Charter review keeps military powers with mayor, moves police oversight to city manager and revises removal rules

The Charter Review Commission on March 11 reviewed draft revisions to Article 5 (mayor) and Article 6 (city manager) that keep military and peacekeeping powers with the mayor, shift routine supervision of the police department to the city manager, and remove fixed time frames from suspension and removal procedures to conform to Loudermill hearing requirements.

Commission staff said the changes reflect state law and practical operations and highlighted several cross‑references and transitional provisions that will be finalized before the commission submits a marked charter to city council.

Commission staff identified two Ohio Revised Code provisions as guiding the changes. Rebecca, commission staff, said that Ohio Revised Code Section 705.59 supports leaving military powers with the mayor and that the mayor is statutorily the “chief conservator of the peace,” citing Ohio Revised Code Section 733.03. "Military powers is not one of the listed duties of the city manager," Rebecca said in explaining why the commission kept that authority with the mayor. The discussion referenced New Albany as a cross‑reference for practice but noted New Albany uses the state statute rather than an identical charter clause.

On oversight of the police department, the draft revisions strike the current exception that places the police under the mayor and instead provide that the police and all other departments report to the city manager. Commissioners and staff framed the…