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Charter changes headed to council

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By Ed Richter, Staff Writer 11:12 PM Monday, June 15, 2009

Reducing the size of City Council, eliminating the ward system, and establishing term limits for council and the mayor are among the possible charter changes going to city officials.

The Middletown Charter Review Committee Monday night, June 15, finalized its recommendations to the city’s charter.

Among those proposed changes are reducing the size of council from seven to five members. The panel also is recommending the ward system be done away with and have each council member and the mayor run at-large.

The panel also is seeking to establish term limits of no more than two four-year terms for council and the mayor, and permitting the city’s police and fire chiefs to be selected from outside the divisions of police and fire.

Council has the option of accepting the recommendations and placing them on the Nov. 3 general election ballot; rejecting the recommendations outright; or substitute its own recommendations to the voters.

Council will set aside time at its July 7 meeting for a work session discussion with the committee on its recommendations, Law Director Les Landen said.

Other charter changes being recommended include:

• Recommended repealing residency rules for the city manager. This item was modified as a result of last week’s Ohio Supreme Court ruling that repealed residency requirements for municipal employees. However, the council could include a residency requirement as part of a contract with a future city manager, according to Landen.

• Reducing the number of council meetings from two to one per month.

• Removing the advice and consent of council when city employees are appointed or removed.

• Repealing sections of the charter that address the Park, Health, Library Trustees boards and the Civil Service Commission and authorizing council to create boards and commissions as needed, as well as set the size, term of office and method of appointment for those boards.

• Eliminating the requirement of having the title of proposed legislation published as a legal notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the city.

• Increasing the length of a rebuttal statement of a city officer being recalled as well as making it available to voters.

• Making the charter language gender neutral.

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Is that it? Is that all for the recommendations after all this time? Shouldn't there be more major changes suggested? Seems like alot of discussion occured according to the meeting notes but it also seems that little came out of this.

VietVet
11:58 AM, 6/16/2009

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Mr. Ike, Going outside of the department/city is a GREAT idea....Ron Olson was such a great find not to mention Steve Price!! So whos logic really makes little sense?!

NUTS!!
9:33 AM, 6/16/2009

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I encourage everyone to read the minutes of these charter review committee meetings. The minutes demonstrate what the lack of depth and foresight in this group of council appointed citizens. It will be a sad day for Middletown if some of these changes are adopted.

someone who reads
9:28 AM, 6/16/2009

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You select a Chief Fire or Police by who is the Best person for the Job, not what the employees think. Widening your search will bring in choices that have previously been excluded. What does a Patrolman know about selecting a Chief that a HeadHunter doesn't please your logic makes little sense.

Ike
8:45 AM, 6/16/2009

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Has anyone asked the Police or Fire Department personnel their feelings on an outside chief? I think they may have a little more knowledge than the committee about what the best way to select a chief might be.....

NUTS!!
7:46 AM, 6/16/2009

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