Cleveland council reviews 14 charter amendment propositions ahead of May election

Cleveland City Council on April 15 reviewed 14 proposed amendments to the city charter that would update annexation and disannexation procedures, add a sixth council seat, change term lengths, and adjust language on budget preparation and other administrative matters.

City Manager Emilio presented the packet and said most changes are “non‑substantive” and intended to align the charter with current state law and modern practice. He told the council the proposals would not increase city spending and could reduce election costs by consolidating timing of some races.

The package includes measures to: update annexation procedure language to match state law (Proposition A); create a statutory process for disannexation (B); add a sixth at‑large council seat to be elected in May 2026 if approved (C); change the mayor’s voting status after the May 2026 election (D); lengthen mayoral and council member terms from two years to three years, phased in after the May 2025 and 2026 elections (E); remove outdated dollar amounts tying council pay to specific figures so salaries can be set by ordinance (F); eliminate newspaper publication requirements for alternate meeting locations to match the Open Meetings Act (G); and clarifying edits to separate city manager employment duties from council appointment powers and to modernize budget and administrative language (H–L).

Council members asked clarifying questions about sequencing and interactions among the propositions. One council member raised a procedural concern that, as written, passage of the seat expansion (Proposition C) combined with the mayor’s added vote (Proposition D) could create 3–3 tie scenarios; city staff said propositions must be presented separately on the ballot and that tie implications were a known risk of separate propositions. Legal staff explained the city is limiting each change to its own ballot proposition to comply with election law.

The council did not vote on any charter amendment at the April 15 meeting. Staff said public information about each proposition — including redlined language and explanatory materials — is posted on the city website under the city secretary’s page and that a public forum for the propositions and school board candidates is scheduled for April 22. Staff also listed early voting days and locations and said a social media outreach campaign and a short video will explain where to find the materials.

Why it matters: The proposals would change how Cleveland fills seats, how long elected officials serve, and how the city hires and retains senior staff, including whether the council may waive the city manager’s residency requirement by a supermajority. Supporters said changes aim to reduce turnover among city managers and provide administrative clarity; opponents or concerned residents (as reported to staff) requested clearer side‑by‑side comparisons of current and proposed language before voting.

The council scheduled no vote on the proposed amendments at the meeting and directed staff to continue public outreach ahead of the May election.