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Chardon City Council Resolution Opposing Issue 14
Chardon City Council Resolution Opposing Issue 14
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WHEREAS, the Council appoints the city manager who administers the
government of the City of Chardon; and
WHEREAS, the issue of an elected mayor was raised and discussed during
the meetings of the Charter Review Committee; and
WHEREAS, legal counsel for the City of Chardon who reviewed the petition
and prepared the ordinance to place the initiative petition on the ballot advised
Council that there are legal questions about the proposed initiative charter
amendment and it is inconsistent and incompatible with the remainder of the Charter;
and
WHEREAS, the Law Director has reviewed and analyzed the petition and
concurs with and adopts the opinion of legal counsel; and
WHEREAS, the petition as written requires that the mayor shall perform all
duties prescribed for him/her in the Charter and those given to the mayor by general
law, the Ohio Revised Code; and
WHEREAS, many of the duties of a mayor under the Ohio Revised Code are
duties which will be in direct conflict with duties performed by the city manager
under the Charter; and
WHEREAS, the conflict in duties between the city manager and mayor
undermines the guiding principle of the City's Charter, which is the council-manager
form of government; and
WHEREAS, the initiative charter amendment changes the practice of the
mayor presiding only over Council meetings and will require the mayor to preside
over all municipal meetings; and
WHEREAS, if the elected mayor is unable to serve a full term, the vice-
mayor, who is selected by the mayor under the initiative charter amendment and not
elected as vice-mayor by the people, would become mayor and serve the remainder
of the mayoral term; and
WHEREAS, if Issue No. 14 passes, the City will be required to pay for the
interpretation and revision thereof, either by time consuming and expensive litigation
or proposal of a new charter amendment to correct the inconsistent and incompatible
Charter sections at a special election in 2019, which would cost the City of Chardon
approximately $6,000; and
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JEFFREY L. SMOCK, Mayor
President of Council
Attest:
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Amy Day
Clerk of Council