(A) Definitions. As used in this section:
(1) Authorize. "Authorize" means to approve, decide, direct, or vote to hire a person to an employment position.
(2) Employment position. "Employment Position" means any employment position, including a full-time, part-time, temporary, seasonal, or permanent position, and any paid internship or educational or training position.
(3) Ethics law. "Ethics Law" means any law which Ohio law places under the jurisdiction of the Ohio ethics commission to interpret or enforce.
(4) Family Member. "Family Member" means any of the following relatives, regardless of where they reside: (a) spouse, (b) child and step child, whether dependent or not, (c) sibling, (d) parent and step parent, (e) grandparent, (f) grand child, and (g) any other person related by blood or by marriage, who lives in the same household.
(5) Hire. "Hire" means to employ, appoint, or select a person for an employment position of the City.
(6) Supervisory Employee. "Supervisory Employee" means any employee who regularly supervises, directs, evaluates, or is otherwise in charge of subordinate employees.
(B) State Ethics Laws. No public official or employee of the City shall violate any ethics law of the state of Ohio. No provision of this charter or any ordinance or rule shall be construed to relieve any elected official, supervisor, or employee of the City from any requirement to comply with all provisions of state ethics laws.
(C) Ethics Ordinances. The City council may enact ordinances which are more restrictive but not less restrictive than state ethics laws.
(D) Ethics Rules. The mayor may by executive order issue ethics rules applying to employees of the City who are not elected officials. Such rules may be more restrictive but may not be less restrictive than state ethics laws or ethics ordinances of the City.
(E) Prohibition Against Hiring Family Members Of Elected Officials And Supervisors. Notwithstanding what may be permitted by state ethics laws, no person who is a family member of any elected official or supervisory employee of the City may be hired for any employment position by the City unless such person is employed as a classified employee in accordance with rules and procedures of general application adopted by the civil service commission. Persons who were hired in an unclassified employment position when no family member was an elected official or supervisory employee may continue in such position if any family member becomes an elected official or supervisory employee after such hiring but may not be promoted or transferred to another unclassified employment position so long as any family member remains an elected official or supervisory employee or any other family member subsequently becomes and remains an elected official or supervisory employee. Persons who were hired in any unclassified employment position before the effective date of this charter section when a family member was an elected official or supervisory employee may continue in such position after such hiring but may not be promoted or transferred to another unclassified employment position so long as any family member is or remains an elected official or supervisory employee or any other family member subsequently becomes and remains an elected official or supervisory employee.
(F) Prohibited Hiring Authorizations. No elected official or supervisory employee of the City shall authorize the hiring of a family member to any employment position prohibited by paragraph E of this section.
(G) Prohibited Hiring Participation. No elected official or supervisory employee of the City shall discuss, recommend, request, participate in, or attempt to influence the hiring of a family member to any employment position prohibited by paragraph E of this section. (Amended 5-3-11)