he wanted to what is best for the city, 5th Ward Councilman and Human Resources Committee Chairman Tommy Pitts deferred civil service issues to another group.

The decision came a day after City Council tied 4-4 on a question from Mayor David Berger on whether civil service charter changes would be worked on by Pitts' committee or the Charter Review Committee, sparking heated debate.

Human Resources Committee members voted unanimously to table the issue.

"I already had it in my heart to work closely with you guys," Pitts said to Charter Review Committee members Tuesday during a Human Resources Committee meeting. "In the spirit of cooperation, I've decided I'm going to defer this to this board. I don't want anyone to think I'm being pressured, because I'm not. ... I'm not thinking about the administration; I'm thinking about the people of this city."

On Monday after asking for the council's decision, Berger was accused by some councilors of back-door dealing, politics and control and micromanaging. Berger said he was concerned only about process, making sure his staff could properly respond to issues and not wanting groups working possibly in conflict with one another.

Charter Review Committee Dick Meredith told Pitts if he had kept the issue in his committee, Meredith planned to resign from his job, because he didn't see why he should be spending his time with it.

Pitts said Tuesday he has major concerns with some specific provisions of the charter with civil service rules and said he wants to be "kept abreast" of the work and would provide input to board members.

Pitts again criticized Berger for not talking with him about the issue.

"As the chairperson, you would have thought I would have been talked to," Pitts said. "We probably could have worked this thing out and [Monday] night wouldn't have had to happen."

Pitts reminded those in the room of his removal as Safety Services Committee chairman and his initial reluctance to take the Human Resources post, but said he decided to after Council President John Nixon said he would work with him.

He said he's again ruffling feathers.

"When you start bucking against what they consider the system you don't get treated too well," Pitts said. "I can handle it. I've never taken anything personally. The Lord said this would happen. We all know what they did to Jesus when he walked this Earth."