Label
Proposed Text Amendments to Toledo Charter
City Council
Title
Providing for the submission to the electors of the City of Toledo at a special election on November 3, 2026, five proposed text amendments to the Charter; directing the Clerk to notify the appropriate election authorities of the same; and declaring an emergency.
Body
SUMMARY & BACKGROUND:
In response to issues arising out of inconsistencies between the Charter of the City of Toledo and state election law, as well as to provide for a fairer and streamlined election process, the following text amendments are proposed to the Charter. This ordinance would authorize placing the proposed text amendments before the electorate.
Summary
NOW THEREFORE Be it ordained by the Council of the City of Toledo:
SECTION 1. That the proposed amendments to the Charter of the City of Toledo, as set forth below, be submitted to the electors of the City of Toledo at a special election to be held on November 3, 2026.
SECTION 2. That City of Toledo Charter §13 states as follows:
Section 13. Nominating petitions.
The name of any elector of the City shall be placed upon the primary election ballot for nomination as a candidate for Mayor when there shall have been filed with the election authorities a petition signed by not less than seven hundred fifty (750) nor more than fifteen hundred (1500) electors of the City, and for City Council running at-large when there shall have been filed with the election authorities a petition signed by not less than two hundred fifty (250) nor more than five hundred (500) electors of the City, and for City Council running in a district when there shall have been filed with the election authorities a petition signed by not less than fifty (50) nor more than one hundred (100) electors, the form of said petitions to be substantially as follows:
We, the undersigned, hereby present whose residence is Toledo, Ohio, as a candidate for to be voted for at the primary election to be held on the day of , 19 and we individually certify that we are qualified to vote for candidate(s) for
Name Street & No. Ward-Precinct
___________________________________________________________________________________________
State of Ohio, Lucas County, ss:
being first duly sworn, deposes and says that he or she is the circulator of this petition paper and that the signatures appended thereto were made in his or her presence, and are genuine signatures of the persons they purport to be.
Signed
Subscribed and sworn to before me this day of , 19 .
Notary Public
Shall be amended to read to as follows:
Section 13. Nominating petitions and declaration of candidacy.
Any person desiring to be a candidate for election shall file a declaration of candidacy and nominating petition on the standard forms provided by the Secretary of State and as required by state law.
The name of any elector of the City shall be placed upon the primary election ballot for nomination as a candidate for Mayor when there shall have been filed with the election authorities a petition signed by not less than two hundred fifty (250) nor more than five hundred (500) electors of the City, and for City Council running at-large when there shall have been filed with the election authorities a petition signed by not less than one hundred (100) nor more than two hundred (200) electors of the City, and for City Council running in a district when there shall have been filed with the election authorities a petition signed by not less than fifty (50) nor more than one hundred (100) electors.
SECTION 3. That City of Toledo Charter §14 states as follows:
Section 14. Requirements of petition - how signed - filing date - notification - acceptance.
Signatures to nominating petitions need not be appended to one paper, but to each separate paper there shall be attached an affidavit of the circulator thereof, stating that each signature thereto was made in his or her presence and is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be. Each signer of a petition shall sign his or her name in ink or indelible pencil and, after his or her name, shall designate his or her address by street and number or other description sufficient to identify the place.
All separate papers comprising a nominating petition shall be assembled and filed with the election authorities as one instrument at least sixty (60) days prior to the date of holding the primary election with respect to which such petition is filed. Within ten (10) days after the filing of such nominating petition the election authorities shall notify the person therein as a candidate whether the petition is found to satisfy all the prescribed conditions. Any eligible person placed in nomination as hereinabove provided shall have his or her name printed on the ballots for the primary election if, within five (5) days after such notification, he or she shall have filed with the election authorities a written acceptance of nomination.
Shall be amended to read as follows:
Section 14. Requirements of petition - how signed - filing date - notification.
Signatures to nominating petitions need not be appended to one paper. Each signer of a petition shall sign his or her name in ink and, after his or her name, shall designate his or her address by street and number or other description sufficient to identify the place.
All separate papers comprising a nominating petition and declaration of candidacy shall be assembled and filed with the election authorities as one instrument at least ninety (90) days prior to the date of holding the primary election with respect to which such petition is filed. Within twelve (12) days after the filing of such nominating petition the election authorities shall notify the person therein as a candidate whether the petition is found to satisfy all the prescribed conditions.
SECTION 4. That City of Toledo Charter §17 states as follows:
Section 17. Marking ballots - voting for candidates not regularly nominated.
