North College Hill charter review commission outlines recommended changes to administrator selection, procurement and department roles

The North College Hill Charter Review Commission met March 26 and began consolidating proposed charter amendments that the panel plans to send to city council for possible placement on a future ballot.

Chair Miss Underwood said the committee’s recommendations must go to council and then, if approved, appear as a ballot initiative. “This has to be a ballot initiative,” Underwood said, noting the commission must be mindful of costs and legal process for putting changes before voters.

Commissioners and participants focused on several recurring items: removing obsolete language referring to an elected law director, renaming the finance manager to finance director and adding higher qualifications, specifying how the city administrator would be selected and what qualifications that office should carry, and revising the charter’s purchasing and contracting threshold and transparency requirements.

Why it matters: any changes the commission forwards must be approved by council and then by voters as ballot language. The modifications under discussion affect the city’s executive staffing, procurement controls and the clarity of duties for council leadership and boards — all of which shape how North College Hill’s government runs daily and how…