The City of Dublin is governed by the Council/Manager form of government, combining the strong political leadership of elected officials with the strong managerial experience of an appointed manager. Under this system, Council serves as the policy making body in the community, with its members elected to represent the community and to concentrate on policy issues that are responsive to citizens’ needs and wishes. Council members elect a Mayor and Vice Mayor from their ranks to serve a two-year term. The City Manager is appointed by Council to carry out long-range policies and to provide for the day-to-day operation of the City.
City of Dublin Revised Charter
The City’s Revised Charter is similar to a constitution. The Revised Charter establishes the form and organization of the City’s government. It allows for City of Dublin self-governance or “Home Rule,” regarding matters of interest to local government, rather than decision making by the State General Assembly or by state statute.
Council-Manager Form of Government
The City of Dublin operates under the Council-Manager form of government. The elected Council establishes goals and policies with day-to-day administration carried out by a City Manager and staff.
Responsibilities
The legislative body of the City is the City Council. Council members are the only elected officials under the City’s Revised Charter and are representatives of Dublin residents. The Council is comprised of seven members – three elected at large and four elected from each of the four wards of Dublin. All Council members serve a term of four years. The main functions of City Council are to set policy, establish City goals and oversee and approve the annual budget.
Other Council responsibilities include:
- Levy taxes and assessments, as well as to incur debt
- Authorize the number of employees in the various City departments and to establish their rate of compensation and other conditions of employment
- Create, combine, change and eliminate offices, departments, divisions, offices, bureaus, boards and commissions in the City
- Establish, by ordinance or resolution, the rates or charges made by consumers of all municipal utilities and services
- Provide for an independent audit of the accounts and records of the City, which may be in addition to required audits by state offices and agencies
Compensation
Salaries of all elected officials of the municipality are established by Council by ordinance or resolution. Each member of Council currently receives an annual salary of $11,250. The Vice Mayor receives $12,250 and the Mayor receives $15,750.
Duties of Dublin Officials
City Council
- Comprised of seven members elected for four-year terms: three at-large, four elected from four wards
- Constitutes the governing body of the City
- Establishes long-range goals and adopts policies to guide the direction of the City and legislation
- Selects Mayor, Vice Mayor and committee members from its members every two years
Mayor
- Elected by fellow City Council members to serve a two-year mayoral term
- Presides at City Council meetings and Mayor’s Court
- Performs ceremonial duties and functions
City Manager
- Appointed by City Council
- Serves as chief executive and law enforcement officer of the City
- Responsible to City Council for administration of all City affairs
- Manages day-to-day operations by directing work of all departments
- Appoints, promotes, suspends and removes City staff
- Executes all contracts, leases, deeds, easements, conveyances and agreements on behalf of the City
Clerk of Council
- Appointed by City Council
- Maintains record of proceedings of City Council and record of ordinances and resolutions adopted by City Council
- Provides notice of regular and special meetings of City Council
- Performs all duties outlined in the Revised Charter or as directed by City Council
Standing Committees Of City Council
Standing Committees consist of members of City Council who review and report on issues referred to them by City Council as a whole. These Standing Committees report to City Council as a regular part of the City Council meeting agenda.
Administrative Committee
Reviews issues relating to City Council employee evaluations; City personnel policies, compensation and benefits; board and commission appointments; strategic planning; goal setting; policy process; marketing and communications and City Council procedures and operations.
Community Development Committee
Reviews issues relating to economic development, growth management and transportation systems.
Finance Committee
Reviews issues related to taxation policy; budget development and review; hotel/motel tax grant applications and fees.
Public Services Committee
Reviews issues related to police, fire and emergency medical services; traffic and related issues; public health and human services; parks and recreation; utilities, telecommunications and energy; and engineering.
