Thursday, July 15, 1999
Citizens panel to review Middletown charter
BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN — A citizens committee will begin reviewing the city charter this month, and one issue may be how city commissioners are chosen.
Any proposed charter changes would likely be on the November 2000 ballot, said City Commission Chairman Earl Smith, who will be at the first meeting July 27, to charge the committee with its duties.
The meetings are expected to continue through February, when a final report is due to the City Commission.
“They will be an indepen dent group, which will look at the charter and make recommendations to the City Commission for amendments to go on the ballot,” Mr. Smith said. Commissioners have the final say on ballot issues.
A review of the charter, adopted in 1913, is required at least every 10 years. The last was completed in early 1990.
At least one issue that was approved by voters following that review may be revisited this year, Mr. Smith said.
That amendment, one of six put on the November 1990 ballot, was to increase the number of city commissioners from five to seven and to establish wards.
“There has been some dis cussion around town as to whether we should go back to five commissioners,” Mr. Smith said. “Some say you can get five people to agree better than seven. Some people also object to ward elections.”
Five of six proposed amendments in the last review were adopted by voters, including doubling commissioners salaries' to $5,000 and allowing executive sessions as permitted by state law.
One, which would have placed police and fire chiefs in the unclassified service of the city — meaning they would not need to come up through the ranks — was defeated.
Committee members are Tom Blake, Don Easterly, Ka thy Romans, Harvey Poff, Paul Metzger, James Sherron, Mike McNeil, Darrell Templeton, Gregory Nenni, Dan Sack, Rosa Lean Lindsey, Frank Latimer, Jim Flynn, Noah Powers and Jack Williamson.
City Law Director Les Landen will be the group's legal adviser, said City Commission Clerk Bettie Arthur.
The members will elect a chairman and vice chairman and schedule meetings. All will be open to the public unless they meet the Ohio “Sunshine Law” criteria for executive session, Mrs. Arthur said.
Suggestions for the committee to review can come from anyone.
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