Council OKs charter amendment to allow mayor interim appointments; proposal heads to ballot

Warren City Council voted July 22 to adopt a resolution forwarding a charter amendment to the ballot that would authorize the mayor to make interim or acting appointments of existing city employees for up to three months, with a possible three-month extension requiring council approval.

Council Secretary Mandy Moore and members of the Charter Review Committee described the measure as a way to create a formal process for short-term appointments while a search for a permanent department head is completed. An attorney with historical experience in city staffing said such interim practices have been used for decades.

City legal staff and council members discussed limits and exceptions: the measure applies to appointed departmental positions rather than elected posts, and some bargaining contracts (for example, provisions affecting the city attorney in certain union agreements) can govern separate limits. During discussion a councilmember noted the union contract prohibits an acting city attorney for more than four months.

Assistant/attorney (speaking about history of interim appointments) summarized: "There's been a history of interim appointments... when I was in the city attorney's office, the prior mayor appointed a city attorney... there was an interim city attorney." The Charter Review Committee recommended the language to provide a runway for new administrations while retaining council oversight for longer interim service.

The council recorded a unanimous vote to place the amendment on the ballot; members noted a typographical correction would be made in the backup (the resolution should reference 2025 rather than the erroneous year shown).

Next steps: if voters approve the amendment it will become part of the charter; if voters reject it, current rules remain in place.