Ohio Local Government Structures

The following article pertains to the Municipality forms of government that are permitted  withn the state of Ohio.  These are the various forms of government that the state of Ohio will allow a city or village to operate their local governments.

There are basically 3 different types of governments that the state of Ohio will allow a village or municipality to govern by.

General Statutory Law
ORC Chapters 731 and 733

Under this form of government.

• Excutive offices of mayor, president of council, auditor, treasurer and city solicitor are elected positions.
• A legislative body of 7 to 17 people, depending on population is also elected.
• Municipal mayors, who are chief executive officers, may appoint or remove the various department heads, such as police chief or public service director,appropriate to the municipality.
• President of Council presides at council meetings, but has no vote except in the case of a tie.
• Auditors keeps books of the municipality and makes certain that sufficient appropriated funds are available before vouchers are issued.
• Treasurers receives and disburses all funds, and must keep an accurate account of them.
• City solicitor prepares all contracts and other documents for the city, and provides legal counsel for city offices.

These next 3 forms of government may be adopted by the voters.  All of these plans call for the appointment of a treasurer, auditor, clerk and solicitor by the legislative authority.  all of these forms of government are permitted under ORC Chapter 705

Commission Plan

Under this form of government.

• The only elected officers are 3 to 5 commissioners, who hold both legislative and administrative authority.
• They elect one of their body as chair.

City Manager Plan

Under this form of government.

• A council of five, seven or nine is elected as the legislative authority.  They appoint a city manager who is the chief administrative officer

Federal Plan

• A mayor and five to fifteen council members shall be elected, with executive and legislative authority respectively.

Optional Plan forms of statuatory governments are not commonly used, probably because the charter form is made available by the Ohio Constitution.  Commission, City Manager and Federal are all considered Optional Plans for statuatory governments.

Charter  (City of Portsmouth's current form of Government)

With the Charter, the municipality may develop any form of government that it's voters approve.  The Charter allows the municipality to "fine-tune" it's form of government, instead of adopting one of the prescribed plans.  The Charter has been used extensively in Ohio to enhance the home rule authority of municipalities.

Adoption of a Charter is a two-step process.  First, the issue of whether or not a Charter commission should be elected is voted on by the people.  Included with this issue is provisions to elect 15 Charter commissioners.  Who are elected if the issue passes.  The issue may be placed on the ballot if petioned for by 10% of the voters.  If the Charter commission is elected and formed, they have one year to prepare a proposed charter and submit it to a vote of the people.  If it is adopted it becomes the basic framework for the municipality's government.


http://ohioline.osu.edu/b835/b835_6.html


I believe that a Charter form of government in it's pure and transparent state; would be a good form of government.  But, lets be realist folks.  Deceitful and serpentine people have engineered and exploited this form of government to fulfill their own personal agendas and along the way they have plundered and pilfered the city's coffers.  What is even more degradating and perversive; is the fact that they could care less of you the citizen, voter, the tax-payer!

With a little more study of the other forms of government; a person can clearly understand that, the Charter form of government is killing our city!

A change in the form of our city's government is desperately needed!