SECTION II-3 . POWERS AND DUTIES.

   All legislative powers of the City shall be vested, subject to the terms of this Charter and of the Constitution of the State of Ohio, in the Council. The laws of the State of Ohio not inconsistent with this Charter, except those declared inoperative by ordinance of the Council, shall have the force and effect of ordinances of the City of Conneaut but in the event of conflict between any such law and any municipal ordinance or resolution, the provisions of the ordinance or resolution shall prevail and control.

   Without limitation of the foregoing, the Council shall have the power to:

(1)    Appoint and remove the City Manager;

(2)    Appoint and remove the Clerk of Council;

(3)    Establish, abolish, combine or separate administrative departments, divisions or service units of the municipal government; except that the divisions of Police and Fire shall not be combined;

(4)    Adopt the budget of the City;

(5)    Authorize the issuance of bonds and other evidences of debt;

(6)    Inquire into the conduct of any office, department or agency of the City and make investigation as to municipal affairs;

(7)    Approve, accept and adopt plats;

(8)    Adopt and modify the official map of the City;

(9)    Adopt and amend zoning regulations;

(10)    Adopt and amend building and sanitary regulations;

(11)    Adopt and amend a fire prevention code;

(12)    Adopt, modify, refer, reject or carry out plans proposed by the Planning Commission for the clearance of slum districts and the rehabilitation of blighted areas;

(13)    Adopt, modify, reject or remove plans by the Design Review Board for the historic prevention of buildings and areas.

      (14)    Council shall subdivide the City into four (4) wards of adjacent and compact territory with well-defined boundaries in compliance with State and Federal law. Within twenty-four (24) months after receipt of a new Federal Census, Council shall determine whether the wards are compliant with State and Federal law. and shall, if found to be noncompliant, redefine the boundaries of said four (4) wards so that they are compliant with State and Federal law.

         (Amended 11-2-04; 11-7-17)

SECTION II-4 . SALARIES AND SURETY BONDS.

   Council shall have the power to fix the compensation of the City Manager, the President of Council, its own members and the compensation of each officer and employee of the City, including officers and members of any board or commission of the City, whether elected or appointed, and to establish bond for the faithful discharge of the duties of office. The premium on any bond required by Council shall be paid by the City. The compensation of all elected officials shall be fixed not later than seventy-five (75) days prior to the date of the municipal election for terms of office beginning on the next succeeding first day of January, excluding both the date of the election and the date of fixing such compensation, and shall not thereafter be changed in respect to any such term or terms or any part thereof, provided, however, that the salaries of the members of Council and the President of Council elected to those offices at the first election under this Charter shall be in the same amounts as the salaries for those offices in the municipal government immediately prior to the effective date of this Charter. The salaries of appointed officials shall not be reduced during their term of appointment unless requested by the City Manager. The Council may authorize the payment or reimbursement of expenses incurred in the furtherance of the interest of the City by any official, employee, or member of any department, board or commission of the City.

(Amended 11-2-04)

SECTION II-5 . ELECTION.

   Except as otherwise provided by this Charter or by ordinance of Council, municipal elections shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of general law.

   Members of Council shall hold their office for two (2) years beginning January 1st of 2012, except the President of Council and At-Large Council members who shall complete their current term, which end December 31, 2013. They shall serve until their successors are elected or appointed and qualified. They shall be nominated by petition signed by not less than twenty-five (25) of the registered electors of the City or of their ward in the case of ward Council members and their names shall appear on a non-partisan ballot without party designation. The nomination of each candidate shall be made by a separate petition, but such petition may be circulated in separate parts, which shall be filed with the Board of Elections as one (1) instrument, not later than ninety (90) days prior to the date of holding the regular municipal election.

(Amended 11-4-97.) (Amended 11-2-04) (Amended 11-3-10) (Amended 11-8-11)