Passion for the city of Bowling Green and its residents is a necessary character trait for a Bowling Green City Council member.

As elected officials, Bowling Green City Council members have a responsibility to respond to residents’ inquiries and concerns, many of which are directed at their ward’s council member, but at-large members also receive complaints.

Of the seven elected officials, three are at-large members and the other four represent one of the four wards in they city. At-large members are elected to a four-year term and the ward members are elected every two years.

While ward council members focus more on their ward, at-large members also deal with residents from the wards and the community as a whole. There is not a distinguishable difference between the two except the length of terms and who complaints are directed to.

At-large council member Terry Dunn said at-large members have four-year terms to help ensure information is effectively transferred during election periods.

“Having a four-year at-large member guarantees some continuity for elected officials,” he said.

Ward council member posts and two of the at-large member posts will be up for election in fall 2009. Most of the current council members plan to run for re-election because they care about residents’ concerns.

“It’s a complaint-driven system,” at-large council member Bob McOmber said.

While dealing with complaints are a common part of being a council member, the desire to help the city is why the council members ran for the position.

“I understand the general upkeep of the city and thought [my knowledge] could be something I could contribute to the community when problems arise,” said Dunn, who has a 12-year background in local government. His jobs included engineering, financing and budgeting.

McOmber also ran for council because of his interest in the community, although he doesn’t consider himself a politician.

“I like being involved and having an opportunity to get my two cents in, even though it is a fairly thankless job,” he said.

City council President Megan Newlove has always been involved with politics and the community, which is why she decided to run for the third ward position. She was then elected president by her fellow council members.

“My dad [Richard Newlove] was on city council, so I grew up with the idea to give back to the community,” she said.

Second Ward Council Member John Zanfardino said one of the aspects he enjoys about being on city council is how his services can reach past a single individual.

“Council is really engaging and really gets a person involved in town,” he said. “In a way, I’m trying to help the neighborhood, not just an individual.”

Most recently, Zanfardino has been trying to help the residents of his ward on State Street get rid of unwanted pedestrians at odd hours of the night.

“One of the real complexities of council is trying to reduce the foot traffic in the area,” he said.

Although he has not proposed a new legislation to stop foot traffic in the area, he has kept in contact with the residents and Public Works Director Brian Craft to examine options for a more peaceful night life. These options look at various barriers that could be placed at the end of the street to stop the pedestrians.

Council members do not propose new legislation often. Instead, they usually review new legislation proposed by the administration, which includes the Mayor and City Administrator. A majority of the proposed legislation deals with allocating funds for equipment, projects and committees.

“Being on city council consists of passing mundane ordinances to keep the city going,” McOmber said.

There are instances though where a council member feels passionately about a subject and proposes a new legislation, the most recent example would be the cell phone ban issue going on the May ballot.

McOmber initiated the discussion and legislation after he became aware of the dangers caused by talking on a cell phone while driving.

“I personally became convinced it would be a good thing, but I want to do what a majority of the voting people want,” he said.

Newlove does not agree with the cell phone ban because Bowling Green would be the only city in the area to have one. She doesn’t want the city “to become an island in Ohio” and she feels council decided on an appropriate solution.

Aside from finding solutions to residents’ complaints and helping the city run smoothly, council members are also assigned to chair a committee. These committees include the Community Improvement Committee, the Transportation and Safety Committee and the Finance Committee.

When council members are not busy with their duties, some are spending time with their family or working at their “day job”.

Even though city council members are compensated $5,000 a year, they still engage in other professional activities. Newlove is a general attorney, Zanfardino is a habilitation coordinator at the Lucas County Board of Mental Retardation, McOmber is a part-time Legal Studies professor at the University and Dunn is a church director and the treasurer for the Maumee Valley Presbytery.

Other council members include Gordy Heminger of the second ward, Mike Frost of the fourth ward and at-large member Larry Sorrells.

City council meets on the first and third Monday of every month at 8 p.m. in the city offices at 304 N. Church St.