MANSFIELD — Continuing rising inflation has led to the Mansfield Charter Review Commission’s only recommended change.
City Council on Tuesday is scheduled to discuss a proposed change to the city’s charter that would allow the Board to Control award contracts of up to $50,000, up from the $25,000 limit now imposed.
The commission ended its work last week and submitted this lone suggested change. If the change is approved by council, it will go on the ballot in November.
The change was sought by Mayor Jodie Perry and Finance Director Kelly Blankenship, who comprise two thirds of the Board of Control.
“In 2023, the City Council raised the threshold for projects going to bid to $75,000, raised from $50,000,” Perry said.
“This mirrored a change that the State of Ohio had made to Ohio Revised Code. Also, the threshold for projects needing Council approval was raised to $75,000. We are proposing we raise the other level of approval by the same amount.
“This was all prompted in 2023 by the high inflation being experienced, which has driven up costs,” Perry said.
The section of the city charter regulating the Board of Control is found in Article XI, titled “Other Municipal Instrumentalities.”
The current section, enacted Nov. 6, 2012, reads:
“Except as otherwise provided in division (D) of Section 713.23, and Sections 125.04 and 5513.01 of the Ohio Revised Code, no contract in the department of public service or the department of public safety, in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars, shall be awarded except on the approval of the board of control of the city, which board shall direct the director of the appropriate department to enter into the contract. The members of the board shall prepare estimates of the revenue and expenditures of their respective departments to be submitted to the city legislative authority by the mayor, as provided by law.”
The proposed charter change also strikes the final sentence of the charter section.
“The language strike is to reflect this step is repetitive of the current budget process,” Perry said.
“The Director of Finance prepares the revenue estimates. The department heads submit their proposed budget to the mayor and administration for review. The budget is then given to City Council for passage and/or amendment. The Board of Control does not play a role in this process and has not in recent memory,” the mayor said.
A charter review commission is convened every four years in Mansfield. Members serve one-year terms.
According to Section 14.02 of the city charter, after studying and reviewing the charter, the commission reports its recommendations (if any) for revisions of the charter to Mansfield City Council within nine months.
Members elected in November 2023 to the Charter Review Commission were Charles Hahn and Shari Robertson, both at-large, and Michael Miranda (1st Ward), Emily Adams (2nd Ward), Jill VanHarlingen (3rd Ward), Karla Hale (4th Ward), Brandon Dixon (5th Ward) and Gabe Zader (6th Ward).
Also on Tuesday, City Council is scheduled to:
— give a second read on legislation that would place a six-month hold on any businesses that may wish to open a marijuana dispensary in the community. A vote on the legislation is scheduled June 4.
— vote on whether to submit the city’s proposed uses of federal Community Development Block Grant and HOME Pride funds to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Dept.
— vote to accept a $4,800 grant from the Richland County Foundation to hire a summer intern for the city’s community development department.
— discuss during caucus the city’s proposed 2025 tax budget, which has to be submitted to the Richland County Auditor’s Office by state law. It’s an early look at anticipated city revenues across various funds.
— vote to accept a $2,500 grant from the Richland County Foundation for the city’s Summer Fun program at North Lake Park.
(Below is a PDF of the proposed legislation Mansfield City Council is expected to handle on Tuesday evening.)
