Section 53. Compensation of officers and employees - fees.

   The Council shall fix, by ordinance, the salary or compensation of all officers and employees of the City. The salary and compensation so fixed shall be uniform for like service in each grade of the service as the same shall be graded and classified by the Civil Service Commission, and all such salaries and rates of compensation shall be reported to the Civil Service Commission forthwith. The salary of any officer, employee or member of a board or commission shall not be diminished during the term for which he or she was elected or appointed, except in the case of demotion of an employee. Laborers shall be paid the highest reasonable wage paid at the time in the City for similar services. All fees pertaining to any office shall be paid into the City treasury.

(Amended by electors 11-7-00)

Section 54. Official bonds.

   In fixing the salary of any officer, clerk or employee, the Council shall determine whether such officer, clerk or employee shall have a bond, and the amount thereof. If a bond is required, the surety shall be subject to the approval of the Mayor. Premiums on such bonds may be paid by the City.

Section 54A. Negotiable bonds.

   Negotiable bonds pledging the general credit of the City for any purpose for which bonds may be lawfully issued, including the acquiring, constructing or extending of any public utility, and negotiable bonds provided for by Section 10 of Article 18 of the Constitution, and negotiable mortgage bonds provided for by Section 12 of Article 18 of the Constitution, may be authorized by ordinance initiated by electors; or any such bonds may be authorized by resolution and ordinance of Council, subject to the provisions of this Charter.

   Insofar as the initiated ordinance, if one there be, does not fix the amount, terms and form of bonds authorized, the Council, in such cases, and in all other cases, shall fix the amount, terms and form of all such bonds authorized, and shall do or authorize to be done, all other things not expressly authorized, that shall be necessary or proper to be done, to make such bonds valid and binding obligations for the purpose for which they are authorized.

   All of said bonds shall be executed in the manner authorized by the laws of the State of Ohio.

(Amended 9-13-83.)

Section 55. Maximum hours of work.

   Except in cases of extraordinary emergencies, and except as Council shall determine by ordinance for members of the Division of Fire, not to exceed eight hours shall constitute a day's work and not to exceed forty-eight hours a week's work, for any City employee of the City of Toledo in the classified service thereof, and for any workers engaged in any public work carried on or aided by the Municipality whether done by contract or otherwise. The Council shall, by ordinance, provide for the enforcement of the provisions of this section.

(Amended by electors 11-7-00)

Section 56. Presiding officer to sign.

   Any ordinance or resolution passed by the Council shall be signed by the presiding officer thereof, and shall become effective in accordance with the provisions of this Charter.

Section 57. Filing and publication of ordinances.

   Every ordinance or resolution upon its final passage shall be recorded in a book kept for that purpose, and shall be authenticated by the signature of the presiding officer and Clerk of the Council. Within ten days after its final passage, every ordinance of a general nature shall be published at least once in full in the City Journal. Other ordinances and resolutions shall be published in the City Journal in full or in condensed form, as the Council may direct. There shall be no other publication at the expense of the City.

Section 58. Investigations by Council.

   The Council, or any committee thereof duly authorized by Council to do so, may investigate the financial transactions of any office or department of the City government, and the official acts and conduct of any City official, and by similar investigations may secure information upon any matter within its competence as a legislative body. In conducting such investigations the Council, or any committee thereof, may compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, papers and other evidence, and for that purpose may issue subpoenas or attachments which shall be signed by the presiding officer of the Council or the chair of such committee, as the case may be, and may be served or executed by an officer authorized by law to serve subpoenas and other process.

(Amended by electors 11-7-00)

Section 59. Power to compel witnesses to testify.

   If any witness shall refuse to testify to any facts within his or her knowledge, or to produce any papers or books in his or her possession, or under his or her control, relating to the matter under inquiry, before the Council, or any such committee, the Council shall have the power to cause the witness to be punished as for contempt. No witness shall be excused from testifying touching his or her knowledge of the matter under investigation in any such inquiry, but such testimony shall not be used against the witness in any criminal prosecution except for perjury committed upon such inquiry.

(Amended by electors 11-7-00)