CANFIELD — Canfield city voters will decide two charter amendments on Nov. 8.

One deals with staggering the terms for council members.

The other is about who can have charter amendments placed on the ballot.

STAGGERED TERMS

The staggered terms issue dates back to 2012 when voters approved changing the term of office from four to two years, according to information provided by the city.

It also established a limit of three terms that could be served.

The outcome of that change was felt in the 2017 elections — when all four council seats and the mayor were up for election. While it didn’t happen at that election, the possibility was there for a total change of the city’s leadership.

“Having an entire city council replaced would truly be very problematic,” city attorney Mark Fortunato said. “There would be no experience on council. Many city projects take years of planning, deliberation and implementation, and some continuity on council is necessary and vital to those projects.”

When first passed, the terms were to be two years — but that was changed in 2013 to four years when the city found the language would violate the Ohio Revised Code. The language in the original ballot issue called for a three-year term for some council positions. That issue was settled in 2015 with a court judgment.

“In 2015, there was a judgment entry that dated back to 2013 for council members and the mayor,” Pat Bernat, clerk of council, said. “That said that council members and the mayor elected in 2013 shall serve terms of four years.”

The four-year terms stuck, but the issue of them being staggered came to light in the 2017 election when all five positions (four council and one mayor’s seat) were on the ballot. The mayor and three councilman were re-elected and one new council person joined the ranks.

In 2018, voters approved the return to a four-year term and up to four terms to serve for council and the mayor. That would allow for a 16-year time in office.

The issue of having four council seats up for re-election still exists though, and thus the reason for the staggered terms issue on the ballot. During the 2018 City of Canfield Charter Review Commission, the suggestion to stagger terms was made. It was decided to put the issue on the ballot for the 2022 elections.

The actual language for the staggered terms ballot issue would call for shorter terms for some to enable the staggering to take place.

CHARTER RESIDENCY

Canfield city voters also will decide on whether they want to make a minimum residency requirement of one year in Canfield for anyone wishing to put a charter amendment on the ballot.

This issue came from negotiations with the Utility Workers Union of America Local 425 and the city. Negotiations were ongoing when the union decided to place an issue before voters that would allow the city manager to be recalled by the electorate.

Fortunato said the city manager’s position is filled by city council hiring a person it feels can run the day-to-day operations of the city. It is not an elected position.

“There would certainly have been conflicts to deal with” had it passed, Fortunato said. “The union issue shed light on the fact that a nonresident could initiate changes to the city charter.”

In essence, he said any outsider could walk in and try to change the city laws.

By passing the residency requirement, any future charter amendments would have to be supported by a resident who has lived in the city for a year and knows a little about the area.

Fortunato said the staggered terms puts the city charter back on track, while the residency requirement prevents it from being derailed down the road.