Akron council refers $368 million 2025 capital investment and community development program for further review

Akron City Council opened a public hearing on Jan. 27, 2025, on the proposed 2025 capital investment and community development program and voted to refer the proposal for further review ahead of the Feb. 15 charter deadline.

The proposed program, as presented by city planning staff, totals $368,000,000 and lists projects including street and sidewalk work, park and community center improvements, construction of a reservoir pool and renovation of the reservoir community center, demolition of Rankin Elementary and Goodrich Middle Schools, development of affordable housing, purchase of vehicles for police, fire and public services, debt service on previously financed capital projects, completion of the East Exchange complete-street project, ongoing water and sewer upgrades, and replacement of the remaining 1,700 active lead service lines in the city of Akron. Planning and city staff reviewed the capital budget on Jan. 6 and again on Jan. 13, 2025.

Planning staff provided a funding breakdown in the presentation: $84,700,000 in local funds, $1,700,000 in regional resources, $240,900,000 from the State of Ohio, $35,500,000 in federal funds and $5,000,000 in private resources. Per the city charter, the capital budget must be passed by Feb. 15, 2025.

At the public hearing, community organizer Fran Wilson urged the council to increase support for emergency shelter operations, saying the shelter allocation in the proposed budget matched last year’s amount despite what she described as a doubling or tripling of the unhoused population in some demographics. "I just wanted to highlight that our unhoused population has doubled or tripled in some demographics and that I hope that we can start to look at bolstering," Wilson said.

Wilson also noted that housing and community services comprise about 2% of the proposed budget and said ward meeting feedback showed housing and community services accounted for the largest share of citizen comments (34 percent). She asked the city to seek additional federal, state, local and private funds and for the administration to publish more detail on outstanding bonds and private contributions listed in the budget.

An additional commenter with a background in volunteer emergency services urged adding an emergency communications vehicle to the capital program, saying it would be well used by the city.

After public comment, Councilman Fusco moved to refer the item for further consideration. Council members present recorded their support during the committee vote. The committee report to refer the item was adopted.

The hearing record shows the administration expects adjustments to the capital program between presentation and formal adoption; staff described the budget as the product of an ongoing, yearlong process that typically undergoes changes before introduction and passage.

Council and staff emphasized there is still time for public input before the charter deadline on Feb. 15, 2025.