CHARTER

OF THE CITY

OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO

   EDITOR'S NOTE: The Charter was originally adopted on November 6, 1928. Dates appearing in parentheses following a section heading indicate those provisions were subsequently adopted, amended or repealed on the date given.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CORPORATE POWERS

   Sec. 1.    Enumerated Corporate Powers.

   Sec. 2.      Enumerated Powers Not Exclusive.

THE COUNCIL

   Sec. 3.      Powers, Election, Term, Vacancies. (Amended 11-5-85; 5-7-02; 5-2-11)

   Sec. 3a.     Charter Review Committee. (3-15-16)

   Sec. 4.      Meetings of Council. (5-2-89; 11-8-11; 3-17-20)

   Sec. 5.      President of Council; Mayor. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 6.      Salary of Council Members and President of Council. (11-5-13)

   Sec. 7.      City Clerk.

   Sec. 8.      Rules of Council. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 9.      Quorum, Voting of Members.

   Sec. 9-a.   Alteration of Words "Four Members". (Adopted 11-4-52; 3-17-20)

   Sec. 10.   Legislative Procedure.

   Sec. 11.   Amending Ordinances and Resolutions.

   Sec. 12.   When Ordinances and Resolutions Take Effect.

   Sec. 13.   Authentication and Publication of Ordinances and Resolutions. (11-5-02; 11-8-11)

THE INITIATIVE

   Sec. 14.   Power to Initiate Ordinances.

   Sec. 15.   Consideration of Initiated Ordinance by Council.

   Sec. 16.   Submission of Initiated Ordinance to Electors.

   Sec. 17.   Election on Initiated Ordinance.

   Sec. 18.   Initiated Ordinance Passed By Council in Amended Form.

   Sec. 19.   Initiated Repealing Ordinances.

THE REFERENDUM

   Sec. 20.   Power of Referendum.

   Sec. 21.   Referendum Petition. (Adopted 11-4-41.)

   Sec. 22.   Consideration of Referred Ordinance by Council - Referendum Election.

   Sec. 23.   Form of Ballot For Initiated and Referred Ordinances. (5-7-02)

   Sec. 24.   Preliminary Action Under Referred Ordinance.

   Sec. 25.   Referendum on Ordinances.

   Sec. 26.   Conflict of Referred Measures.

INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM AND RECALL PETITIONS

   Sec. 27.   Signatures to Initiative, Referendum and Recall Petitions.

   Sec. 28.   Filing, Examination and Certification of Initiative, Referendum and Recall Petitions (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 29.   Amendment of Initiative, Referendum and Recall Petitions.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE

   Sec. 30.   The City Manager. (11-5-13)

   Sec. 31.   Responsibility of Manager - Powers of Appointment and Removal. (11-5-13)

   Sec. 32.   Removal of Officers and Employees.

   Sec. 33.   Council Not to Interfere in Appointments or Removals.(11-8-11)

   Sec. 34.   Duties of the City Manager.(11-8-11)

   Sec. 35.   Right of Certain Officers in Council.

   Sec. 36.   Establishment of Departments. (3-15-16)

   Sec. 37.   One Person as Head of Two or More Offices. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 38.   Number of Assistants and Subordinates, How Fixed. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 39.   Advisory Boards. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 40.   Investigations by Council or City Manager. (11-8-11)

DEPARTMENT OF LAW

   Sec. 41.   Election, Qualifications and Duties of City Solicitor. (Adopted 11-5-13.)

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE - FINANCIAL PROCEDURE

   Sec. 42.   Election, Qualifications and Duties of City Auditor. (Adopted 11-5-13.)

   Sec. 43.   Monthly Statement by City Auditor.

   Sec. 44.   Special Audits. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 45.   Purchasing Agent. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 46.   Purchasing and Furnishing Supplies. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

FINANCIAL PROCEDURE

   Sec. 47.   Fiscal Year. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 47-a.   Annual Tax Levy. (Adopted 5-5-53.)

   Sec. 47-b.   Tax Levy for Bonds and Notes. (Adopted 5-5-53.)

   Sec. 47-c.   Income Tax Authorization. (Adopted 5-5-70; 11-8-11.)

   Sec. 47-d.   Supplemental Income Tax Authorization. (Amended 6-8-76; 11-8-11.)

   Sec. 47-e.   Supplemental Income Tax Authorization for Safety Forces.

   Sec. 47-f.   Supplemental Income Tax Authorization for Safety Forces. (Police and Fire) (Enacted 11-8-11)

   Sec. 47-g.   Supplemental Income Tax Authorization for General Municipal Operations. (5-5-15)

   Sec. 48.   Annual Budget. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 49.   Annual Appropriation Ordinance. (11-8-16)

   Sec. 50.   Preliminary Appropriations. (11-8-16)

   Sec. 51.   Transfer of Appropriations.

   Sec. 52.   Appropriations of Excess Revenue.

   Sec. 53.   Expenditures Only Pursuant to Appropriations.

   Sec. 54.   Appropriation Accounts.

   Sec. 55.   Payment of Claims Against the City. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 56.   Examination and Investigation of Claims.

   Sec. 57.   Money Required to Be in Treasury.

   Sec. 58.   When Contracts and Agreements Are Invalid.

   Sec. 59.   Accounts of Publicly Owned Utilities.

   Sec. 60.   Sinking Fund. (5-7-02)

   Sec. 61.   Contracts. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 62.   Alteration in Contracts. (11-8-11)

MUNICIPAL CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION

   Sec. 63.    Composition, Powers and Duties. (Adopted 11-4-41.)

   Sec. 64-75.   EDITOR'S NOTE: There are no sections 64 through 75.

