Cleveland (Ohio). Charter Commission.

Fifteen-member commission elected to write a new city charter for Cleveland, Ohio following passage of the Home Rule Amendment to the Ohio constitution in 1912. The commission disagreed over the size of city council, with some pressing for a small council elected at large for the purposes of efficiency and to guard against the corruption of political machines, while others advocated a large council elected by ward which would be more democratic and answerable to ward concerns. The home rule charter, approved by voters in July 1913 and effective 1 Jan. 1914, was modeled basically on the federal plan (council-mayor), providing for nonpartisan election of a 26-member council on a ward basis. A preferential voting system was established offering 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices, with the mayor controlling city government administration and the appointment of department heads. Along with an item veto, the mayor could veto council ordinances. The charter provided for initiative, referendum, and recall. In 1923, voters replaced the charter with a city manager plan, which was replaced in 1931 with a return to partisan elections for mayor and council.