Chapter 107: Oaths of Office, Affirmations and Bonds
Section 107.01: Required Oath or Affirmation
A. Persons Required to Take an Oath or Affirmation
- Each of the following County Officers, Directors, and Members of Boards, Commissions, or other Authorities of the County shall, before assuming their respective positions take and subscribe to an oath or affirmation, to be filed and kept in the Office of the Clerk of Council:
a. The Executive;
b. Council Members and Clerk of Council;
c. All County Officers under the County Charter;
d. All Directors of Departments established by the County Charter or pursuant to the Cuyahoga County Code;
e. Members of the Personnel Review Commission; Council Districting Commission; and Charter Review Commission;
f. The Internal Auditor;
g. The Inspector General; and
h. Any person serving in an interim or acting capacity in any of the positions listed in this subsection of the Cuyahoga County Code. - County Employees: All county employees under the jurisdiction of the County Executive and/or Council commencing their employment on or after April 1, 2014 shall sign a written oath or affirmation as part of their new employee paperwork signup, and shall within 60 days of assuming their employment, take the oath or affirmation before a duly authorized person. The written oath or affirmation shall be filed and kept in each employee’s personnel file.
- The Clerk of Council shall transfer to the Department of Human Resources all written oaths or affirmations taken before the effective date of this provision, other than those oaths and affirmations required to be kept by the Clerk of Council pursuant to Section 107.01(A)(1).
B. Form of the Oath or Affirmation
- The oath or affirmation taken by each person required to take an oath or affirmation under Chapter 107 of the Cuyahoga County Code shall be in substantially the following form:
“I, ________________, do solemnly swear [or affirm], that I will support, uphold, and defend the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of the State of Ohio, and the Charter and laws of the County of Cuyahoga, Ohio; that I will faithfully, honestly, diligently, and impartially perform and discharge all of the powers and duties incumbent upon me as __________ in and for the County of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, according to the best of my ability and understanding.”
Sworn to and subscribed before me this ____ day of ____, ________ in the City of _________, County of Cuyahoga, Ohio. - Each person taking an oath may add customarily accepted language at the end of the oath, such as “so help me God.”
C. Persons Entitled to Administer the Oath or Affirmation
The oath or affirmation prescribed in Chapter 107 of the Cuyahoga County Code may be administered by the County Executive, a Council Member or the Clerk of Council, a County Officer under the County Charter, the Director of any Department, a Deputy Director of any Department, the Inspector General, a designee of the Director of Law, a designee of the Director of Human Resources, or by any notary public authorized to administer oaths in the State of Ohio.
(Clerk's Note: Article IX of The Cuyahoga County Charter was amended by the electors on November 5, 2013 to change the name of the Human Resource Commission to the Personnel Review Commission)
(Ordinance Nos. O2014-0005, Enacted 4/8/2014, Effective 4/14/2014; O2013-0014, Enacted 7/9/2013, Effective 7/10/2013; O2011-0001, Enacted 1/3/2011, Effective 1/10/2011)
Section 107.02: Required Bonds
A. Before assuming their respective positions, each of the following County Officers shall give a bond guaranteeing the faithful performance of his or her duties of office, in a form approved by the Director of Law, each in the amount as set forth below, which bonds shall be filed with the County Treasurer:
- The Executive: $25,000.00;
- Council Members: $25,000.00;
- Prosecutor:
a. Official Bond: $100,000.00; and
b. Furtherance of Justice Bond: Not less than official salary; - Director of Law: $10,000.00;
- Sheriff:
a. Official Bond: $50,000.00 ; and
b. Furtherance of Justice Bond: Not less than official salary; - Fiscal Officer: $20,000.00;
- Treasurer: $2,000,000.00;
- Medical Examiner: $50,000.00;
- Clerk of Courts: $40,000.00; and
- Director of Public Works: $10,000.00.
B. Before assuming their respective positions, each of the following County Directors shall be required to give a bond guaranteeing the faithful performance of his or her duties of office, in a form approved by the Director of Law, each in the amount as set forth below, which bonds shall be filed with the County Treasurer:
- Director of Health and Human Services: $10,000.00;
- Director of Internal Auditing: $20,000.00; and
- All directors of county departments established pursuant to the Cuyahoga County Code: $2,000.00.
C. Before assuming their respective positions, each of the following County employees and officials shall be required to give a bond guaranteeing the faithful performance of his or her duties of office, in a form approved by the Director of Law, each in the amount as set forth below, which bonds shall be filed with the County Treasurer:
- Dog Wardens and their Deputies: $2,000.00;
- County Engineer: $10,000.00;
- Probate Judge: $5,000.00;
- County Juvenile Rehabilitation Facility Superintendent: $10,000.00;
- Administrator of the Division of Children and Family Services
a. Official Bond: $5,000.00; and
b. Bond to Probate Court: $5,000.00; - Any other employees as determined by the Director of Law and in the amounts established by the Department of Law.
D. Cost. The expense of all bonds required under Chapter 107 of the Cuyahoga County Code shall be paid from the general fund of Cuyahoga County.
(Ordinance Nos. O2013-0014, Enacted 7/9/2013, Effective 7/10/2013; O2011-0001, Enacted 1/3/2011, Effective 1/10/2011)
Section 107.03: Procedures for Implementation
The Department of Law, through its Division of Risk Management, shall establish procedures and coordinate with the Department of Human Resources and the Clerk of Council to ensure that the requirements of Chapter 107 are satisfied.(Ordinance Nos. O2013-0014, Enacted 7/9/2013, Effective 7/10/2013; O2011-0001, Enacted 1/3/2011, Effective 1/10/2011)
Section 107.04: Requirements for Oaths of Office, Affirmations and Bonds
Chapter 107 of the Cuyahoga County Code shall govern all requirements for oaths of office, affirmations, and the giving of bonds by all Cuyahoga County officials, officers, directors, employees, and members of boards, commissions, committees, or other authorities of the County, and shall supersede any other practices in the County before its enactment or any other requirements under general law.(Ordinance Nos. O2013-0014, Enacted 7/9/2013, Effective 7/10/2013; O2011-0001, Enacted 1/3/2011, Effective 1/10/2011)