What’s on the Ballot in OMA Cities: November 3, 2026
October 21, 2026
On Tuesday, November 3, voters in twelve Ohio Mayors Alliance (OMA) member cities will decide local ballot measures, including charter amendments, tax proposals, and other city issues. School districts serving OMA communities are also asking voters to consider new taxes, levies, bonds, and renewals. Taken together, these ballot issues show cities are doing the steady work of local self-government: updating charters, matching revenue to services, and setting the rules for growth close to home.
Ohio voters will also consider statewide Issue 3, a proposed constitutional amendment that would establish a constitutional requirement for voters to present approved government-issued photo identification when voting. It also addresses identification requirements for voters who cast ballots by mail. Read the official ballot language.
Charter Amendments and City Governance
Six OMA member cities have charter amendments on the ballot. Two additional cities have ballot measures involving ordinances.
Columbus
Issue 8 (citizen petition): Would limit voting for each City Council district seat to residents of that district, while keeping Council at nine members.
Issue 9 (placed by Council): Would also limit voting for district seats to residents of those districts, while adding four at-large members elected citywide. Council would expand from nine to eleven members, then to thirteen.
Akron
Issue 11: Would allow tenants to pay security deposits in installments over three or six months and prohibit rental application fees and other payments collected before a lease is signed.
Issue 12: Would add criminal history as a protected characteristic in renting, home sales and other real estate transactions, with exceptions for sex and arson offenses, and give the Akron Civil Rights Commission jurisdiction over those claims.
Issue 13: Would give the Independent Police Auditor subpoena power, change how members of the citizen police oversight board are selected, and establish response deadlines for the mayor, police chief, and Council regarding the auditor’s recommendations.
Toledo
Issue 17: Would allow City Council to set conditions of employment for its own officers and employees, including hiring, discipline, and termination, and place those employees in the unclassified service.
Issue 18: Would align candidate filing, write-in, and petition requirements with state election law and extend the deadline for holding an initiative or referendum election from 75 to 90 days.
Issue 19: Would require Council to approve proposed charter amendments by ordinance rather than resolution and clarify the charter’s amendment process.
Kettering
Issue 15: Would revise appeals from the Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals to Council.
Issue 16: Would replace gender-specific pronouns in the charter with the corresponding nouns.
Issue 17: Would amend the procedure for passing ordinances.
Issue 18: Would amend the powers and duties section of the planning article.
Issue 19: Would amend the sections governing the city manager and department directors.
Lakewood
Issue 46: Would require Council to publicly seek and interview applicants before filling a vacancy.
Issue 47: Would change how amendments to existing law are displayed, underlining new text and striking through deleted text.
Issue 48: Would change the frequency of reviews of mayoral and Council salaries from every four years to every two years.
Issue 49: Would require the Planning Commission to review ward boundaries after each census and recommend new boundaries as needed.
Issue 50: Would clarify the procedures for placing charter amendments on the ballot.
Grove City
Issue 28 – The Community Consent Amendment (citizen petition): Would require a citywide vote before the city approves development involving 50 or more acres, 20 or more megawatts, or 500,000 or more gallons of water per day. The petition followed a proposed 300-acre data center development.
Warren
Proposed ordinance: Would rescind and replace recent City Council pay raises and eliminate future automatic pay increases for elected officials.
Lima
Referendum on Ordinance No. 022-26: Would authorize the mayor to purchase or accept donated real property for the Cable Road Improvement Project along Cable Road, from Latham Avenue to College Park West Drive.
Cuyahoga County Charter Amendments
Cuyahoga County voters, including residents of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Lakewood, Parma and Strongsville, will also decide three county charter amendments:
Issue 12: Would require Council approval before the county executive removes board appointees.
Issue 13: Addresses the duties of the county law department.
Issue 14: Addresses appointments to the Charter Review Commission.
City Tax and Other City Issues
Toledo and Beavercreek are asking voters to approve new municipal income taxes. Parma and Strongsville voters will consider property tax levies, while Springfield voters will decide whether to authorize natural gas aggregation.
Toledo, Issue 16: Would establish a temporary 0.25% income tax from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2030. Revenue would be dedicated to neighborhood safety and police and fire operations, including criminal gang disruption.
Beavercreek, Issue 5: Would establish a 1% municipal income tax beginning July 1, 2027, to fund general municipal operations, including public safety, public services, and capital improvements. If approved, the city would permanently eliminate nine property tax levies totaling 10.85 mills, reducing
its property tax revenue by about half. Residents who already pay at least 1% in municipal income tax where they work would receive full credit. The city projects annual income tax revenue of approximately $19.6 million, compared with about $15.2 million from the levies it would eliminate.
Parma, Issue 86: Would renew a 2-mill property tax levy for five years to fund police vehicles, equipment, and personnel salaries. The levy is estimated to generate $2.79 million annually, or $33 per $100,000 of market value.
Strongsville, Issue 103: Would approve an additional, continuing 1-mill property tax levy to fund fire equipment, firefighting personnel, and emergency medical services. The levy is estimated to generate approximately $2.3 million annually, or $35 per $100,000 of market value.
Springfield: Would authorize the city to aggregate residents’ natural gas purchasing, with residents automatically enrolled unless they opt out.
