The Council of the Municipality shall consist of seven (7) members, one member to be elected from each of four (4) wards and three (3) members to be elected at large. The term of the members of Council shall begin the first day of January following their election, and they shall serve for a term of four (4) years, or until their successors are elected and qualified, except that at the regular municipal election held in the year 1991 the members to be elected at large shall be elected for a two (2) year term and then in 1993 and every four (4) years thereafter shall be elected and serve for a term of four (4) years. Except as limited by this Charter, the legislative power of the Municipality granted by this Charter and by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Ohio, shall be vested in Council; and without limitation of its general powers, Council shall have power to provide by ordinance for employment of personnel in any department of the Municipality for an indefinite term subject to being removed at the will of Council and to fix the rate and basis of compensation therefor.
(Amended 11-6-1962; 11-6-1990)
(a) The Council shall, not later than July 1, 1991, divide the Municipality into the number of wards which equals the number of members of the legislative authority to be elected from wards, as required by this Charter. Wards so formed shall be as nearly equal in population as is practically possible, and shall be composed of contiguous and compact territory, and bounded by natural boundaries or street lines.
(b) In order to maintain substantially equal population in each of the wards on a continuing basis, the Council may redivide the Municipality into the required number of wards at any time for such purpose. It shall review ward division and redivision, within ninety (90) days after the first day of July of the year following the decennial census year, to determine if a redivision is necessary to comply with the provisions of this section.
(c) The Council may authorize and provide for conducting a census of the population of the Municipality at any time in order to carry out the powers granted by this section.
(d) Any action of Council to divide or redivide the Municipality into wards as required herein shall be by ordinance, which shall be effective on July 1 of the next calendar year following the calendar year during which such ordinance was passed.
(Enacted 11-6-1962; Amended 5-2-1989; 11-3-1998; 7-8-2024)
No person shall be a member of Council of the Municipality unless the person is a resident and a qualified elector at the time the petition for election is filed, and no person shall serve as a member of Council unless that person shall continue to be a resident of the Municipality throughout his term of office. No person shall be a member of Council elected from a ward unless he is a resident of that ward at the time his petition for election is filed, and no person shall serve as a member of Council elected from a ward unless he shall continue to be a resident of the ward throughout his term of office. No member of Council shall hold any other public office with the Municipality or employment with the Municipality. No member of Council shall be interested in the profits or emoluments of any contract, job, work or service for which moneys of the Municipality are being expended.
Any member of Council who shall cease to possess, or who violates any of the qualifications herein enumerated shall forfeit his office. Failure of any member of Council to maintain said qualifications shall not render void or ineffective any action of Council in which such member has participated.
(Amended 6-8-1976; 11-4-2003)
Council shall be the sole and final judge of the election and qualification of its members. It may expel or remove any member for gross misconduct, or for misfeasance, malfeasance or nonfeasance in, or disqualification from holding office, or for conviction while in office of a crime, or for conviction in office of a crime as enumerated by the Ordinances of the Municipality or the Ohio Revised Code, or for the violation of his oath of office, or for persistent failure to abide by the rules of Council, or for absence without justifiable excuse for three consecutive regular meetings of Council. Such expulsion shall not take place except on concurrence of five (5) of the members elected to Council, nor until the accused member shall have been notified in writing of the charge against him at least ten (10) days in advance of any hearing upon such charge, and until he or his counsel shall have been given the opportunity to appear before Council and be heard, present evidence and examine witnesses appearing in support of the charge.
(Amended 11-4-2003)
Whenever the office of a member of Council becomes vacant for any reason, the vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the then remaining members of Council. If the vacancy is not filled by Council within thirty (30) days of its occurrence, the Mayor shall fill the vacancy by appointment.
Such person shall serve through December 31 following the next regular municipal election, provided, however, that the term of a member shall not be lengthened by their resignation and subsequent appointment. At such election a successor shall be elected to serve for the unexpired term, if any remains, for a full term commencing January 1 next following his election.
(Amended 11-6-90; 5-2-95)
Council shall determine and fix the salary of its members on or before the first day of June each year. If the Council determines to change the established salary of its members in respect to a term of office, such change must be made by Council on or before the first day of June, to be effective January 1 of the following year; and unless and until the salary is so changed it shall remain as last fixed. The salary of a member of Council shall be payable in substantially equal installments fixed by ordinance of Council.
(Amended 11-6-1973; 5-2-95; 11-4-2003)
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