Council Rules of Order
1. DEFINITION OF TERMS
1.01 Charter – the Revised Charter of Dublin, Ohio effective July 4, 1996, and its amendments, if any;
1.02 Member – a member of Council;
1.03 Chair – the presiding officer of Council who is the Mayor under the Charter;
1.04 Clerk – the Clerk of Council;
1.05 Meeting – any regular or special meeting of Council;
1.06 Quorum – a majority of the members elected to Council;
1.07 Standing Committee – a permanent committee created by Council resolution, usually composed of three members;
1.08 Ad Hoc Committee – a temporary committee created by Council motion, usually composed of two members;
1.09 Virtual – using video and audio to connect online, via livestreaming by means of the internet or other similar electronic technology that provides an opportunity for the meeting participants to both observe and participate in the meeting; and
1.10 Work Session – a meeting of Council called for the purposes of discussion on prearranged topics and/or training.
2. APPLICATION OF RULES
2.01 Except as otherwise provided by the Revised Charter, the Dublin Codified Ordinances or laws of the State of Ohio, the functioning and proceedings of Council shall be governed by these Council Rules of Order.
2.02 On matters involving parliamentary procedure not provided for in these Council Rules of Order, the Clerk’s latest revised edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order” shall be referenced by the Mayor as persuasive, rather than binding, and the Mayor’s determination shall be final.
2.03 The Law Director shall act as parliamentarian and, when applicable, shall interpret “Robert’s Rules of Order” for Council.
2.04 These Rules of Order shall not be altered except by a vote of a majority of all members of Council, and at a regular or special meeting. The proposition to make an amendment shall be in the form of a resolution. These Rules of Order may be suspended, when appropriate, by a majority vote of all Council members.
3. COUNCIL COMMITTEES
3.01 Ad hoc committees may be created by Council to review, study and make recommendations on specific matters. Council shall appoint each ad hoc committee, give it a charge, and establish the time frame within which the committee is to report to Council. When an ad hoc committee has completed its charge, the existence of the committee shall terminate.
3.02 Council, from time to time, may establish new standing committees, assign the functions of standing committees, add, combine, expand, contract or eliminate certain standing committees as it deems necessary for the proper functioning of Council.
3.03 Membership and Chairship of each standing committee shall be determined by consensus, taking into consideration the preferences, willingness, and experience of each Council member.
3.04 The Standing Committees of Council have been established as the Administrative Committee, Community Development Committee, Finance Committee, and Public Services Committee. Each Committee shall review matters which fall within the topic areas below and such other matters as may be referred to the Committee by Council :
- The Administrative Committee shall review matters relating to Council employee hiring and evaluations; City personnel policies, compensation and benefits; board and commission appointments; strategic planning; Council goal setting; information technology; policy process; marketing and communications; and Council procedures and operations.
- The Community Development Committee shall review matters relating to economic development, growth management and transportation systems and grant applications related to improvement of the aesthetics of the community.
- The Finance Committee shall review matters relating to general financial and taxation policy; hotel/motel tax grant applications; operating budgets; capital improvement programs; and fees.
- The Public Services Committee shall review matters relating to police, fire and emergency services; traffic and related matters; public health and human services; parks and recreation; utilities, telecommunications and energy; engineering; and public art.
- City Council may determine and/or the City Manager may recommend to Council the appropriate committee for review of topics/issues not otherwise mentioned in this section.
3.05 The Clerk of Council shall provide for the electronic recordings of all ad hoc and standing committee meetings and will prepare and maintain minutes of these meetings as the permanent record of these meetings.
4. COUNCIL MEETINGS
4.01 Regular meetings shall be held on the second and fourth Mondays of the month or on such dates as are otherwise approved on the yearly meeting calendar or by a majority vote of City Council. Regular meetings shall be convened in the Council Chambers of the City of Dublin at 7:00 p.m., at an alternate time or alternate public place within the City of Dublin corporate limits, or virtually, if necessary, provided that a public notice shall be posted on the entrance doors of City Hall or on the City’s website 24 hours prior to the meeting time. If Council convenes an executive session before a regular meeting, the meeting start time shall be adjusted accordingly. In the event that a regular meeting date of the Council coincides with a legal holiday, or presents a conflict for a majority of members, Council may establish an alternate date, or cancel the regular meeting. The Clerk shall ensure that any cancellation, alternate date or alternate location is published on the City’s website or other generally accepted medium, as designated by Council.
