Summit County Issue 35 — City of Stow proposed charter amendment

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:33 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Stow voters

What it does
Charter Issue – Shall Section 3.06, “Acting Mayor”, of the Charter for the City of Stow be amended to read as follows: SECTION 3.06 ACTING MAYOR. President of Council, [deleted: or any member of Council designated by the majority vote of Council, in that order,] shall become the Acting Mayor with all the powers of the Mayor in the event the Mayor, [deleted: or one acting in that capacity for the Mayor,] is temporarily: (a) Absent from the Municipality, (b) Inaccessible, (c) Unable for any cause or reason, to perform the duties of the Mayor, or (d) Until Council elects a Mayor in the event of the vacancy of said office as said procedures are set forth in Section 3.07 herein under. [inserted: In the event that the President of Council, while acting in the capacity of Acting Mayor is temporarily: (a) Absent from the Municipality, (b) Inaccessible, (c) Unable for any cause or reason, to perform the duties of the Mayor, or (d) Until Council elects a Mayor in the event of the vacancy of said office as said procedures are set forth in Section 3.07 herein under, then Council shall choose, by majority vote, a designee from their membership to serve as Acting Mayor.] Any member of Council performing the duties of the Acting Mayor shall relinquish his/her Council voting power on any motion or legislation.
A YES vote means
The Stow Council President would be Acting Mayor when the Mayor is temporarily unable to serve, and if the Council President also cannot serve, Council would choose one of its members by majority vote to be Acting Mayor.
A NO vote means
Stow's Acting Mayor rules would not change.
Needed to pass
A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean
Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

According to the City's election notice, Stow City Council adopted the four ordinances placing Issues 34–37 on the ballot on July 9, 2026. Three of the issues set procedures for temporarily filling the duties of the Mayor, Finance Director and Law Director, and the fourth covers elected officials' pay.

Under the amendment, the President of Council would be Acting Mayor when the Mayor is temporarily absent, inaccessible or unable to serve, or until Council fills a vacancy. If the President of Council cannot serve, Council would choose an acting mayor from its members by majority vote. Any Council member acting as mayor would give up their Council vote on motions and legislation.

Put on the ballot by Stow City Council, July 9, 2026.

From official source 1, official source 2.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Summit County Issue 35 mean?
The Stow Council President would be Acting Mayor when the Mayor is temporarily unable to serve, and if the Council President also cannot serve, Council would choose one of its members by majority vote to be Acting Mayor.
What does a NO vote on Summit County Issue 35 mean?
Stow's Acting Mayor rules would not change.
How many votes does Summit County Issue 35 need to pass?
A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on Summit County Issue 35?
SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?
The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Summit County ballot.

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