© 2024 Ideastream Public Media

1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115
(216) 916-6100 | (877) 399-3307

WKSU is a public media service licensed to Kent State University and operated by Ideastream Public Media.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
News
To contact us with news tips, story ideas or other related information, e-mail newsstaff@ideastream.org.

Supreme Court To Consider Home Rule

The high court agreed to hear appeals by the cities of Lima and Akron - two of about 130 municipalities that require some employees - often fire, police and other safety personnel - to live within the city limit.

A decision by the state legislature in 2006 blocked residency rules, but Appeals Courts in Lima and Toledo have each since overturned the state mandate.

Professor Melvyn Durchslag of the CASE school of Law says there is no way to predict a Supreme Court decision, but there are guidelines that the court will follow.
"If a residency requirement is found by the court to be essential to the ability of the city to govern itself, then the court has to step in and say the legislature has no authority under the home rule amendment to dictate how a city is able to govern itself."

The court will decide whether the residency requirements meet Ohio's constitutional rules about home rule charters.

Durchslag says the Appeals Courts rulings will be considered, but will not be a determining factor in the vote.

Rick Jackson, 90.3.

Rick Jackson is a senior host and producer at Ideastream Public Media. He hosts the "Sound of Ideas" on WKSU and "NewsDepth" on WVIZ.