4.02 The Mayor and City Manager shall confer regularly regarding the agenda for Council meetings, after which the Mayor shall determine the agenda. Upon concurrence that a meeting may become unduly lengthy due to the content and/or number of items on an agenda, the Mayor may divide the agenda and defer items to the following regular meeting, or call a special meeting.
4.03 Special meetings are governed by the Revised Charter, Article III, Section 3.06(b).
4.04 Members shall be present during all regular and special meetings. Excused absences shall be granted by motion of Council when a member is ill, when the member is in quarantine or otherwise acting pursuant to a health care provider’s recommendation, there is sickness or death in a member’s family, when a member is absent from the City, when job requirements demand immediate attention, or on special leave. If possible, the member shall notify both the Mayor and the Clerk of Council of an absence in advance of the meeting the member will miss.
4.05 Council’s strong preference is that all members participate in-person at all regular and special meetings when Council is meeting at a physical location. The Mayor may permit a member to participate virtually in the event of an emergency. Members must request virtual participation prior to any meeting that the member would like participate virtually. If a member participates virtually, the member must participate in such a manner that the member is visible to the meeting participants, unless technology issues prevent such manner of participation.
4.06 The Mayor may determine that any regular or special meeting shall be held virtually. Notice of the means of accessing and viewing the meeting shall be as prescribed by Section 4.01.
4.07 It is Council’s expectation that if a meeting is held virtually, or individual members participate virtually, that technology mechanisms will be in place to ensure the public can observe and hear the meeting and that the instructions for participation in the meeting are detailed on the City’s website.
5. COUNCIL MEETING AGENDA
5.01 Except for emergency matters or other special matters requiring the immediate attention of Council, a listing of business to be considered by Council shall be prepared and delivered to each member at least 72 hours prior to each regular Council meeting. Staff will make its best effort to provide presentations prior to the scheduled Council meeting.
5.02 Any person may request that a matter of business be placed on the agenda provided sufficient notice is provided either to the Mayor, City Manager or the Clerk of Council. All proposed agenda items must be delivered to the Clerk of Council seven days in advance of the meeting.
5.03 It is the responsibility of the Clerk to prepare and deliver the agenda and all supporting documentation under the general supervision and direction of the Mayor and the City Manager. All members of the City organization and members of the public are encouraged to cooperate with the Clerk in making the agenda complete and accurate. While nothing herein will prevent the introduction of new business not listed on the agenda, Council may require additional time to study any item not included on the agenda.
5.04 Council may, upon majority vote of its members, modify the order or contents of the agenda at a Council meeting.
6. NOTICE OF MEETINGS
6.01 Public Notice
The Clerk shall cause to be published one time in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the City a statement of the dates, times, and places (whether a physical location or virtual) of the Council meetings regularly scheduled for the calendar year. Said publication shall occur no later than the day preceding the day of the first such regular meeting for the calendar year. The Clerk of Council may use any other medium appropriate for notice of public meetings.
6.02 Public Posting
The Clerk shall also post a statement of the dates, times and places (whether a physical location or virtual) of each regular Council meeting for the calendar year at least one week prior to the first regular meeting of the calendar year. Per Section 4.12 of the Revised Charter, said posting shall be done at three public places as designated by Council. The Clerk shall check at reasonable intervals to ensure that this statement remains posted.
7. PUBLICATION OF MEETING AGENDAS
7.01 Media Publication
The Clerk shall make arrangements to have the “tentative” agenda for any regular or special meeting published on the City’s website. The “tentative” agenda shall be that agenda which is prepared and distributed to the press/media no later than Tuesday preceding a regular meeting, or that agenda which is prepared in advance of a special meeting
7.02 Agenda and Meeting Packets for Press/Media
The Clerk shall make available a copy of the agenda for any regular or special meeting to any news organization requesting it. The agenda and meeting packet shall be posted on the City website and shall include copies of legislation and all other matters to be considered by Council at the meeting. These agenda packets shall be made available on the City website by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday prior to regular meetings and as soon as practicable prior to special meetings.
