Ohio § 731.01

§ 731.01.

(A) Except as provided in divisions (B) and (D) of this section, the legislative power

of each city shall be vested in, and exercised by, a legislative authority, composed

of not fewer than seven members, four of whom shall be elected by wards and three

of whom shall be elected by electors of the city at large.  For the first twenty thousand inhabitants in any city, in addition to the original

five thousand, there shall be two additional members of such legislative authority,

elected by wards, and for every fifteen thousand inhabitants thereafter there shall

be one additional member similarly elected.  The total number of members of such legislative authority shall not exceed seventeen. (B) The legislative power of a city may be vested in, and exercised by, a legislative

authority composed of not fewer than five nor more than seventeen members, to be determined

in the manner provided in this division, and in lieu of the number required in division

(A) of this section.  Under the alternative plan for the composition of the legislative authority, the

number of members shall be fixed in a resolution which may be submitted to the electors

for their approval or rejection by a two-thirds vote of the members of the legislative

authority, or by the people through an initiative petition in accordance with section 731.28 of the Revised Code .  Such a resolution passed by the legislative authority shall not be subject to veto

by the mayor, need not be published, and shall be immediately effective for purposes

of placing such issue on the ballot.  The resolution shall be submitted to the electors at the next general or primary

election occurring not less than seventy-five days after its passage by the legislative

authority, or the certification of the text of a resolution proposed by initiative

petition to the board of elections.  The resolution shall specify the total number of members, the number to be elected

from the city at large, and the number to be elected from wards.  Members may all be elected from the city at large or all elected from wards, or

some may be elected from the city at large and the remainder elected from wards, as

determined by the resolution.  A resolution that changes the total number of members shall specify the method by

which the change in number is to take effect, but no reduction in the number of members

shall terminate the term of an incumbent.  When the number of members elected from wards is changed, new ward boundaries shall

be determined as provided in section 731.06 of the Revised Code . (C) The number of members of the legislative authority determined under an alternative

plan for the composition of the legislative authority under division (B) of this section

may be changed or abandoned by a resolution submitted to the electors in the same

manner as provided in division (B) of this section for a resolution to institute such

an alternative plan.  When the alternative plan for determining the number of members of the legislative

authority under division (B) of this section is abandoned, the number of members of

the legislative authority shall be determined by division (A) of this section. (D) When a city has just been incorporated from township territory pursuant to Chapter

707. of the Revised Code, the legislative authority of the city initially shall be

vested in and exercised by a legislative authority composed of not fewer than seven

members elected by electors of the city at large.  In all subsequent elections for the city legislative authority, the members shall

be elected as provided in division (A) of this section.