Fort Wayne City Council held its first meeting of the year Tuesday night via teleconference, assigning leadership roles for 2021 and discussing an extension of the city’s pandemic paid leave policy.
Council members approved an extension of the paid leave policy 8-1, and it’s retroactive to January 1; it had expired right at the end of 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic carries on in the Hoosier State and the rest of the country. The policy will remain in place until the end of March, with the understanding that it may need to be extended again.
Republicans also stood firmly together in nominations for president and vice president of the body for 2021, with 1st District’s Paul Ensley named president and 2nd District’s Russ Jehl as vice president.
Democratic Council members nominated at-large and long-time member Glynn Hines for both positions, but the vote for each went along party lines. Since Republicans hold a 5-4 majority, Hines was snubbed from both spots.
Ensley will serve as Council president for the first time, following a long line of Republican members to hold the post, held by Didier and former councilman John Crawford the last two years.
