Lakewood voters will decide five charter changes in November

Lakewood voters will decide five changes to the city charter, the document that sets out how city government works, on the ballot Tuesday, November 3. They are Issues 46 through 50, and each needs a simple majority to pass.

They come from the Charter Review Commission, a panel of nine residents the charter calls for every 10 years. City council placed these five on the ballot in July, 6-0, with Councilmember Angelina Hamilton Steiner abstaining because she served on the commission. Any that pass take effect January 1, 2027. The Lakewood Democratic Club has endorsed all five. We found no other endorsements or organized opposition as of October 3.

□SOURCE · lakewoodoh.gov · Checked October 3The ballot questions and full text of all five amendments↗

Issue 46: Filling an empty council seat

When a council seat comes open, the remaining members appoint someone to fill it. The amendment would require council to first ask for applications and then interview candidates in public. Council already works this way, according to the commission’s report; the change writes it into the charter.

The same section also rewords the date that decides whether an appointee has to run at the next election, tying it to the candidate filing deadline. The timing works out the same.

Issue 47: Showing changes to city laws

To change an ordinance now, council has to repeal it and pass the whole thing again. The amendment would let council show changes the way an edited document does, with new wording underlined and removed wording struck through. The city’s Law Department told the commission the current method is “overburdensome” and confusing to read.

Issue 48: When the mayor’s and council’s pay is reviewed

The Civil Service Commission reviews the mayor’s and council’s pay and recommends any change. It does that now by July 1 of each presidential election year, every four years. The amendment would make it March 1 of every odd-numbered year, every two years. Council could still reject a recommendation within 90 days, and the existing limit on raises stays.

Issue 49: Redrawing the wards

Four of Lakewood’s seven council members are elected from wards. The ward lines date from 1971, and the commission found Ward 4 now has more than 10% more people than the other three. The charter has no rule for redrawing them.

Starting with the 2030 census, the amendment would have the Planning Commission review the wards after each census and redraw them if needed, as close to equal in population as possible, each running from Lake Erie to the city’s southern border. Council could reject a new map within 90 days.

Issue 50: How the charter itself is changed

This one rewrites a passage the commission called “somewhat confusing.” The three ways to put a charter change on the ballot stay the same: a review commission recommendation sent on by council, a two-thirds vote of council, or a petition signed by 10% of the city’s registered voters.

□SOURCE · lakewoodoh.gov · Checked October 3The Charter Review Commission's 2024 report and its reasons↗

How to vote

Voter registration closes Monday, October 5. Early voting starts Tuesday, October 6, in person at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, 1803 Superior Avenue in Cleveland, and by mail. Requests for a mail ballot must arrive by 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 27. On Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, polls are open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

□SOURCE · boe.cuyahogacounty.gov · Checked October 3Board of Elections: deadlines for the November 3 election↗

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WRITTEN BYCory RobertsA Lakewood resident since graduating from Case Western University in 2012.9 articlesView profile →