Voters back three changes to county governance rules

Cuyahoga County voters are expected to approve three charter amendments that reshape the balance of power between the county executive and the County Council. Early returns from the November 3 election indicate that Issues 12, 13, and 14 each won by margins of at least 30 points, although the Board of Elections has not yet certified the final counts.

Issue 12 changes the process for removing county board and commission members. Under the new language, the county executive must obtain County Council approval before dismissing any official previously confirmed by the council. The amendment responds to a dispute earlier in the year when County Executive Chris Ronayne threatened to remove Port Authority Board Member Dave Wondolowski without a council vote.

Councilmember Sunny Simon supported the measure during a July session, arguing that the council body should have a say in removal decisions after having confirmed the appointment. The rule applies to dozens of county entities, including the MetroHealth Board, the ADAMHS Board, and the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. It also covers Gateway, the entity that manages Progressive Field and Rocket Arena.

Issue 13 expands the statutory authority of the county law director. The previous charter text identified the law director only as the legal advisor and representative for the executive and council. The approved amendment designates the law director as the primary legal adviser for those bodies and for any department official who serves at the pleasure of the executive or council. The sheriff is excluded from this provision because the sheriff serves a separate term and cannot be fired without council approval.

County lawyer Nora Hurley reviewed the draft in August and noted that the initial version did not sufficiently protect the existence of the law department. The final text emerged after several revisions at County Council. The amendment aims to clarify the legal boundaries between the law department and the prosecutor’s office.

Issue 14 adjusts how the charter review commission is formed. This body meets every 10 years to propose updates to the county charter, with a new commission scheduled for appointment next year. Previously, the county executive selected all nine members. Under the new rule, the executive will appoint four members and the council will appoint four. The executive will nominate the ninth member, subject to council approval.