[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6370228,"mediaKeyId","2151918-0eeff9b2a818aaba7916a42da0c36036","parentId",2151918,"title","Council endorses stronger ethics and training language; asks staff to reconcile with state rules","audioSeconds",489,"startMs",15569000,"endMs",16058000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2151918-0eeff9b2a818aaba7916a42da0c36036&start=15569&end=16058","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2151918-0eeff9b2a818aaba7916a42da0c36036/thumbnail_15569000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6370228/Cleveland-Heights/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/Council-endorses-stronger-ethics-and-training-language-asks-staff-to-reconcile-with-state-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6370228-06a9b808ba7c9ed785b4e387e40a601b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445506&Signature=CdcyWuZEDrZZgsQvVZmao6Wh0UqZPybarjEDCMFH1d5-~vqYkGBP4KGHV3b6gfnD4uFVu-zSxUU9jKI0-cLuIzpIYXbQgA-AHro5YUnAUVM38Wo5BuA-UH4kTMcUoLb5e8~4nGs9a44CZuEl58SoegtrQjQVV0ECXUwMMgoYJ3WQ2EPCE5wHPJ8XI7n3Fl2al42ojCpob-0xlB8055kbyen9WOGEupN8iAtRypy1VdZfbNyXDndqPuBBiRhHG4rIGIpo-loPjlRtWLQg-tpkqO-6QdSBcjlr4LfK~INLfreTz902hTPgnJHqV1JBZNEmOfJPgdbto-D3ThJzIbh4wQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Cleveland Heights, OH","date","2025-01-25T22:49:41Z","article","Cleveland Heights council and the Charter Review Commission reviewed proposed Article 10 language that would require ethics training for elected officials and city employees and reference Ohio's state ethics law as the baseline for local standards.

What the draft says and council's concerns

- The commission proposed that city officials must participate in ethics and public-meetings training and that the charter should reference the Ohio statutory framework as the primary standard for conflicts of interest and enforcement.

- Council members supported the linkage to state law and asked staff to confirm whether any locally required training could be stricter than state law (for example, mandating personal attendance rather than allowing a designee for some Sunshine Law training programs). Several members expressed a preference for requiring officials to attend training personally rather than delegating it.

- The body discussed whether any enforcement or reporting mechanisms should be included in the charter or whether an ordinance, together with existing state enforcement systems (Ohio Ethics Commission), would be a better place to set procedures.

Next steps

Council asked the law director and staff to prepare drafting options that: (a) explicitly reference state ethics law while confirming which additional local training requirements are legally permissible; (b) clarify whether training certificates may be satisfied by a designee or must be completed personally; and (c) propose an implementation approach (charter language for principle-level requirements, ordinance for operational rules).

Ending

No policy was finalized at the meeting; staff were asked to return with specific drafting options that ensure the charter's language complements Ohio statutes and administrative practice.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cleveland Heights Special Council Committee of the Whole January 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Council members signaled support for tightening ethics and training language in the charter review draft but asked staff to ensure proposed local rules align with Ohio ethics and Open Meetings (sunshine) laws and to clarify whether training may be delegated or must be personal.","taxTitle","Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga County, Ohio","taxId",54271,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6370233,"Council debates which department heads need confirmation, mayoral removal powers and role of charter commissions",652,6404000,7056000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2151918-0eeff9b2a818aaba7916a42da0c36036&start=6404&end=7056","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2151918-0eeff9b2a818aaba7916a42da0c36036/thumbnail_6404000.jpg","/articles/6370233/Cleveland-Heights/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/Council-debates-which-department-heads-need-confirmation-mayoral-removal-powers-and-role-of-charter-commissions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6370233-7c5cf16c0a8ebd3156635042321d603e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445506&Signature=Ep2E1ZFD~mnOSqPqUyZRuzOjqMnH4et4pIfZe6ZHFoIQBqKJv9x4Z48fgB5bW4Cfor1IEiYn6FOzfLkeE6iOJ4Sf3GXMGdiiZsmBtAGufC~1BHpirGcJTIDbIETKpq7P81UW6nOwDR0iEGl80QrT7fMNQ6G6hJChJH3l34PpcaPkzK-1EGQ8Xwk0IE0DynIj8IorO7B0i9F~-jvyTuk-imJxU2sMzqa7mzPVOUV9~G71W5ZQ7YhFx2SFp~wpXGEtHqKq2CdTufZme7J-7YF-uChfHGOY53QgcS-1rUGzNAZ1fPrbJ-7uPzyrZ7tL2auZ2zYN7D4IywOJ5RWitxllqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","During Jan. 25 committee review of proposed charter language on departments and appointments, council members and commissioners discussed three interlocking items: which department directors should require council confirmation, whether the mayor should be able to remove directors without council approval, and the legal and practical structure for appointing the city's next Charter Review Commission.

