Reynoldsburg to vote on charter amendments

The city of Reynoldsburg would revamp its zoning procedures if voters approve a proposed city charter amendment in next month’s general election.

The proposal doesn’t outline specific changes — rather, it just throws out the current measures and starts the public process for city council to craft new ones. The goal is to address clarity issues in the current language.

The change is one of five amendments up for consideration on the Nov. 7 ballot. Any approved changes would take effect once election results are certified.

“Our goal is to modernize and streamline Reynoldsburg’s government, while making sure people get a chance to weigh in on the decision,” said Joe Bizjak, a lifetime city resident and chairman of its charter review commission.

Two amendments would eliminate political party requirements to be appointed to the city’s planning commission and board of zoning and building appeals. Currently, appointments are split between declared Republicans and Democrats.

Another change would eliminate a longtime mandate to bid publicly for any purchase exceeding $10,000. City council would set a higher limit.

A final amendment would no longer require publishing public meeting announcements in a local newspaper. Instead, they could be posted in other public locations or online.

Reynoldsburg reviews its charter every five years for potential updates.

A commission of five volunteers appointed by the city council, including Bizjak, met regularly with officials this spring in public meetings at City Hall to analyze the charter and suggest improvements. The other members were Craig Saylor, Ivan King, Orvell Johns and Libby Wallace.

The deadline to register for the November election is Oct. 10.