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The director of finance shall periodically report on the finances of the city to the mayor, council, the public and any specific persons designated by law, including financial transactions for the fiscal year or any part of the fiscal year and the effect of those transactions on appropriations within each department of the city government.
(a) No public improvement, any part of the cost of which is to be specially assessed upon the owners of property in the city, shall be made without the approval of council. Before property in the city may be specially assessed for public improvements, council shall establish regulations sufficient to require preliminary legislation declaring the improvements necessary; to ensure the affected owners receive notice of the proposed assessment, an opportunity to examine plans for the improvement, and the ability to be heard in at least one public forum before the assessment is authorized by council; to divide assessed costs equitably among the city and affected property owners; to provide for repayment over an appropriate period of time; and to establish an opportunity for owners to make damage claims arising from the improvements and have those claims heard.
(b) Council may by a two-thirds vote of all members specially assess the cost of a public improvement upon affected property owners. However, if the owners representing a majority of the foot frontage of the lots to be assessed petition council for the improvement and assessment, council may approve the special assessment by a majority vote.
Any legislation providing for an increase in the rate of municipal income tax charged on taxable income within the city, or providing for a reduction in the resident income tax credit for residents of the city, shall not become effective until council submits the legislation to the registered voters at a primary or general election occurring more than 60 days after the passage of the legislation, and until the legislation is approved by a majority of those voting on the measure.
(a) Taxation by Vote of Council. In any calendar year, taxes may be levied upon the tax duplicate without a vote of the people for the current operating expenses of the city, but no such tax shall be levied at a rate exceeding by more than 5.2 mills the rate for these purposes within the constitutional limitation allocated to the city on the 1938 tax duplicate. Except as permitted in this section, all power to tax shall be as defined and limited by general law.
(b) Levy for Police and Fire Pension Fund. Notwithstanding any other provision of this charter, and in addition to all other levies authorized or required by law, but otherwise in the manner provided for the making of other municipal levies, council shall levy annually, without a vote of the people, outside the constitutional and statutory 10-mill limitation and outside the limitations provided by this charter, a tax upon all real and personal property listed for taxation upon the tax lists and duplicates for each year sufficient in rate to provide all moneys required to meet the city's obligations related to the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund and to pay debt charges on securities issued to support the fund.
(c) Levy for Certain Municipal Improvements. Without prejudice to the use of other funds from taxes or other sources available for these purposes, council may levy a tax upon all real and personal property listed for taxation upon the tax list and duplicate at a rate not to exceed two mills outside the levies provided in Section 5.10(a) and (b) to provide a fund for the purpose of financing the reconstruction, expansion, operation and maintenance of a sewage disposal plant and sewer system, and the capital needs of street infrastructure, municipal buildings, parks and recreation facilities.
(a) No provision in this charter relating to granting, renewing or extending franchises or other special privileges shall apply to franchises or special privileges given in connection with the issuance of bonds, notes or other debt instruments by the city. Those franchises or other special privileges given in connection with the issuance of bonds, notes or other debt instruments by the city shall instead conform to any applicable provisions of the state Constitution.
(b) No provision in this charter shall require the director of law to prepare or endorse his or her approval of the form and correctness on bonds, notes or other debt instruments of the city, when the city has engaged other counsel as bond counsel to prepare and render approving opinions with respect to these bonds, notes or other debt instruments of the city.
(c) No provision in this charter shall require the director of finance to certify the availability of money related to legislation authorizing or otherwise affecting the issuance or terms of bonds, notes or other debt instruments of the city.