Every municipality in Ohio has an elected legislative body. The elected legislative body in Middletown is called a "council." The City operates under a Council/City Manager form of government. A directly-elected Mayor and six Council members are elected with no party designation of any kind appearing on the ballots. The elected body serves as the representative of the citizens of the community and acts as the legislative authority of the city.
The Mayor presides at all meetings and authenticates all ordinances and resolutions adopted by the Council. Moreover, the Mayor makes all proclamations in the name of the City and acts as the representative of the City for all ceremonial purposes. In the absence of the Mayor, the Vice Mayor assumes this role.
The duties of the Council are outlined in the Middletown City Charter. However, all power, authority and rights vested in, or granted to the City or its Council, are subject to the provisions of the Constitution of the State of Ohio. In addition to its law-making authority, some of the duties of the Middletown City Council include:
Today there are five members of Council, all residents of the City. Beginning in 2008, the Mayor is directly elected by the entire city. The City Council members are required to meet at least twice a month. They meet in the City Council Chambers, in the City Building and the meetings are open to the public. These meetings are also taped and televised on TV Middletown (Channel 24) on Tuesday evenings.
The compensation of the members of the City Council is $5,000 per year. The Mayor's compensation is $9,000 per year.