(A) General. No officer or employee in the classified service of the city, City Health District or City School District shall directly or indirectly, orally or by letter, solicit or receive, or be in any manner concerned in soliciting or receiving any assessment, subscription or contribution for any political party or for any candidate for public office; nor shall any person solicit directly or indirectly, orally or by letter, or be in any manner concerned in soliciting any such assessment, contribution or payment from any officer or employee in the classified service of the city, City Health District or City School District; nor shall any officer or employee in the classified service of the city, City School District or City Health District be an officer in any political organization or take part in politics other than to vote as he or she pleases and to express freely his or her political opinions.
(B) Permissive activities. The following are examples of permissible activities for employees in the classified service:
(1) Registration and voting;
(2) Expression of opinions, either oral or written;
(3) Voluntary financial contributions to political candidates or organizations;
(4) Circulation of nonpartisan petitions 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, or the display of political stickers on private vehicles; and,
(9) Serving as a precinct election official under Ohio R.C. 3501.22.
(C) Prohibited activities. The following activities are prohibited to employees in the classified service:
(1) Candidacy for public office in a partisan election;
(2) Candidacy for public office in a nonpartisan general election if the nomination to candidacy was obtained in a partisan primary or through the circulation of nominating petitions identified with a political party;
(3) Filing of petitions meeting statutory requirements for partisan candidacy to elective office;
(4) Circulation of official nominating petitions for any candidate participating in a partisan election;
(5) Service in an elected or appointed office in any partisan political organization;
(6) Acceptance of a party-sponsored appointment to any office normally filled by partisan election;
(7) Campaigning by writing for publications, by distributing political material, or by writing or making speeches on behalf of a candidate for partisan elective office, when such activities are directed toward party success;
(8) Solicitation, either directly or indirectly, of any assessment, contribution or subscription, either monetary or in-kind, for any political party or political candidate;
(9) Solicitation of the sale, or actual sale, of political party tickets;
(10) Partisan activities at the election polls, such as solicitation of votes for other than nonpartisan candidates and nonpartisan issues;
(11) Service as witness or challenger for any party or partisan committee;
(12) Participation in political caucuses of partisan nature; and,
(13) Participation in a political action committee which supports partisan activity.
(Ord. 2001-03, passed 1-16-01)