Newark council fast-tracks charter amendment on notices, says change will save $25K–$30K

The Newark City Council voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 26-02, submitting a proposed charter amendment from the Charter Review Commission that tightens the city’s publication and notification language and sends the question to voters. Council moved the measure under Rule 11 to expedite placement on the ballot.

Councilmember Marmey, who moved adoption, said the change narrows how the city specifies publication and notification, allowing more discretion to use the city’s website and social media. "We're changing the language to make it our choice as far as who we utilize and how we communicate," he said, and added the update "should save the city somewhere between 25 and $30,000 a year." Marmey said Rule 11 was invoked "because we need to meet a deadline to get it onto the ballot."

The ordinance text, read aloud by the clerk, states the measure was recommended by the Charter Review Commission of the City of Newark, Lincoln County, Ohio, and declares an emergency to expedite voter consideration. After brief procedural steps the clerk called the roll and the presiding official announced the ordinance "passes, 10 0."

Why it matters: the amendment changes how the city fulfills notice and publication requirements and, according to its sponsor, will let Newark rely more on digital channels and internal tools rather than external publication services. Council did not provide additional detail on the specific publication services to be replaced or the schedule for placing the measure before voters beyond invoking the emergency rule.

What happens next: with the council’s adoption under Rule 11, the proposed charter amendment will be placed on the ballot per the timeline described in the ordinance language; the clerk and municipal staff will manage the formal submission and any required public notices ahead of the election.