8. ORDER OF BUSINESS
The Mayor shall commence the meeting at the hour appointed for the meeting. If a meeting is commenced at a physical space, the Mayor must be present in order to preside at the meeting. If the Mayor is not physically present, the Vice-Mayor or the most senior member of Council (if the Vice-Mayor is not physically present) shall preside at the meeting. The Chair shall call the meeting to order and direct the Clerk to call roll. If a quorum is present, the meeting shall continue.
The order of any regular or alternate regular meeting shall be as follows:
- Call to Order
- Roll Call
- Executive Session, if necessary
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Proclamations/Special Recognition
- Citizen Comments. The Mayor shall determine the amount of time allowed but generally no more than 5 minutes.
- Consent Agenda
- Action of Minutes of previous meeting(s)
- Correspondence
- Excused absences, if any
- Legislation
- Tabled/postponed legislation
- Second Reading/Public hearings/second readings/vote on ordinances
- First reading/Public Hearing of ordinances
- First reading/public hearing/vote on resolutions
- Other Business
- Staff Comments
- Council Committee Reports/Council Roundtable
- Adjournment
9. REQUEST TO SPEAK
9.01 Members’ Right to Speak
- While each member has the right to speak, the member must be recognized by the Mayor. Upon being recognized, the member may proceed.
- No member may filibuster. No member may speak for more than five (5) minutes continuously, except by leave of the Mayor. The decision by the Mayor in this matter is final. Reference to personalities shall be avoided by all speakers.
- A member may speak a second time on any one opportunity to speak.
- The Mayor shall regulate debate in any other manner that she/he deems necessary, provided that the rights of all persons to express their views are respected.
- By a motion duly made, seconded, and passed by a majority of members present, the Council may overrule any limitation of debate by the presiding officer and allow a member to speak for an additional five (5) minutes.
9.02 Residents/Interested Parties’ Duties
Any resident or interested party desiring to address the Council shall be first recognized by the Mayor. She/he shall then state her/his name and address in an audible tone for the Clerk’s record. The Mayor may permit any person to participate in the meeting virtually at the Mayor’s discretion. Remarks shall be limited to the question under discussion. All provisions of 9.01 apply.
9.03 City Employee
The City Manager, in accordance with Section 5.04 of the Charter, shall be afforded the right to participate in discussions but not to vote. The City Manager is responsible for and shall be afforded the opportunity to seek clarity of direction from Council, when needed, to insure a majority consensus on an issue. Any other appointed, administrative level official shall be entitled at all times to speak upon any questions that pertain to their duties, responsibilities and authority. All provisions of 9.01 apply.
20. VOTING PROCEDURES
10.01 Every member present, when a question is put, shall vote unless the member has an ethical conflict of interest. Any member requesting permission to abstain may make a brief statement of the reason for making such a request. The question shall then be immediately taken without further debate.
10.02 Voting on all legislation shall be oral and in open Council. No proxy votes are permitted. When the Clerk calls roll, each member shall respond “yes,” “no,” or “abstain.” No other comment is permitted during voting. The order of voting shall rotate in a random manner.
10.03 An affirmative vote of four (4) members shall be necessary to pass any question, unless otherwise provided by the Charter.
10.04 No vote of a member shall be questioned. Any member so desiring may briefly comment upon the vote personally cast after the roll call and announcement of the result. The Mayor shall decide upon the propriety of the comments and monitor the length of same.
11. LEGISLATION PROCEDURE
11.01 The introduction, passage and amendment of ordinances and resolutions shall be governed by Article IV of the Charter and these Rules of Order. A consent agenda may be used where minutes and correspondence items and excused absences are organized apart from the rest of the agenda and approved as a group. The Mayor may propose items for the consent agenda as part of his/her duties relative to Section 4.02. Upon request of any Council Member, an item will be removed from the consent agenda and considered under the regular order of business.