Confirmation versus mayoral control

- Which appointments require confirmation: The CRC draft lists a subset of \"major\" department heads that historically have required council confirmation (for example, law, finance, planning); council members debated extending confirmation to additional directors. Several members argued confirmation of law, finance, planning and public works is sufficient; others supported a broader list but raised concerns about increasing administrative delays at a time of high turnover.

- Removal authority: Council considered whether the mayor should be able to remove any director without council approval. Several council members argued the mayor needs flexibility to place a trusted leadership team in key administrative roles; others said the law director occupies a unique client-advocate role that could create a conflict if the mayor could unilaterally remove that officer. No final decision was adopted; members discussed alternatives such as requiring council confirmation for removal of certain positions or preserving mayoral removal while allowing council to secure independent legal advice when needed.

Charter Review Commission appointments

- How the CRC itself should be empaneled was a point of contention. Council members and the law director discussed whether the charter should specify the CRC's size and the allocation of appointments between mayor and council (examples from other Ohio cities were referenced). Some council members favored specifying appointment share in the charter (for example, 5 council appointees and 4 mayoral appointees); others preferred leaving the selection rule to ordinance so future councils retain flexibility. Council directed staff to gather comparative language from other municipalities and return with specific options.

Salary review

The commission also proposed a process for periodic review of elected-official and senior-official compensation: a required review every four years with commission recommendations for council consideration. Council members generally supported requiring periodic review rather than leaving compensation unchanged indefinitely.

Ending

No charter text on confirmations or removal was adopted at the meeting. Council members asked the law department and staff to bring back clear options that tie appointment/removal rules to current practice or set specific appointment allocations for the CRC.","Councilmembers debated whether confirmations should cover all department directors or only key positions, whether the mayor should retain unilateral removal authority for directors (especially the law director), and how charter-established commissions should be appointed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6370238,"Council presses for clearer budget schedule, earlier public materials and audit deadlines in charter review",6930,1785000,8715000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2151918-0eeff9b2a818aaba7916a42da0c36036&start=1785&end=8715","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2151918-0eeff9b2a818aaba7916a42da0c36036/thumbnail_1785000.jpg","/articles/6370238/Cleveland-Heights/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/Council-presses-for-clearer-budget-schedule-earlier-public-materials-and-audit-deadlines-in-charter-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6370238-0db613f00c62eb1aa7f2617af176f528/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445506&Signature=G8GtlYUuoQD2Vt4ST3ZtSD6AsYEFrOzyyiR3cM8OYH~5zJwCsC61kn89UQEWRrNJL4zlaxOKdFYR9G2R9eXDp1DnF3mIXeWfayedasJPIHSQTRU5AqPWnQ051AhHfmE-6xaWsaTZPbbt6TA1BDgTybZtrPsDRLy9YdZRPmxXVHv4XwFWhTEOqtjuLb~41PPu4OSezPjrS7tYH5hcRPon~QCbhu-MI4vyYlWqpYmyjxsqM-4yznjFBXIqG4dFZm9oXhfS-JXfjuVIF8xLzgQz7juaudpeAMygsSuEGIp5SBy8xePATnpLJFrKr09AwXtL5zAEXpqgn~osOa1U3Ue1gw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City councilors and charter-review commissioners spent a substantial portion of the Jan. 25 meeting on proposed Article 9 changes that would update how Cleveland Heights prepares, publishes and adopts its annual budget.

What council considered

- Budget calendar and deadlines: The CRC draft sets a formal fiscal-year definition and includes a November 15 deadline for certain budget materials to be provided to the council (the draft also specifies adoption and effective-date rules). Members asked the law department to check whether local charter language can set an earlier local deadline than state law or whether that requirement must be done by ordinance.

- Publication and transparency: The proposed draft says the mayor's proposed budget and supporting materials must be made available to council and the public and publish hearings held. Council members asked staff to add an explicit website/publication requirement or an ordinance trigger so the public can readily access budget materials before hearings.

- Interim/temporary budgets and reserves: Members raised questions about how an initial, balanced appropriation requirement should interact with the practical use of reserves (for capital spending or other uses). Discussion noted that Ohio law allows certain interim budgets and that the charter language and ordinance language should be consistent with statutory deadlines for a final appropriation (counsel asked staff to reconcile the current December 31 adoption language with the practical need for a temporary appropriation in some years).

- Audits and timing: Council asked the law and finance staff to confirm the state-auditor deadlines referenced in the draft and, where appropriate, to tie local audit reporting language to the time frames required by Ohio law rather than a fixed calendar date.

Why it matters

Budget-calendar and publishing language affects when council receives information and when the public gets a chance to review and comment. Council members said clearer calendar expectations and a durable publishing requirement would reduce the repeated delays and uncertainty experienced in recent budget cycles.

Next steps

Council asked finance and law staff to: (a) confirm which deadlines must follow state law and which can be advanced by local ordinance or charter language; (b) provide model language for posting budget materials on the city website (or other prescribed public means); and (c) present recommended language that reconciles temporary appropriation rules with any December 31 adoption language so a legally compliant interim budget remains available if needed.

