Charter Amendment: Issue 28
A Farce in the Name of Government Transparency This charter amendment would require all meetings of municipal bodies, including City...
top of page
The Story of Three Charter Amendments
The City Council’s latest manipulation of the charter amendment process is perhaps the best example of a council not knowing when to stay in its own lane. In November, Stow voters will be asked to vote on three charter amendments proposed by the council. When you read them, you’re going to wonder why they are even on the ballot.
We hope to answer that for you here. But, a little background information is required. See below.
The city’s charter is essentially its constitution. It lays out how our local government is to be organized and function. For example, it describes each department, board and commission, how their respective members are selected and the length of their terms.
Changes to the charter are generally initiated by the Charter Review Commission, a bi-partisan group of volunteers from Stow who meet every five years to review and make recommendations to City Council. If City Council approves the recommendations of the Charter Review Commission, action is taken to update the charter, generally by adding or amending the charter through a ballot initiative. The city’s Law Director also has authority to strike any charter provisions that are deemed unconstitutional, with full approval from the City Council and Mayor.
But, in the last several years, City Council has used its own ability to put charter amendments on the ballot to try to rearrange the deck chairs of the city’s boat – that is, to take control over administrative functions not originally delegated to the legislature through the city’s charter.
The three charter amendments on the ballot in November are exactly that. Read about each one below.
bottom of page