Election 2024: A look at charter amendments, other questions on Summit County ballots

Voters throughout Summit County will have several charter amendments and other issues to decide in the Nov. 5 election.

Communities and counties operating under a charter regularly review their laws to see if any of their codes should be changed, or if provisions should be added or eliminated.

New Franklin has proposed five charter amendments, and Summit County has two for voters to decide. Here's a closer look:

Issues 41, 42 would amend Summit County charter

Summit County's Issue 41 proposes adding aunts and uncles to the list of relatives ineligible for hiring if they are related to a county elected official, unclassified employee or a director-level employee. The amendment also would remove an an eligibility rule prohibiting hiring relatives of classified employees who earn more than $80,000 a year.

Issue 42 is a proposal to require Summit County's government offices, agencies and boards to submit estimated revenues on a yearly basis.

New Franklin asks voters to mull slate of charter changes

Voters in New Franklin will consider:

• Issue 13: This would allow for minutes of City Council committee meetings to be kept electronically as an alternative to being written out.

• Issue 14: This would move municipal primary elections from September to May, in line with fellow Summit County communities that have moved the date up.

• Issue 15: This would add appointed board and commission members to the city's definition of public officials required to complete an oath or affirmation of office.

• Issue 16: This would raise the cap to $15,000 on city expenditures that do not require City Council approval.

• Issue 17: This would ease a requirement to publish official city matters in at least five public places, instead allowing for newspaper publication or on the city's website and social media accounts.

Fairlawn asks residents to consider natural gas aggregation with Issue 10

With Issue 10, voters in Fairlawn will decide whether the city should have the authority to aggregate the retail natural gas loads within Fairlawn, and enter into service agreements to facilitate the sale and purchase of natural gas.

These aggregations would be automatic unless someone is under contract with a gas supplier or elects to opt out.

City of Twinsburg's Issues 19 and 20 deal with zoning proposals

Issue 19 would enact updates to Part 11 of Twinsburg's ordinance code, a roughly 288-page section that sets forth planning and zoning regulations.

Issue 20 would allow the city to rezone 12.3 acres at 1816 E. Aurora Road from commercial to single-family-cluster residential use.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Summit County, New Franklin ask voters to decide on charter amendments