Finance committee moves to update legal intern pay scale, adds ordinance to tonight’s agenda as emergency

The Finance, Civil Service and Personnel Committee voted to add an ordinance to the evening council agenda that would update the city’s legal-intern pay scale.

Law Director Moore told the committee that Section 127.06 establishes a part-time legal intern classification but lists an hourly range that has not been updated since the 1990s — $3.75 to $4.35 — and asked the city to amend the section to set pay “no less than minimum wage” up to the city’s lowest hourly rate.

“Minimum wage in the state of Ohio is $10.70, and our lowest paid employee in the city is at about $16.50,” Moore said, noting the ordinance dates to 1983 and the pay scale to the late 1990s. He described the position as for a law student who would support the director and assistant law directors and said the change is intended as a modest, pragmatic update.

Committee members asked about the expected skill set and whether a higher maximum would be appropriate for candidates with more experience; one member suggested placing a “2” in front of the scale to boost the top end, but Moore said he preferred “baby steps” to bring the range to something reasonable and fair.

The committee chair moved to add the ordinance to the full council agenda as an emergency item; Councilman Martin seconded. Roll call votes recorded in the transcript were Martin, yes; Mario, yes; Curioso, yes. The vote sent the amendment to tonight’s council meeting for consideration but did not adopt the ordinance itself.

The proposal would not automatically hire interns or set a permanent city practice; it only updates the ordinance’s pay range and authorizes placement of the change on the council agenda. Any final adoption would require a subsequent council vote.