MANSFIELD — Mansfield voters on Tuesday approved an amendment to the city charter that increases purchasing power for the administration.
Rising inflation led to the suggested change, which will allow the city administration to award contracts of up to $50,000 — doubling the previous $25,000 limit — without approval from the Board of Control or city lawmakers.
The change was suggested by the Mansfield Charter Review Commission earlier this year — and approved for the ballot in May by City Council.
According to final, unofficial vote totals from the Richland County Board of Elections, 67 percent of voters approved the change — 10,167 to 4,994.
Contracts between $50,000 and $75,000 will still require approval from the Board of Control, which is comprised of the mayor, finance director and safety-service director.
Contracts greater than $75,000 would still need to be competitively bid and approved by City Council.
“It gives departments more latitude in spending without another layer of approval,” Finance Director Kelly Blankenship said.
The change was sought by Mayor Jodie Perry and Blankenship.
“In 2023, the City Council raised the threshold for projects going to bid to $75,000, raised from $50,000,” Perry said in May.
“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.
