BLANCHESTER — The village is looking into discussing the possibility of endorsing an Article V Convention of States.
At Thursday’s Blanchester Village Council meeting, officials heard from Waynesville Councilmember Chris Colvin and Waynesville resident Viva Goorian. The two spoke believe Blanchester officials should support a similar resolution to the one Waynesville approved recently.
“As a good citizen, I try to pay my bills, I try to be honest, and try to be kind to my neighbors,” said Goorian. “(This resoltuion is) holding our government responsible to the same standards we have in our own households regarding fiscal responsibility.”
Goorian believes the resolution is important because she feels the federal government isn’t doing a good job at handling the budget. “They talk about everything except the budget,” she said.
She hopes this leads to the council looking the resolution over and creates a longer discussion on the matter.
According to the resolution, if Blanchester Council approves, it would ask their respective representatives in the State Senate and Assembly “to advance and adopt with all possible speed, the concurrent legislative resolutions adding Ohio to the roll of the many other states which have adopted resolutions to trigger an Article V Convention of States which are limited to fiscal responsibility, term limits, and reining in the scope, power and jurisdiction of the federal government, to draft, consider, debate and propose constitutional amendments which, once ratified, would restore the proper measure of authority and resources to the levels of government closest and most responsive to the people.”
Waynesville Councilmember Chris Colvin advised this is a nonbinding resolution.
“(Waynesville Village Council) uses resolutions to show a position or inform the public,” said Colvin, adding their village had a working session and discussed it.
He also said to call an amendment a “convention” is not to rewrite the Constitution.
“Part of the reason we are requesting you consider a working session is so you can become fully informed of what convention of state is,” said Colvin.
Blanchester Councilmember Harry Brumbaugh expressed support for holding a session. Councilmember Gary Bauer expressed support to learn more about it.
Mayor John Carman advised they would look into possible holding a special council session to discuss this further and they would research the topic more.
