CH council needs a Hatch Act

To the Editor:

CH City Council, sadly, needs a Hatch Act.

For those who are not familiar, the Hatch Act, a federal law passed in 1939, limits certain political activities of federal employees, including elected and appointed officials.

​The law’s purposes are to ensure that government programs are administered in a nonpartisan fashion, to protect government employees from political coercion in the workplace, and to ensure that employees are advanced based on merit and not based on political affiliation. ​​​​​​By all measures, it is unilaterally accepted as useful and appropriate legislation.

City council put in place its own version, applying to all city employees at lower levels, but tellingly excepting council members themselves. Go figure.

One would like to think that common sense and ethics would obviate the need for legislation that also brings council into compliance, but sadly, for certain members, this is not the case.