In order to vote for a candidate or candidates at any primary or regular City election, the voter shall, after entering the voting booth, place a cross (X) in the square before each candidate's name for whom the voter wishes to vote, but in no case shall an elector vote for more than one candidate for Mayor and for more than the number of candidates to be elected for Council as hereinafter provided.
A blank space shall be left on the ballots below the printed names of the candidates for Mayor and for Council. In such space an elector may write, stamp or place the name of any person eligible for such office and vote for the person by placing a cross (X) before his or her name to indicate a choice. Any person so voted for shall be considered a candidate in the counting of ballots just as if he or she had been regularly nominated, but in no case shall an elector vote for more than one candidate for Mayor and for more than the number of candidates to be elected for Council as hereinafter provided.
Shall be amended to read as follows:
Section 17. Voting for candidates not regularly nominated.
In no case shall an elector vote for more than one candidate for Mayor and for more than the number of candidates to be elected for Council as hereinafter provided.
Any person, not regularly nominated but desiring to be a candidate, shall comply with the requirements of state law to be a write-in candidate. Such declaration shall be on the form prescribed by the Secretary of State and shall be filed with the election authority no later than four p.m. of the seventy-second day before the election.
When a valid declaration of intent to be a write-in candidate has been timely filed with the election authority, a blank space shall be left on the ballots below the printed names of the candidates for Mayor and for Council. Any person so voted for shall be considered a candidate in the counting of ballots just as if he or she had been regularly nominated, but in no case shall an elector vote for more than one candidate for Mayor and for more than the number of candidates to be elected for Council.
SECTION 5. That City of Toledo Charter §83 states as follows:
Section 83. Elections on Referendum and Initiative Petitions.
Elections as to initiative and referendum petitions shall be held at the next regular general or primary election occurring not less than seventy-five (75) days after the Clerk certifies the issue to the election authorities.
Shall be amended to read as follows:
Section 83. Elections on Referendum and Initiative Petitions.
Elections as to initiative and referendum petitions shall be held at the next regular general or primary election occurring not less than ninety (90) days after the Clerk certifies the issue to the election authorities.
SECTION 6. That City of Toledo Charter §92 states as follows:
Section 92. Requirements of petition.
A petition to initiate an ordinance, or for a referendum of an ordinance or resolution, or of an amendment to this charter, need not be made on one paper, but may be the aggregate of two or more petition papers. Each signer of a petition paper shall sign his or her name in ink or indelible pencil, and shall place thereon, after his or her name, his or her place of residence by street and number. To each paper there shall be attached an affidavit by the circulator thereof stating the number of signers thereto and that each signature thereon is the genuine signature of the person whose name it purports to be, and that it was made in the presence of the affiant.
Shall be amended to read as follows:
Section 92. Requirements of petition.
A petition to initiate an ordinance, or for a referendum of an ordinance or resolution, or of an amendment to this charter, need not be made on one paper, but may be the aggregate of two or more petition papers. Each signer of a petition paper shall sign his or her name in ink, and shall place thereon, after his or her name, his or her place of residence by street and number. Petitioner shall use the standard petition forms published by the Secretary of State and as applicable to the subject of their petition.
SECTION 7. That the foregoing amendments to the Charter of the City of Toledo shall take effect immediately upon approval by the electors of the amendments and in accordance with the provisions thereof. The Clerk of Council is hereby ordered and directed to provide a copy of approved Charter amendments to the Ohio Secretary of State within thirty (30) days after the vote of approval by the electors.
SECTION 8. The Clerk of Council is hereby ordered and directed to certify to the Board of Elections of Lucas County, Ohio, this enacted ordinance for the submission of the above amendments at an election to be held at the time stated above. Clerk is also directed to request the Board of Elections to place the question of adopting the amendments to the Charter on the ballot at said election. The Clerk of Council is further ordered and directed to publish the full text of the proposed Charter amendments once a week for not less than two (2) consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Toledo, with the first publication being at least fifteen (15) days prior to the election at which the amendments are to be submitted to the electorate.
SECTION 9. That this Ordinance hereby is declared to be an emergency measure and shall be in force and effect from and after its passage. The reason for the emergency is due to deadlines imposed by the Charter and state law regarding the timely submission of ballot initiatives to the appropriate election authorities for the next general election.
Vote on emergency clause: yeas _____, nays _____.
Passed: _________________, as an emergency measure: yeas _____, nays _____.
Attest: ________________________ __________________________________
Clerk of Council President of Council
Approved: _____________________ __________________________________
Mayor
I hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of an Ordinance passed by Council ________________________.
Attest: ________________________
Clerk of Council