244.28    SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR ELECTED CITY OFFICIALS
   The following salaries shall be paid for the respective elected officials as set forth below:
   (A)   Mayor. The Mayor shall continue to be paid the annual salary as set forth in Section 244.28(A) of Ordinance 247-04 through the term of office of Mayor ending November 30, 2017. Thereafter, beginning December 1, 2017, the Mayor’s salary shall remain the same and shall not be increased. Beginning December 1, 2019, and beginning December 1 of each year thereafter, the Mayor’s salary shall be adjusted in accordance with the Cost of Living Adjustment percentage as set forth in subsection (G) below.
   (B)   Director of Law.
      (1)   Part-time Law Director. The Director of Law who does not elect to work full-time as set forth below shall continue to be paid the annual salary as set forth in Section 244.28(B)(1) of Ordinance 247-04 through the term of office of Director of Law ending December 31, 2017. Thereafter, beginning January 1, 2018 the Law Director’s salary shall remain the same and shall not be increased. Beginning January 1, 2020, and beginning January 1 of each year thereafter, the Law Director’s salary shall be adjusted in accordance with the Cost of Living Adjustment percentage as set forth in subsection (G) below.
      (2)   Full-time Law Director. Notwithstanding subsection (1) above, if (a) the Director of Law elect notifies the City Auditor, in writing, before being sworn in to office, that the Director of Law will serve as a full- time Director of Law during the entire term of office, will not engage in the private practice of law, will devote his or her entire time to the duties of the office and will not engage in any other remunerative employment of any kind during the entire term of office, and if (b) the Director of Law elect has at least 5 years of experience in the practice of law in the State of Ohio prior to being sworn in to office, then the Director of Law shall be paid as follows: The Director of Law shall continue to be paid the annual salary as set forth in Section 244.28(B)(2) of Ordinance 247-04 through the term of office of Director of Law ending December 31, 2017. Thereafter, beginning January 1, 2018 the Law Director’s salary shall remain the same and shall not be increased. Beginning January 1, 2020, and beginning January 1 of each year thereafter, the Law Director’s salary shall be adjusted in accordance with the Cost of Living Adjustment percentage as set forth in subsection (G) below.
      (3)   In the event of a vacancy in office during the term of Director of Law, any person appointed to fill the position for the remainder of the term shall be granted 60 days from the date of appointment to notify the City Auditor whether such appointee will serve under the part-time or full-time salary provisions of subsection (1) or (2) above.
   (C)   City Auditor. The City Auditor shall continue to be paid the annual salary in accordance with Ordinance 284-12 and receive the increase as set forth in Section 244.28(C) of Ordinance 247-04, through December 31, 2017. Thereafter, beginning January 1, 2018, and beginning January 1 of each year thereafter, the Auditor’s salary shall be adjusted in accordance with the Cost of Living Adjustment percentage as set forth in subsection (G) below.
   (D)   President of Council. The President of Council shall continue to be paid the annual salary as set forth in Section 244.28(D) of Ordinance 247-04 through December 31, 2017. Thereafter, beginning January 1, 2018, and beginning January 1 of each year thereafter, the Council President’s salary shall be adjusted in accordance with the Cost of Living Adjustment percentage as set forth in subsection (G) below.
   (E)   Councillor. Members of Council shall continue to be paid the annual salary as set forth in Section 244.28(E) of Ordinance 247-04 through December 31, 2017. Thereafter, beginning January 1, 2018, and beginning January 1 of each year thereafter, all Council Members salaries shall be adjusted in accordance with the Cost of Living Adjustment percentage as set forth in subsection (G) below.
   (F)   In addition to the salaries set forth herein, the City shall provide health care and life insurance benefits for the Mayor, the Director of Law, the City Auditor, and their immediate families, in the same manner the City provides for health care and life insurance benefits for AFSCME Parity Employees.
   (G)   Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). Beginning on the respective dates set forth above for the respective elective offices, the salary of each respective elected official shall be increased by the same percentage as the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the 12 month period ending through the month of October preceding the effective date of the annual adjustment (the October CPI-U). For example, for a Cost of Living Adjustment to be granted under this section and scheduled to begin January 1, 2018, the CPI-U reported for the 12 month period ending through October 2017 (the October CPI-U) shall be the CPI-U used to calculate a salary adjustment.
      (1)   Regardless of the reported October CPI-U, in no event shall a COLA granted under this section exceed 3%.
      (2)   In the event the reported October CPI-U is a zero or a negative number, then no COLA shall be granted for that respective year.
   (H)   Salaries of elected officials shall be payable in equal monthly installments.
(Ord. 170-96. Passed 12-16-96; Ord. 222-00. Passed 11-20-00; Ord. 247-04. Passed 12-20-04; Ord. 261-14, Passed 11-17-14.)