EASTLAKE, Ohio — Residents are questioning why Eastlake City Council President John Meyers is still in office amid the current solicitation charges he is facing.
Last month, Meyers was one of six men arrested in connection with a Lake County human trafficking sting. The 47-year-old pleaded not guilty in Willoughby Municipal Court and posted a $5,000 bond.
Meyers was at Tuesday night's meeting and actively participated.
"I want him to get fired. What he did, he needs to get fired, not sitting up here saying, 'it's (his) personal life.' Being council president, you're above the rest and you are leadership," said Annette Mango.
Mango is a human trafficking survivor who works in Eastlake. She was one of many who voiced their concerns during public comment at Tuesday night's meeting.
"It seems to me that now the higher you up get in rank, you feel like you're untouchable. Can't nobody tell me he didn't know about this problem and he still decides to do it," Mango said.
Tom and Carolyn Kinkoph are from Eastlake and spoke about their daughter Courtney, who was also a victim of human trafficking. She was found dead in an abandoned Cleveland apartment last year.
"I don't want this to happen to another child, I don't want this to happen to another family," Carolyn Kinkoph said.
Mango and the Kinkoph's are calling for Eastlake City Council or the mayor to step in and remove Meyers from office.
"How do you think you would feel if it was your mother, your sister, your daughter, your spouse, friend, coworker?" Tom Kinkoph said. "Put yourself in my shoes and see if that makes your decision a little bit easier."
Eastlake's law director spoke during Tuesday's meeting and explained that he made a recommendation for council members to not comment on the pending litigation. "We have a separate set of procedures under the Eastlake City Charter under Article V for removal or discipline of council people," Randy Klammer said. "That has a whole separate process that requires charging documents and public hearings and its inherently related to any pending criminal matter because it uses the language conviction."
This is the charter Klammer referenced:
SECTION V-3. REMOVAL.
The Council shall be the judge of the election and qualifications of its own members. It may punish, or remove from the Council any member for gross misconduct, misfeasance, malfeasance, nonfeasance, disqualification for office, or for the conviction while in office of a crime involving moral turpitude, or for a violation of his oath of office, or persistent failure to abide by the rules of the Council or absence without justifiable excuse from three (3) consecutive regular meetings of the Council, provided however, that such punishment or expulsion shall not take place without the concurrence of 2/3 of all the members elected to Council; nor until the accused member shall have been notified in writing of the charge against him, at least ten (10) days in advance of a public hearing upon such charge, at which he or his counsel shall have been given an opportunity to be heard, present evidence and examine any witness appearing in support of, or against such charge.
3News' Bri Buckley tried to speak to Meyers after the meeting Tuesday night and he told her "no comment." We reached out to his lawyer, but did not hear back.
According to court documents Meyers is set for a telephone pretrial on March 29th.