Article III: Mayor

Sections

Section III-1: Term

The Mayor shall be elected at the regular Municipal election held in the year 2007 and every four years thereafter for a term of four years commencing on the first day of January next following such election, and shall serve until a successor is elected and qualified.
(Amended 11-7-06)

Section III-2: Qualifications

The Mayor shall have been a resident and a qualified elector of the Municipality for at least two continuous years prior to the mayoral election and shall continue to be a resident of the Municipality throughout the term of office. The Mayor shall not hold any other public office, except as otherwise provided in this Charter or by ordinance enacted thereunder, and that of notary public or membership in the State Militia or reserve corps of the United States.

Section III-3: Removal

The Council may remove the Mayor for gross misconduct, or malfeasance, misfeasance or nonfeasance in or disqualification for office, or for the conviction while in office of a crime involving moral turpitude, or if adjudicated legally incompetent or for a violation of the oath of office; provided, however, that such removal shall not take place without the affirmative vote of three-fourths of the members of Council nor until the Mayor shall have been notified in writing of the charge at least ten days in advance of a public hearing upon such charge, and the Mayor or the Mayor’s counsel has been given an opportunity at such hearing to be heard, present evidence, or examine any witness appearing in support of the charge.

Section III-4: Absence and vacancy

  1. (a) Absence. When the Mayor is for any reason unable to perform Mayoral duties, the President of Council shall become the acting Mayor, and while so acting shall have and exercise all of the powers of the Mayor, but shall not thereby cease to be the President of Council. In the event the President of Council is absent from the Municipality, or for any reason is unable to perform the duties of acting Mayor, when the Mayor is for any reason unable to perform Mayoral duties, the President pro tem of Council shall become the acting Mayor, and while so acting shall have all the powers and duties of the Mayor, but shall not thereby cease to be President pro tem of Council.
    (Amended 11-4-86)

  2. (b) Vacancy. If the office of Mayor becomes vacant, the President of Council shall forthwith become Mayor, except as herein after set forth, and shall serve through the end of the calendar year of the next general election at which the office of Mayor can be determined by the electors of the Municipality, for the unexpired term and the President pro tem shall become the President of Council. Thereupon, the vacancy in Council shall first be filled in the manner provided in Section 6 of Article IV, and then a new President pro tem shall be chosen by Council. If the President of Council declines to serve as Mayor, Council shall then appoint by majority vote one (1) Council member as Mayor to serve until the end of the calendar year in which the next general election will be held and the election of Mayor for the balance of the unexpired term can be decided by the electors of the Municipality. If a Mayor-elect fails to qualify for office, a vacancy shall be deemed to exist and the President of Council elected at the organization meeting following such regular Municipal election shall become Mayor for that portion of the term as provided above. The election for Mayor for the balance of the remaining term, when the office of Mayor becomes vacant, shall be held at the next general election which is more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the office of Mayor becomes vacant.
    (Amended 11-2-21)

Section III-5: Duties and powers

  1. (a) Executive Powers. The Mayor shall be the chief executive officer of the Municipality, and shall:

    1. (1) Supervise the administration of the Municipality’s affairs;

    2. (2) Exercise control over all departments and divisions thereof, except Council;

    3. (3) Be the chief conservator of the peace within the Municipality and shall cause all laws and ordinances to be enforced therein;

    4. (4) See that all terms and conditions imposed in favor of the Municipality or its inhabitants in any franchise or contract to which the Municipality is a party are faithfully kept and performed;

    5. (5) Recommend to Council such measures as are deemed necessary or expedient for the welfare of the Municipality and shall keep Council advised of the condition and future of the Municipality;

    6. (6) Act as the official and ceremonial head of the Municipal government;

    7. (7) Together with the Director of Finance, when public funds are involved, execute on behalf of the Municipality all contracts, conveyances, evidences of indebtedness, and all other instruments to which the Municipality is a party; (Amended 11-3-81)

    8. (8) Shall have custody of the seal of the Municipality and may affix it to all of the aforesaid documents, but the absence of the seal shall not affect the validity of any such instrument; and

    9. (9) Perform such other duties as are conferred or required by this Charter, or by any ordinance or resolution of the Council or by the laws of the State of Ohio.

Subject to the provisions of this Charter and the provisions of the civil service regulations when they are promulgated as provided in this Charter, the Mayor shall have the power to appoint, promote, discipline, transfer, reduce, or remove any officer or employee of the Municipality except those required by this Charter to be elected, those whose terms of office may be fixed by this Charter and employees of Council.

  1. (b) Legislative Powers. The Mayor shall attend Council meetings but shall have no vote therein. The Mayor shall have the right to recommend and introduce legislation and to take part in the discussion of all matters coming before Council.

  2. (c) Veto Powers. Every ordinance or resolution adopted by Council shall be signed by the President of Council or other presiding officer, attested by the Clerk of Council and presented promptly to the Mayor. If the Mayor approves such ordinance or resolution, it shall be signed and returned to the Clerk of Council within ten days after its adoption by Council, but if the Mayor does not approve it, it shall be returned to Council within said ten days with the Mayor’s written objections by delivery to the Clerk of Council, which objections shall be entered in full on the journal of the Council. If the Mayor does not sign or so return an ordinance or resolution within said ten-day period, it shall take effect in the same manner as if the Mayor had signed it. The Mayor may approve or disapprove the whole or any item of an ordinance or resolution appropriating money, but otherwise the Mayor’s approval or disapproval shall be addressed to the entire ordinance or resolution. When the Mayor has disapproved an ordinance or resolution, or a part or item thereof as herein provided, the Council shall not later than its next regular meeting, proceed to reconsider it, and if upon reconsideration the ordinance or resolution or part or item thereof disapproved by the Mayor be approved by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the members of Council, it shall then take effect without the signature of the Mayor in the same manner as if the Mayor had signed it. In all such cases, the votes shall be taken by yeas and nays and entered upon the journal.

  3. (d) Judicial Powers. The Mayor shall have all the judicial powers granted from time to time by the general laws of the State of Ohio to mayors of municipalities of the class of this Municipality.
    (Amended 11-2-76; 11-8-11)