City council
Charlotte Gordon – Mayor – 2nd Ward Council
David Malone – 1st Ward Councilman
Dennis Packard – 6th Ward Councilman
Lyvette Barnes-Mosley – Vice President of Council – 4th Ward Council
Andy Cole – 3rd Ward Councilman
Chris Neff – 5th Ward Councilman
About Portsmouth City Council
Except as otherwise provided in the City’s Charter, all legislative powers of the City are vested in a Council consisting of one member nominated and elected to a four-year term from each of the six wards.
Each member of Council elected or appointed from a ward must have resided in that ward no less than six months and must have been a resident of the City for at least three years immediately preceding his election.
CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS
Date, Time & Location
- Second and fourth Monday of each month (Exceptions for holidays)
- 6:00 pm
- Council Chambers – 500 Chillicothe Street – First Floor Portsmouth, OH 45662
With the exception of executive sessions, meetings are open to the general public.
Legislative Sessions
The first meeting of the evening is a legislative session. Its agenda provides citizens with two opportunities to address City Council. The first opportunity allows citizens to speak with regard to any item on the agenda. The second opportunity allows citizens to speak with regard to any item not on the agenda. These opportunities to speak are limited to three minutes per speaker.
PUBLIC SPEAKS
The “Public Speaks” portion of the agenda shall be dedicated to allowing the public at large to speak on issues pertaining to City business at each regular Council The first “Public Speaks” portion will be restricted to comments on items on the Legislative Agenda. The second “Public Speaks” portion is limited to items not on the Legislative Agenda.
- Citizens shall be permitted to speak only one time during each “Public Speaks” per meeting.
- Citizens desiring to speak during either “Public Speaks” shall sign up with the Clerk of Council by 3:00 p.m. on the evening of any regular Council Meeting on a first-come first-serve basis; except that persons who have spoken during any of the preceding four meetings will speak last after all other The individual shall print his/her name, home address (no business or Post Office Boxes) and specific subject matter on which he or she intends to speak. This list shall be available at all times in the Council Office. If not completed as required, the Presiding Officer will not recognize that particular speaker. The City Clerk will call the citizens to the podium according to the list.
- During each “Public Speaks,” each speaker shall identify him or herself by name, home address and shall state the subject matter on which he or she intends to speak. Once this information is stated, the speaker’s allotted time will Each speaker shall be limited to a maximum of three minutes to present his or her comments. Each speaker shall direct his or her comments to the Presiding Officer and shall not make personal references and shall remain respectful of all in attendance.
- A speaker shall observe all rules of decorum as prescribed in Roberts Rules of Order. No debate, disrespect or obscenities shall be tolerated. The Presiding Officer shall rule any such individual out of order.
- Council Members, other elected officials and administration representatives shall not debate public speakers.
Work Conference Session
The second meeting is a work conference session. This meeting provides an opportunity for City administration to make requests to the Council with regard to legislation that is needed to conduct the business of the City.
Duties
The Council’s duties include the following:
- Adhere to the Council Rules as agreed upon in the Organizational meeting, Robert Rules of Order and the Sunshine Laws.
- Inquire into the conduct of the City Manager and City Clerk of the City of Portsmouth and make investigations as to municipal affairs.
- Upon written recommendation of the City Manager, provide for public hearings on the draft of an appropriation ordinance based on the budget within 10 days after its receipt, after which the proposed appropriation ordinance may be changed or amended by the Council and:
- Take the same course
- Be subject to the same procedure in the Council as other ordinances
- Shall not be passed before the first meeting of the Council in January
- Upon written recommendation of the City Manager and at the beginning of the fiscal year and before the annual appropriation ordinance has been passed, the Council, on written recommendation of the City Manager, may make appropriations for current City expenses, chargeable to the appropriations of the year when passed, sufficient to cover the necessary expenses of the City until the annual appropriation ordinance is in force
- Either:
- Transfer unencumbered balance of an appropriation to a purpose or object for which the appropriation for the current year has proved insufficient
- Authorize transfer to be made between items appropriated for the same department or office
- No such transfer shall be made of the income of earnings of any public utility owned by the City, and receiving no support from taxation to any other purpose than such utility
- If at any time the total accruing revenue of the City shall be in excess of the total estimated income thereof and upon written recommendation from the City Manager, Council may appropriate such excess to such uses as will not conflict with any uses for which specifically such revenues accrued
- Upon written recommendation of the City Manager, authorize alterations in work or improvement contracts, when extra work and materials are not provided for in the original contract
- Upon written recommendation of the City Manager, establish a schedule of compensation for officers and employees in the classified service which shall provide uniform compensation for like service
- Upon written recommendation of the City Manager, provide for the construction, reconstruction, repair, and maintenance of all things in the nature of local improvements:
- Provide for the payment of any part of the cost thereof by levying and collecting special assessments upon abutting, adjacent, and contiguous or other specially benefited property
- Upon written recommendation of the City Manager, authorize construction or repair of certain specified sidewalks, curbing’s, or gutters.
2014 Organizational Booklet
This Organizational Booklet from your City Government gives a picture of each City Department Head along with the staff and a description of duties and services provided to the citizens of Portsmouth. Despite limited income and higher cost, the dedicated personnel in every office work hard to improve their services.
Applying the economic wisdom of long-term planning the City hopes to provide the most services possible for all citizens. Our future goals are to match or exceed the efficiency, services and economies of past years.
We are pleased to present to you, the Citizens of Portsmouth the workforce of the City of Portsmouth.
Agendas, Minutes, and Audio Files
Additional Information
For more information, please contact the City Clerk by email or calling (740) 354-4706.