The introduction, passage and amendment of ordinances and resolutions shall be governed by Article IV of the Charter.
11.02 A member may speak on any legislation; call for questions; and question the City Manager.
11.03 Any member may introduce such legislation as the member deems appropriate. Legislation can be prepared and recommended by the Administration, a Standing Committee of Council, an ad hoc committee of Council, or a City Board or Commission; all such legislation must be introduced by a Council member.
11.04 Any member may ask for verbal or written clarification of any motion.
11.05 Ordinances and resolutions shall be read by title only unless there is an objection from one of the Council members at which time the Council shall meet the requirements of Article 4.04 of the Revised Charter.
11.06 Form of Ordinances/Resolutions
- All ordinances and resolutions shall continue to be written in the same format and style as was in use at the time these rules were enacted by Council. All such legislation shall be assigned according to a system that reflects the sequential order and year, e.g., 01-97.
- Each ordinance/resolution shall contain not more than one subject, which shall be fully described in the caption in easily understood terms.
11.07 Second Readings/Public Hearings – No motion is required on second readings. After debate has closed, the Mayor shall direct the Clerk to call the roll.
11.08 Motion to Reconsider – Any member who voted on the prevailing side may move a reconsideration of any action of the Council, provided that the motion be made not later than the next regular meeting after such action was taken. A motion to reconsider shall be in order at any time, except when a motion on some other subject is pending. A motion to reconsider being laid upon the table may be taken up and acted upon at any time. No motion to reconsider shall be made more than once on any matter or subject.
11.09 Order of Consideration of Questions – All questions shall be considered in the order in which they are made.
11.10 Motion Made – Additional Proper Motions – When a question is before Council or under debate, or a motion has been made, no other motion shall be proper, except the following and these take precedence according to the order listed:
- to adjourn
- to postpone until future stated time
- to request cessation of debate and that a vote be taken
- to refer to a standing or ad hoc committee
- to amend the matter under discussion
- to table action for an indefinite time
11.11 Motion to Take from the Table – Any matter removed from the table shall not be considered or acted upon until the next or a subsequent meeting.
11.12 Call to Order – If any member, in speaking or otherwise, violates the rules of Council, the Chair or any member may call her/him to order and the member so called shall cease speaking until the question of order is decided.
12 MISCELLANEOUS
12.01 Council Courtesies
No member shall privately confer while Council is in session with anyone other than a Council colleague, the City Manager, the Clerk, or Law Director. Such discussions as are permitted shall be brief and shall be conducted in the tone and manner so as not to disturb the proceedings.
12.02 Confidentiality
- On matters where public knowledge of same could be detrimental to the City’s position on legal, fiscal, property acquisition, personnel or other matters deemed by Council or the City Manager to require confidentiality, all members shall limit and/or restrict discussion and/or dissemination of the confidential information unless and until Council or the City Manager decides such matters may be discussed publicly.
- No member may speak for the Council as a body unless specifically authorized to do so by Council.
12.03 Enforcement of Rules
The Mayor shall conduct all Council meetings in accordance with these rules and shall preserve order at all meetings, and shall enforce the rules of Council, either by private or public reprimand.
12.04 Violation of Rules
If any member, in speaking or otherwise, shall violate any rule of Council, the Mayor shall call the member to order. If such member is speaking when called to order, the member immediately cease speaking unless permitted to explain. The question of order shall be decided without debate, at the Mayor’s discretion.
12.05 Council Expectations
Council is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment and expects its members to be committed to the highest ideals, quality service and proper conduct. Council welcomes the involvement of citizens in the decision-making process and welcomes diverse experiences, perspectives and viewpoints. Council respects the rights, dignity and worth of all citizens, public officials, peers, applicants and employees and its members’ actions will reflect these standards
Adopted: Res. 09-96 – 6/9/97
Amended: Res. 87-08 – 1/20/09
Amended: Res. 47-09 – 10/5/09
Amended: Res. 44-11 – 9/12/11
Amended: Res. 66-14 – 8/25/14
Amended: Res. 65-21 – 11/8/21
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