   Sec. 76.   Compensation Established by Council. (Adopted 11-4-41; 11-8-11)

   Sec. 77-79.   EDITOR'S NOTE: There are no sections 77 through 79.

   Sec. 80.   Political Assessments Prohibited.

   Sec. 81.   Certain Political Practice Forbidden.

   Sec. 82.   Political Activity Prohibited.

   Sec. 83.   Violation and Penalties. (Adopted 11-4-41.)

   Sec. 84.   Present Employees Continued.

   Sec. 85.   Candidacy For Elective Office Prohibited. (5-7-02)

PUBLIC HEALTH

   Sec. 86.   Control of Public Health By City.

POLICE AND FIRE SERVICE

   Sec. 87.   Police Force. (Amended 11-3-87; 11-8-11)

   Sec. 88.   Special Policemen. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 89.   Fire Force (Amended 11-3-87; 11-8-11.)

IMPROVEMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS

   Sec. 90.   Local Improvements.

   Sec. 91.   Methods of Special Assessment.

   Sec. 92.   Preliminary Resolution.

   Sec. 93.   Plan of Proposed Improvements.

   Sec. 94.   Notices Served.

   Sec. 95.   Board of Revision of Assessments. (11-5-02; 11-8-11)

   Sec. 96.   Claims of Damage.

   Sec. 97.   Final Assessment.

   Sec. 98.   Payment of Assessments - Liens.

   Sec. 99.   Damages Assessed Before Improvement.

   Sec. 100.   Damages Assessed After Improvement.

   Sec. 101.   Limitation on Damage Suits.

   Sec. 102.   Work to Be Done. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 103.   Lands Unallotted or Not on Duplicate.

   Sec. 104.   What Cost of Improvement Shall Include.

   Sec. 105.   Limitation on Assessments. Improvement on Petition of Abutting Property Owners.

   Sec. 106.   City's Portion of Cost.

   Sec. 107.   Replacing Existing Improvements.

   Sec. 108.   Estimate of Life of Improvements. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 109.   Rebates and Supplementary Assessments.

   Sec. 110.   Sewer, Water and Other Connections. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 111.   Sidewalks, Curbings and Gutters.

   Sec. 112.   Construction of Sidewalk, etc., by City. (Adopted 11-4-75.)

   Sec. 113.   Assessment Bonds For Sidewalk, etc.

CITY PLANNING COMMISSION

   Sec. 114.   How Constituted, Procedure and Employees. (11-5-02; 11-8-11))

   Sec. 115.   Duties of the Commission.

   Sec. 116.   Recommendations of Commission.

   Sec. 117.   Plat of Subdivision.

   Sec. 118.   Approval of Plats.

   Sec. 119.   Official Map.

   Sec. 120.   Zoning - Board of Appeals. (Adopted 11-5-68; 11-5-02.)

   Sec. 121.   Effect of Platting.

   Sec. 122.   Alteration of Streets.

   Sec. 123.   Dedication of Streets.

   Sec. 124.   Creation or Change of Name of Streets.

APPROPRIATION OF PROPERTY

   Sec. 125.   Appropriation Authorized.

   Sec. 126.   Declaratory Resolution.

   Sec. 127.   Notice to Owners.

   Sec. 128.   Further Proceedings.

FRANCHISES AND PUBLIC UTILITIES

   Sec. 129.   Franchise Defined.

   Sec. 130.   Grants, Amendments and Renewals of Franchises.

   Sec. 131.   Revocable Permits Not Franchises.

   Sec. 132.   Passage of Franchise Ordinances. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 133.   Public Utility Rates; Reserved Rights of City.

   Sec. 134.   Value of Grant Excluded.

   Sec. 135.   Extensions.

   Sec. 136.   Certified Copies of Grants, etc.

   Sec. 137.   No Exclusive Grant.

   Sec. 138.   Consent of Property Owners.

   Sec. 139.   Public Utility Fixtures and Appliances.

   Sec. 140.   Limitation of Franchise.

   Sec. 141.   Free Carriage of Policemen and Firemen. (5-7-02)

   Sec. 142.   General Provision.

NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

   Sec. 143.   General Laws to Apply. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 144.   Petitions for Place on Primary Election Ballot. (11-5-74; 5-7-02; 11-4-03; 11-5-13.)

   Sec. 145.   Ballots. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 146.   Rotation of Names. (11-4-52; 5-7-02.)

   Sec. 147.   Special Election Officials. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 147a.   Primary Elections. (3-15-16)

   Sec. 148.   Regular Municipal Election. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 149.   Challengers and Witnesses.

THE RECALL

   Sec. 150.   Recall Petition Papers. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 151.   Filing Recall Petition. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 152.   Recall Election Ordered. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 153.   Candidates to Succeed Councilman Recalled. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 154.   Ballots in Recall Elections. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 155.   Result of Recall Election; Filling Vacancies. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

   Sec. 156.   Election When Member Resigns.

   Sec. 157.   Limitations on Recall Petitions. (Adopted 11-4-52.)

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

   Sec. 158.   Compensation of Officers and Employees.

   Sec. 159.   Official Bonds. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 160.   Oath of Office.

   Sec. 161.   Financial Interest in Contracts, etc. (11-8-11)

   Sec. 162.   Continuance of Present Officers.

   Sec. 163.   Continuance of Contracts.

   Sec. 164.   Hours of Labor. (Adopted 5-2-72; 11-8-11; 5-2-17.)

   Sec. 165.   General Laws to Apply.

   Sec. 166.   Amendments. (Adopted 11-2-71.)

   Sec. 167.   Saving Clause.

   Sec. 168.   When Provisions Take Effect.

CHARTER OF THE CITY

OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO

CORPORATE POWERS