The 2025 Charter Review Commission proposed 9 amendments to the Stow City Charter–out of the 9 proposed 2 passed. A summary of 2025 Charter Amendments proposed below:
- AMEND SECTION 3.06 TO CLARIFY THE PROCEDURE OF ACTING MAYOR
- FAILED: Would have changed language to state that if Mayor position would become open then only Council President could become Mayor—and if that as Mayor, the Council President was not available, Council could elect an “acting Mayor”.
- AMEND SECTION 4.12 TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC LOCATIONS OF POSTING OF PUBLIC NOTICES AND INCLUDING ADDITIONAL ELECTRONIC MEDUIM POSTING REQUIREMENTS
- PASSED—Will be on the November Ballot: Reduces public paper postings from 6 to 3, and also adds social media as a posting platform.
- AMEND ARTICLE 20 OF THE CHARTER, CREATING A DATE BY WHICH THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMISSION SHALL BE IMPANELED AND MOVING THE DATE BY WHICH THE COMMISSION SHALL SUBMIT THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL
- PASSED—Will be on the November Ballot: Requires that Charter Review be selected and confirmed before the last Council meeting in January and that recommendations to Council move up a month and be by July 1st instead of August 1st.
- AMEND ARTICLE 6 OF THE CHARTER, CREATING A PROVISION FOR AN ACTING FINANCE DIRECTOR
- FAILED: Would have added a section that states who is an “acting Finance Director” if the current is out of the City.
- AMEND ARTICLE 9 OF THE CHARTER, CREATING A PROVISION FOR AN ACTING LAW DIRECTOR
- FAILED: Would have added a section that states who is an “acting Law Director” if the current is out of the City.
- AMEND ARTICLE 21 OF THE CHARTER, CHANGING THE NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE TERMS WHICH THE LAW DIRECTOR AND FINANCE DIRECTOR MAY SERVE.
- FAILED: Would have changed the terms to 3 consecutive 4-year terms for 12 years, but no more than 14 years if appointed. Instead of current language that allows for 2 consecutive 4-year terms for a total of 8.
- AMEND SECTION 4.02 AND SECTION 5.01 OF THE CHARTER, CHANGING THE NUMBER OF WARDS FOR THE CITY OF STOW CITY COUNCIL
- FAILED: Would have expanded Council to have 9 total members with 6 Wards and 3 at-large members.
- AMEND SECTION 4.02 AND SECTION 21.08 OF THE CHARTER, CHANGING THE LENGTH OF TERMS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
- FAILED: Would have changed Council member terms to 4-year terms instead of the 2-year terms currently in the Charter.
- AMEND ARTICLE 16 OF THE CHARTER, ESTABLISHING SECTION 16.07 ENTITLED “RANKED CHOICE VOTING FOR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS”
- FAILED: Would have added a section to the Charter stating that Mayor, Finance Director, Law Director, and Council would be elected using Rank Choice Voting