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Mayoral election issue heads to ballot in Beavercreek

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BEAVERCREEK — Beavercreek voters will have a say in November in how the city will elect its mayor in the future. City Council voted unanimously Monday night to place a charter amendment issue on the ballot that, if approved, would have the city electorate voting directly for its mayor.

Currently, the city’s mayor is selected in the council member election every two years by virtue of being the candidate receiving the highest number of votes. If voters turned down the amendments in November, the mayoral election process would stay the same.

Under the proposal, voters would directly elect the city’s mayor to a four-year term beginning in the 2019 November general election. An individual could be elected to a consecutive four-year term as mayor for a total maximum term of eight years in the office, but would have to leave council for four years before returning.

Members of council would be term-limited at a combination of two four-year terms between the offices of council member and mayor.

The mayor’s office would still largely be a ceremonial one, and the mayor would have, with small exceptions, the same power as that of other city council members. The council candidate receiving the most votes in each council election would be elected vice mayor for the first two years of his or her four-year term, under the proposal.

Property registry

In other business, City Council voted to adopt a registry for abandoned foreclosures and vacant properties.

The registry will require properties that are in foreclosure to be registered with the city once they have become unoccupied and will also require the mortgage company to maintain the property, according to a city documents.

Registration will also be required for vacant properties that are not being kept in compliance with city codes. Vacant properties maintained in compliance with city codes will not be required to be registered.

Mayor Bob Stone told this newspaper in a previous interview that the purpose of the registry is so the city could monitor the properties and so it would have a “clear point of contact if orders have to be written on the property,” he said.

Council voted 6-1 in favor of the registry, with council member Chad Whilding voting against.

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By Nathan Pilling

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Reach Nathan Pilling at 937-502-4498 or on Twitter @XDGNatePilling.