Galion City Council approves salary ordinances, emergency appropriations and airport contracts

Galion City Council approved five ordinances at its meeting, adopting salary schedules for elected officials and council members, authorizing emergency appropriations, and approving bid and contract authority for two airport projects.

The council passed Ordinance No. 2025-13 on third reading, which amends Ordinance No. 2013-53 to set salaries and fringe benefits for the mayor, auditor, treasurer, law director and president of council for terms beginning Jan. 1, 2026. Council Member Jerry Richard moved to pass the ordinance; Council Member Palmer seconded. The roll call vote recorded unanimous support.

Council Member Kent Mercurio moved to pass Ordinance No. 2025-14, which amends Ordinance No. 2013-54 to establish salaries for council members beginning Jan. 1, 2026; the motion was seconded by Council Member Bodkin and approved by roll call.

The council also approved Ordinance No. 2025-17, an amendment to Ordinance No. 2024-86 (permanent appropriations) that the packet shows as emergency legislation. According to council discussion, Section 3 is a donation to the fire department; Section 4 creates a new audit-office budget line for state capital funding; Section 5 moves funds originally budgeted for a street sweeper to pay for a sanitary sewer flow monitor tied to an EPA mandate; and Section 6 appropriates local-share funds for a stormwater project to meet grant deadlines. Council moved to suspend the rules to treat the ordinance as an emergency and then passed the ordinance on roll call.

Two airport ordinances were considered together. Ordinance No. 2025-18 authorizes the safety-service director to advertise for bids and enter contracts for an airport access road and parking lot rehabilitation; the council amended the ordinance to set Section 2 at $509,863 (plus or minus 20 percent) to reflect updated amounts in the packet, then suspended the rules because of FAA grant timelines and passed the amended ordinance. Ordinance No. 2025-19 authorizes bids and contracts for replacement of the rotating beacon and the wind cone at the airport; the council amended the base amount to $125,000, suspended the rules and passed the ordinance.

All recorded roll-call votes on the five ordinances were affirmative in the transcript minutes.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance No. 2025-13 (amend Ordinance No. 2013-53; salaries for mayor, auditor, treasurer, law director, president of council; third reading): Motion to pass by Council Member Jerry Richard; second by Council Member Palmer. Roll call: unanimous yes. Outcome: approved.

- Ordinance No. 2025-14 (amend Ordinance No. 2013-54; council member salaries; third reading): Motion to pass by Council Member Kent Mercurio; second by Council Member Bodkin. Roll call: unanimous yes. Outcome: approved.

- Ordinance No. 2025-17 (amend Ordinance No. 2024-86; appropriations transfers; emergency): Motion to suspend rules and treat as emergency by Council Member George; motion to pass by Council Member Palmer; roll-call approval unanimous. Key provisions: donation to fire department (Section 3); new audit-office line for state capital funding (Section 4); reallocation for sanitary sewer flow monitor tied to an EPA mandate (Section 5); local-share stormwater appropriation (Section 6). Outcome: approved as emergency.

- Ordinance No. 2025-18 (authorize advertising for bids and entering contracts for airport access road and parking lot rehabilitation; emergency): Council amended Section 2 to $509,863 (±20%); suspended rules because of FAA grant deadlines; motion to pass by Jerry Richard; second by Council Member George; roll-call approval unanimous. Outcome: approved as amended and as emergency.

- Ordinance No. 2025-19 (authorize bids and contracts for rotating beacon and wind cone at the airport; emergency): Council amended the base amount to $125,000; suspended rules; motion to pass by Council Member Palmer; second by Kent Mercurio; roll-call approval unanimous. Outcome: approved as amended and as emergency.

The agenda packet included amendment sheets with updated dollar amounts for Ordinances 2025-18 and 2025-19; council members referenced tight federal deadlines (FAA grants) and an EPA requirement tied to the sanitary-sewer monitoring purchase when discussing the emergency appropriations.

The council moved on to reports and other business after the votes.