Who Picks Cincinnati Council Member Replacements?

Some are calling for Councilman Jeff Pastor to resign after it was revealed he was arrested Tuesday on a federal bribery charge. Here's what would happen if Pastor, a Republican, does in fact choose to step down. 

At the beginning of each new Cincinnati City Council term, council members must complete a "successor designation certificate," listing which council members he or she wants to make a selection should their council seat become vacant.

The document reads:

Pursuant to the provisions of Article II, Section 4a of the City Charter, I, (Name) a duly elect member of the City Council of Cincinnati, Ohio, for the term beginning (date) to hereby certify the following Councilmember-Councilmembers as the person-persons empowered to select my successor should my office become vacant due to any cause:

These certificates have been discussed this year with the resignation of Council Member Tamaya Dennard and the departure of Council Member Amy Murray.

Dennard listed P.G. Sittenfeld on her certificate, and Murray listed Christopher Smitherman and Pastor.

Council members will have to decide if they want to change their certificate now that some of them have named council members who are now gone.

These certificates can be altered at any time during the council term.

So what about the remaining council members? Who do they have listed on their certificates? Here is the most recent list. 

Vice Mayor Smitherman

• Amy Murray
• Jeff Pastor

Council Member Greg Landsman

• Tamaya Dennard
• David Mann
• Chris Seelbach
• P.G. Sittenfeld
• Wendell Young

Council Member Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney

• Sittenfeld

Council Member David Mann

• Dennard
• Landsman
• Seelbach
• Sittenfeld
• Young

Council Member Jeff Pastor

• Murray
• Christopher Smitherman

Council Member Chris Seelbach

• Young
• Sittenfeld

Council Member P.G. Sittenfeld

• Dennard
• Seelbach
• Young
• Mann
• Landsman

Council Member Betsy Sundermann

• Jeff Pastor

Council Member Wendell Young

• Dennard
• Seelbach

Council Member Liz Keating 

• Betsy Sundermann 
• Steve Goodin
• Christopher Smitherman

This article was first published March 3, 2020 and has been updated. 

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