Olmsted Falls voters will decide next month whether to rewrite a portion of their city charter to explicitly spell out the city’s authority to govern itself, a change officials say is meant to keep unresolved local matters from defaulting to state law. Issue 72, approved for the ballot by the Olmsted Falls City Council, would clarify the city’s power to regulate local affairs under Ohio’s home rule provisions.
The push for the amendment came from city law director Matt Rieker, who recommended updating the charter so it more clearly defines the city’s home rule authority and aligns with language already used by neighboring communities, according to council testimony reported by Cleveland.com. Per Rieker, Olmsted Falls already holds home rule authority under Ohio law — the amendment would simply make that authority explicit in the city’s own governing document.
Council President Pro Tem Cornel McCausland said the recommendation grew out of concerns that any matter not addressed in the charter or city ordinances could default to state law instead of remaining under local control. The city council unanimously approved the legislation placing the measure before voters in June.
What the Amendment Would Actually Change
If approved, the amendment would add language granting Olmsted Falls all powers of local self-government and municipal home rule allowed under state law. It would also require that city ordinances and regulations be interpreted broadly in favor of local powers whenever possible, and it would specify that state or federal laws would not apply to the city unless required by law or formally adopted through the city’s own charter or legislation. The measure would further state that the city’s powers, boundaries, and corporate existence could not be altered except through the approval process already outlined in the charter…