Highland Heights Charter Review Commission Settles on 4-Year Council Terms

Even after , the Highland Heights Charter Review Commission presented unofficial ballot language Tuesday that ups it to four staggered terms.

After approval by council, the charter change will head to the polls for a vote on the November ballot.

Commission chairman Dan Dombeck said this change has been turned down in the past — in 1982, 1983, 1984, 2000 and 2005 — but it lost by 82 votes in 2005, which the commission felt was close enough to give it another go.

"We felt that with the increase in populations, we would like to see some stability," Dombeck said. "There is a learning curve on council and that curve cannot be done in two years. This would promote accountability and responsibility."

If approved at-large seats would start after the 2014 election and council seats after the 2016 election, Dombeck said.

Other include removing the term "full-time" from an article so that no incoming mayor or council member may receive compensation from the city. Even though they have the same edit, this change will go on the ballot as two separate issues — one for council, and one for the mayor.

One last change would make the mayor the appointer of the finance director with the final approval of council, Dombeck said. There is conflicting language in another section of the charter that eliminates council approval. That part would be deleted if approved.