Council Sends Five Issues to November Ballot

There will officially be five ballot issues before Twinsburg voters this November.

City council approved sending five issues for residents to decide on Tuesday, Nov. 6. 

All of them have been seen before, however. The issues were previously voted on in 2009 and 2011 but were challenged by council because they weren't properly advertised.

The first of four  was Issue 32. 

It amends the city charter to combine the Historic Preservation Commission with the Architectural Review Board.

It was approved with 75 percent voting for it.

Issue 33 modifies the requirements for hiring a law director. The legislation says that the candidate, chosen by the mayor and approved by council, must have five years of practice in municipal law.

Twinsburg approved this change with 78 percent of the popular vote.

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Issue 34 clarifies that any parcel of land annexed by the city must be classified by the planning commission before approval by council. This is does not apply to residential areas, however.

This issue was approved with 62 percent of the popular vote in 2009.

Issue 35 from 2009 was one that caused some debate among council Tuesday.

It affects how charter amendments are sent to the ballot. If approved, city council would be required to submit to the ballot any revisions, alterations, or amendments that are recommended by the Charter Review Commission.

This was approved in 2009 with 80 percent of the popular vote.

Some council members worried this may appear to give the charter review commission more power to make changes than other boards or commissions, but others didn’t think it made a difference.

Ward 2 Councilman Bob McDermott didn't like the idea of making changes easier, as charter commission's changes will go to the ballot unless it's voted down by the majority (five or more votes) of council members.

McDermott and At-Large Councilman Bill Furey were the only two to vote against sending it back.

Only one issue  was chosen to put on the ballot again this year.

, a charter amendment that was voted down, would allow the appointing of all positions in the city's safety forces below chief through the Civil Service and cleaning up the charter by eliminating positions that no longer exist.

This issue was voted down in by a slim margin in 2011, 50.25 percent against and 49.75 percent in favor.

Council members thought Issue 63 should stand alone this year, believing lumping the two civil service amendments together confused voters.