TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo City Council will see a retirement and promotion at the turn of the year.
Clerk of Council Jerry Dendinger will retire on Dec. 29, 2023, and will be succeeded by Julie Gibbons, the current assistant clerk of council, on Jan. 1, 2024.
Council member Theresa Morris on Tuesday nominated Gibbons, who was then unanimously approved by council for the position.
The clerk of council is essentially a secretary for the 12-member legislative body.
According to the City of Toledo's Municipal Code, the clerk "shall keep [council's] records, and make an annual report giving a summary of its proceedings, and shall perform such other duties as are given him or her by this Charter or which may be prescribed by ordinance."
Dendinger, 72, has served in his city council role since 1998 and has worked for the city for a total of more than 40 years. His voice is a recognizably calm and deliberate one for anyone who regularly attends council meetings, as he reads off individual items (some of which reach over 100 words) on each meeting's agenda.
Multiple council members thanked Dendinger for his work as the clerk of council and as a key part of the legislative body's day-to-day work.
Council member John Hobbs III noted that when he joined council during the COVID-19 pandemic, meetings were conducted over Zoom and Dendinger helped him get accustomed to the assortment of abbreviations and administrative lingo that make up the documents council members read on a daily basis.
"I called him many times -- and I've called him many times at home after 10 [p.m.]," Hobbs said. "I just thank Mr. Dendinger for never belittling me or being like, 'if you don't get it then you shouldn't be here.' I just really, really appreciate him taking me under his wing and giving me what I need to be successful."
Council members also congratulated Gibbons on her appointment.
Gibbons has worked for council since 2006 and said she looks forward to assuming the new position in January. She described her role as Dendinger's "backup."
Morris said she is excited to see more women in leadership with Gibbons' appointment. She also noted the confirmation of Lucille Frank in September for council's chief of staff position.
