(A) Candidacy. No officer or employee of the city shall continue therein after becoming a candidate for nomination or election to any partisan public office.
(B) Political activities.
(1) No person employed by the city shall orally or in writing solicit or in any manner be concerned with soliciting any assessment, subscription or contribution of any type for any political party or political purpose whatsoever from any person holding a position in the service of the city.
(2) No person holding a position in the service of the city shall make any contribution to the campaign funds of any candidate for city elective office for the actual or apparent purpose of influencing such persons or receiving favors of any nature from the persons.
(3) No person holding a position in the service of the city shall take any part in the management of the affairs of a political party, other than in the exercise of their rights as a citizen to express their opinion and cast a vote.
(4) Any violation of this section shall be reported immediately by the person having knowledge of the facts thereof to the City Manager. The City Manager shall cause an investigation to be made and if the facts are found to be substantiated, cause the offender to be suspended from duty and commence actions necessary to cause the offender's removal.
(5) City employees are prohibited from becoming actively involved in any campaigns for any city elective office.
(C) Examples of permissible activities for employees include, but are not limited to the following:
(1) Registration and voting;
(2) Expression of opinions, either oral or written, in the employee's individual, private capacity;
(3) Voluntary financial contributions to political candidates or organizations not in contradiction to the provisions in division (B) above;
(4) Circulation of non-municipal, nonpartisan petitions, petitions that do not identify with any particular party, or petitions stating views on legislation;
(5) Attendance at political rallies;
(6) Signing nominating petitions in support of individuals;
(7) Display of political materials in the employee's home or on the employee's property;
(8) Wearing political badges or buttons in the employee's private capacity, or the display of political stickers on private vehicles; and
(9) Serving as a precinct election official under R.C. § 3501.22.
('80 Code, § 163.23) (Ord. 3-80, passed 1-7-80; Am. Ord. 37-14, passed 5-19-14)