Ending

No new charter text was adopted on Jan. 25. Council members asked for a clean draft that aligns Article 9's dates and publication rules with state law and operational practice ahead of the next meeting.","Council members and the Charter Review Commission discussed new charter language aimed at clarifying the city's budget calendar, publishing requirements for the proposed budget, audit timing and how reserves may be treated during adoption.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6370243,"Cleveland Heights council debates subpoena power, emergency measures and access to city administration during charter review",611,573000,1184000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2151918-0eeff9b2a818aaba7916a42da0c36036&start=573&end=1184","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2151918-0eeff9b2a818aaba7916a42da0c36036/thumbnail_573000.jpg","/articles/6370243/Cleveland-Heights/Cuyahoga-County/Ohio/Cleveland-Heights-council-debates-subpoena-power-emergency-measures-and-access-to-city-administration-during-charter-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6370243-435e67db752cbb131acb367762b67e11/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445506&Signature=RqcrcWrqeMLPXgnZAyRoAYhmyEjHuwdfCOFhvZDbDDbowGpeZahiQYL4uNSXfS3DcAlGx2xxfTVnn6eHA2QUDupXK0ntcuMbXmUoI9LXLj-hwC7kXR74Up1roC9kzN4eb-pHktUnHu9pHCuGhT4cdFBmc6lWr0PotzvIPf-VVOm-WfZKqu9lgIz6ZOAGAiInDRtA4hYxsz-ba4nbVZHKTd7E15piF79lUnrlqGznCQz1g6qsWgTU0vF8uxDyOSRWTdztuRkvgk1eEJQMxBG225hACtV4CVFRwwgxpeZ-MTkIcJZUY4X8uIUVMi6vwCJczMVS0CzJ1SOTCnPproKOpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members and members of the city's Charter Review Commission met Jan. 25 to review proposed charter changes addressing the balance of power between the legislative and executive branches, focusing on council's investigatory tools and how council should obtain information from city administration.

The conversation centered on three related issues: whether to repeat in the charter subpoena power the Ohio Revised Code already grants council; how the charter should treat emergency ordinances that take immediate effect; and what level of access council should have to city directors and other senior administrators for legislative or oversight purposes.

Why it matters: these changes affect how the council can oversee the mayor's administration, compel attendance or documents from city staff, and how quickly legislation can take effect. Restating or redefining powers in the charter could change expectations about transparency and the practical steps needed to pursue oversight.

Discussion points and context

- Subpoena authority: Participants noted that Ohio law provides some subpoena and compulsory-process authority to local legislative bodies. Several council members and the law director said the question was not whether the city had authority, but whether and how the charter should restate that authority and add implementing detail (for example, whether subpoenas may be issued by motion, resolution or ordinance and what vote threshold is required).

- Implementation and majority vote: The law director and other participants emphasized that council acts as a body. They said subpoenas and similar investigatory steps generally require a majority vote of council to be effective in practice, and asked staff to look at the statute and practices used by peer cities to draft clear language that balances prompt oversight with procedural safeguards.

- Emergency measures: Council discussed whether the charter should keep the existing two-thirds requirement for emergency ordinances and whether the charter should explicitly require a statement of the emergency rationale (the commission's draft tracks Ohio Supreme Court guidance). Participants agreed it was preferable to align the charter with existing state case law language so councils cannot broadly bypass referendum requirements without articulating an emergency rationale.

- Council access to administration: Members debated whether council should be able to require attendance by city directors, chiefs or their designees to answer questions at council or committee meetings. Views diverged over whether the charter should explicitly allow council to require attendance of employees below director level, or whether that deeper access should remain limited (for example) to subpoena power. Several members favored limiting mandatory attendance to department heads and their designees to avoid putting lower-level employees in difficult positions and to respect the mayor's supervision of staff.

Direction and next steps

Council asked the law director to provide drafting options and examples from other Ohio cities that show: (a) how subpoena authority has been treated in charter or ordinances; (b) how emergency ordinance language has been implemented in practice; and (c) model language that limits required attendance to directors/chiefs or their designees while preserving council's ability to pursue oversight through subpoenas when appropriate. Several members also suggested council could adopt an ordinance to flesh out operational details if the charter restated the underlying authority.

Ending

Council members agreed to hold the question open so the law department can return with concrete wording and comparative examples. The body did not adopt final text at the Jan. 25 meeting.","At a Jan. 25 committee meeting, Cleveland Heights City Council members, the charter review commission and city attorneys discussed whether to restate in the charter council subpoena authority already found in Ohio law, how emergency ordinances should take effect, and new language to let council require department directors to appear at meetings.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council endorses stronger ethics and training language; asks staff to reconcile with state rules

Council debates which department heads need confirmation, mayoral removal powers and role of charter commissions

Council presses for clearer budget schedule, earlier public materials and audit deadlines in charter review

Cleveland Heights council debates subpoena power, emergency measures and access to city administration during charter review