Council directs law director to draft ordinance renaming assistant to mayor for special projects to chief of staff

After adjourning briefly to executive session, the University Heights City Council on June 16 voted to direct the law director to prepare an amendment to the city's nonunion employee salary ordinance to change the position title "assistant to the mayor for special projects" to "chief of staff." The motion was made during the public meeting after the council returned from executive session.

"The appropriate motion would be to direct the law director to prepare an amendment to the nonunion employee salary ordinance to change the position title of assistant to the mayor for special projects to chief of staff," the maker of the motion said during council. Councilmember Weiser seconded the motion. The council clerk called the roll and four members voted aye: Councilman King, Councilmember Sacks, Councilman Cooney and Councilwoman Weiser. The motion passed to authorize preparation of the ordinance; no ordinance text was adopted at the June 16 meeting.

Council members asked procedural questions about timing. The law director explained that if the ordinance is later passed as an emergency measure it would become effective upon the mayor's signature; if adopted without emergency designation it would be effective 30 days after passage. Several councilmembers noted that because only four members were present for the vote at the meeting, the prepared ordinance will return to council at a later date when a full complement of members can consider adoption; a five‑vote majority is required for emergency passage.

The council explicitly treated the matter as a personnel‑related topic during that portion of the meeting. One member cautioned that details about individual personnel should be handled in executive session when appropriate. The action taken at this meeting was limited to directing the law director to prepare draft legislation; no salary changes, appointments, or hires were approved.

Next steps: The law director was tasked with drafting the amendment and the mayor indicated he "will get that prepared." The ordinance will return to council for formal readings and any vote; if the council wishes to adopt it on an emergency basis the requirement is five votes at the meeting when the ordinance is considered for emergency passage.