Council appoints Cynthia McWilson to Sixth Ward seat after executive session

Cynthia McWilson was appointed to the vacant Sixth Ward seat by the Youngstown City Council on March 4, 2026, following an executive session and a roll-call vote that ended 4–2 in her favor.

Council moved into executive session to discuss personnel and the Sixth Ward appointment after Councilman Ray made the motion and it was seconded. The clerk recorded a roll-call vote of six yays, zero nays, to enter executive session; the record lists the executive session beginning at 6:10 p.m. and the public meeting resuming at 7:06 p.m.

When council reconvened, Councilwoman White nominated Janet Tarpley for the vacancy; that nomination was defeated in the first roll call, which recorded two yays and four nays. Councilman Oliver then nominated Cynthia McWilson; after nominations were closed, the roll call recorded four yays and two nays and the president declared McWilson duly appointed to the Sixth Ward.

McWilson had addressed the council earlier in the meeting while seeking appointment. "My name is Cynthia McWilson, and I humbly stand here before you asking for your support and express my interest in filling the unexpired term of the sixth Ward City Council," she said, citing decades of local civic involvement and priorities including community policing, responsible development, city services and transparency.

The appointment was procedural: the council made the selection and declared McWilson appointed during the public meeting. The transcript does not specify an immediate swearing-in or subsequent administrative steps; those details were not provided on the record.

The council record shows the nomination and voting sequence and the vote counts for each roll-call recorded on the transcript.