Pataskala — A presenter from the charter review commission summarized the group's recommendations and urged caution about placing the full package on a single ballot question.

The commission’s approach was to carry forward useful recommendations from earlier commissions while designating a few items as separate ballot questions so the entire package would not be rejected over one disputed change. The presenter said the commission planned to place items such as allowing elected officials to participate in city health care and clarifying the parks director/manager title as distinct ballot initiatives so voters could consider them independently.

On the process to put charter language before voters, council discussed timing and steps: council can review and edit recommendations, an ordinance (or resolution) to change the charter must be finalized and submitted to the Board of Elections, which forwards materials to the Secretary of State for review. Council members discussed working backwards from the municipal election calendar, noting May and early June as reasonable internal target months to allow time for state review and August deadlines for finalization.

Why it matters: Charter changes alter the city’s governing rules and can affect candidate eligibility, administrative positions and other structural governance issues. Splitting contentious items into separate ballot issues is a strategy to preserve broadly supported reforms while allowing voters to decide on narrower, potentially divisive changes.

Next steps: Council said it will review the charter commission recommendations, invite the commission and interested citizens to comment during council review, and work with the clerk and county Board of Elections to meet filing deadlines.

Direct quote from the presenter: "We are putting that as a separate issue... so we can vote on that one completely separate."