REPORT CARD: Matt Riehl - Ward 1

Although it's Part-Time, Council Position Requires More Effort

If you owned a business employing part-time workers, what would be an acceptable absentee rate?

That’s a question Stow voters in Ward 1 should consider when heading to the polls in November.

Stow City Council members are paid $15,000 per year for a part-time position that requires two public council meetings per month (with occasional special meetings), plus a few hours to prepare for the meetings and to reading reports and information regarding any business that comes before council and answer calls or emails from residents.

The annual salary equates to about $1,250 per month for two evenings worth of work. Are Stow residents getting their money’s worth?

A review of attendance rates of our city councilmembers showed that two members have significant absenteeism from Stow City Council meetings. One is explained by illness. Brian Lowdermilk was recovering from a serious car accident and related surgeries.

But, what about Matt Riehl, who was appointed by council on Jan. 27, 2022, to fill a vacancy in Ward 1? Riehl has missed 4 Stow City Council meetings since his appointment, which is equivalent to 2 months of work. He also missed 6 committee meetings, where much of the real work of discussion and governing is done and has been late to 3 additional meetings. Meeting dates for the year are set well in advance, the 2nd and 4th Thursday evenings each month, so “I’ve got a conflict” excuse really doesn’t fly, since this is a paid job, except in extraordinary circumstances.

Council's attendance this term (January 2022-Sept. 30, 2023)

But Riel’s attendance rate isn’t the only concern. Even when he’s at council meetings, he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t ask questions or offer ideas or opinions, so his constituents really don’t know what he stands for or what he’s thinking when he votes. He generally votes the same way that Council President Jeremy McIntire and Ward 2 Councilwoman Sindi Harrison do; when he does vote in opposition, we never know why because he doesn’t say.

So, whether he’s there or not is immaterial. Ward 1 residents are being short-changed.

Riehl previously was first elected as Ward 1 councilman in 2007 and served until being term-limited in 2020. But after the death of Dennis Altieri right after the 2021 election, Riehl was selected by McIntire to fill the seat without interviews or consideration of any of the 8 other applicants.

For instance, here’s one applicant, Bruce Campbell, who appeared before council on Jan. 27, 2022, to comment on a few issues, in particular, about the regional dispatch issue. See his comments, and those of Mike Daniels who follows, questioning why Campbell and others weren't interviewed for the Ward 1 vacancy: