(a) Council or any committee thereof, when duly authorized by appropriate legislation, may secure information upon any matter within its jurisdiction as a legislative body and when authorized by Council may subpoena witnesses and compel the production of books, papers and other evidence necessary for such investigation.
(b) The chairman of a standing or special committee of Council authorized to send for persons and papers, may subpoena witnesses in any part of the City to appear before such committee at a time and place designated in the subpoena, to testify concerning matters of inquiry committed to the committee and may require the production of books, papers and records by such witnesses.
(c) If the subpoena is issued by a committee, it shall be delivered to the Chief of Police or to any officer under his supervision and control. The officer to whom such subpoena is directed or his assistant or deputy shall serve and return it to the chairman issuing it, as subpoenas are issued by the courts of record and served and returned. The subpoena shall be in substantially the same form as that set forth in Ohio R.C. 101.42 for the General Assembly.
(d) Whoever willfully fails to appear in obedience to such subpoena and refuses to answer a question pertinent to the matter of inquiry or declines to produce a paper or record in his possession or control, shall be liable to the penalties for contempt of the authority of Council and shall be dealt with by Council according to parliamentary rules and usages in cases of contempt. Council shall have the power to impose a fine for contempt but in no event to exceed fifty dollars ($50.00). When the contempt consists in the refusal of the witness to be sworn, take an affirmation or to testify to any facts within his knowledge or to produce any papers or books in his possession or under his control relating to the matter under investigation before Council or such committee, the witness may be imprisoned for such contempt in the City Jail until he is sworn or affirmed or testifies or produces such papers or books in accordance with the order or directions of council or any such committee, but in no event shall such imprisonment exceed the term of ten days.
The chairman of the committee before which such person fails to appear or refuses to answer or produce a paper or record on its order, shall report the facts to Council and on like order issue a warrant for the arrest and conveyance of the witness before Council to answer for contempt. The sergeant-at-arms of Council or any police officer of the City to whom such warrant is directed shall forthwith execute it.
(e) The testimony of a witness, examined before a committee, shall not be used as evidence in a criminal proceeding against him, but nothing herein shall prevent the witness from penalties of perjury.
(f) Witnesses shall be paid the same fees and mileage for services and attendance as are allowed by law in the Court of Common Pleas for similar services and attendance. Such fees shall be paid from the City Treasury on the certificate of the chairman of such committee from an available appropriation for such purpose.
(g) Every witness testifying before a committee shall take an oath or affirmation to tell the truth and the chairman of the committee or any member thereof may administer such oath or affirmation to witnesses before such committee.
(h) Whoever, having been served with a subpoena legally issued as provided herein, willfully fails to obey it or being present before the committee and called upon to give testimony, refuses to take an oath or make affirmation, or being sworn or affirmed refuses to answer a question required by such committee to be answered, shall be fined not more than fifty dollars ($50.00).
(1952 Code § 2-1-13)