The village clerk/treasurer could be appointed rather than elected starting in 2004.

At last night's meeting of the South Point Village Council, councilmen approved the first of three readings of an ordinance to make the position appointed by the mayor.

House Bill 245, signed by Gov. Bob Taft Feb. 2, gives villages the power to do this, Mayor Bill Gaskins.

"The problem right now is that someone can be elected and not know a thing," said Gaskins. "We've had some that were so bad that we couldn't even be audited."

The current clerk/treasurer, Scott Thomas, was not one of those clerks, Gaskins added.

To remove an appointed clerk, four votes from council plus approval from the mayor is required. If the mayor does not approve, five votes from council are required.

The ordinance will not have a number until passed.

Council also approved an ordinance establishing a $20 fee for bad checks written to South Point Utilities. Amelia Pridemore/The Ironton Tribune