Two Charter Amendments headed to ballot

Two of the three proposed ordinances that would place Charter amendments on the November 4 ballot have been adopted by the North Royalton City Council.
The city’s Charter Review Commission made their recommended three charter amendments, which were introduced in ordinance form at the April 15 City Council meeting. Discussion and input took place on all three measures until the May 20 Council meeting, where two ordinances were approved and one remained under review.
The first Charter amendment recommendation would amend the qualifications of City Council, prohibiting some members from serving in any other elected or appointed public office, with some exceptions. That amendment ordinance is still on the Council agenda and, at the time of this writing, is awaiting a review by a Charter Conference Committee. (See Charter Conference Committee article)
The second Charter amendment recommendation would change the current method of replacing a Police or Fire Chief with a member of the Police or Fire Department who have obtained the rank of sergeant /fire lieutenant or higher, to those obtained the rank of police sergeant (non-probationary)/fire lieutenant (non-probationary) or higher. It would also increase the number of candidates from the certified list of the Civil Service Commission from two to four that the Mayor could interview and appoint.
Current Charter language:
“The Chief of Police and the Chief of the Fire Department shall be appointed by the Mayor from the ranks of the respective departments, in the manner hereinafter provided. When either office shall for any reason become vacant, a suitable examination shall be given by and under the direction of the Civil Service Commission to such members of the department who have obtained the rank of sergeant /fire lieutenant or higher, and desire to be considered therefor. The Mayor shall make the appointment from among the two persons receiving the highest grade on the examination and certified as such by the Civil Service Commission. Such appointment to be subject to confirmation by the majority vote of the members elected to Council. Such appointee shall serve during good behavior, as is hereafter provided.
If the Charter amendment is passed, the new language will read as follows:
“The Chief of the Police Department and the Chief of the Fire Department shall be appointed by the Mayor from the ranks of the respective departments, in the manner hereinafter provided. When either office shall for any reason become vacant, a suitable examination shall be given by and under the direction of the Civil Service Commission to such members of the department who have obtained the rank of police sergeant (non-probationary)/fire lieutenant (non-probationary) or higher, and desire to be considered therefor. Those candidates who pass the examination and are so certified by the Civil Service Commission shall be subject to an independent assessment. The examination shall be weighted as 40% and the assessment weighted as 60% of the total score for each candidate. The four candidates, including ties, scoring highest shall be interviewed by the Mayor and he shall make his appointment from among them. Such appointment to be subject to confirmation by the majority vote of the members elected to Council. Such appointee shall serve during good behavior, as is hereafter provided.”
The ballot for said question shall be in substantially the following form:
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT
A majority affirmative vote is necessary for passage.
SHALL THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF NORTH ROYALTON, ARTICLE
VII, POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT, SUBSECTION (b) CHIEFS;
APPOINTMENT; VACANCY BE AMENDED BY ALLOWING FOR
ADDITIONAL CANDIDATES FOR APPOINTMENT?
The third charter amendment recommendation would allow for clarification of officers and employees of the Municipality that would be exempt from classified service and conform to state statute.
Current Charter language:
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
(b) CLASSIFICATION OF SERVICE
The following officers and employees of the Municipality shall be exempt from classified service:
(1) All officers elected under the Charter;
(2) All officers and employees of boards and commissions whose appointments are subject to concurrence by Council or who are appointed by Council;
(3) The heads of any departments or subdepartments that may be created by Council under this Charter;
(4) All unskilled labor;
(5) All employees whose services shall be casual.
The classified service shall comprise all positions not specifically exempted in the foregoing section of this Article. In the classified service there shall be two (2) classes to be known as the competitive and noncompetitive classes. The competitive class shall include all positions and employments for which it is practicable to determine the merit and fitness of applicants by competitive examination and the noncompetitive class shall consist of all positions requiring peculiar and exceptional qualifications of a scientific, managerial, professional or educational character to be determined by the rules of the Commission.
If passed, the new Charter language would read as follows:
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
(b) CLASSIFICATION OF SERVICE
The following officers and employees of the Municipality shall be exempt from classified service:
(1) All officers elected under the Charter;
(2) All officers and employees of boards and commissions whose appointments are subject to concurrence by Council or who are appointed by Council;
(3) The heads of any departments or subdepartments that may be created by Council under this Charter;
(4) All unskilled labor;
(5) All employees whose services shall be casual.
(6) those positions set forth in Section 124.11 (A) of the Revised Code.
The classified service shall comprise all positions not specifically exempted in the foregoing section of this Article. In the classified service there shall be two (2) classes to be known as the competitive and noncompetitive classes. The competitive class shall include all positions and employments for which it is practicable to determine the merit and fitness of applicants by competitive examination or other means as determined by the rules of the Commission. The noncompetitive class shall consist of all positions requiring peculiar and exceptional qualifications of a scientific, managerial, professional or educational character to be determined by the rules of the Commission.
The ballot shall be in substantially the following form:
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT
A majority affirmative vote is necessary for passage.
SHALL THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF NORTH ROYALTON, ARTICLE
XI, CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION, SUBSECTION (b) CLASSIFICATION OF
SERVICE, BE AMENDED BY ADOPTING NEW SECTION (6) WITH TEXT
CONFORMING TO STATE STATUTE?