Charter commission backs five-year residency, debates mayoral appointment and removal powers

At a Charter Commission meeting in North College Hill, commissioners recommended a five-year continuous residency requirement for mayoral candidates and discussed adding specific language to the city charter to clarify the mayor's appointment and removal powers for the city administrator and department directors.

The recommendation on residency emerged after members reviewed public feedback. The commission's chair said, "I just think personally that you need to be around long enough to know what's going on in the city and to know how many quadrants there are," and favored a five-year requirement. Commissioners agreed to include the five-year residency recommendation when they forward their package to City Council; the chair noted the commission's role is advisory and that Council may accept or reject the recommendation.

Commissioners also debated whether the charter should require the mayor to deliver an annual…