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Canton City Council adopts ordinances 19 and 20; advances youth ambassador program and public-safety grants
Summary
Council voted to adopt ordinances 19 and 20 (each recorded as adopted with 10 ayes) and advanced several second readings; discussion included funding for a youth ambassador program, an $80,000 air-pollution appropriation request, and grant-backed purchase of body-worn cameras.
The Canton City Council unanimously adopted ordinance number 19 and ordinance number 20 after moving and seconding each measure and passing roll-call votes recorded as 10 ayes. The meeting also included a finance recess to consider funding items and several second readings for future action.
Why it matters: Ordinance adoptions and appropriations set city policy and spending. The council approved measures that will affect annexation, public-safety equipment, and youth programming and scheduled follow-up committee work.
Votes and formal actions: The council suspended procedural rules to place ordinances 19 and 20 on the agenda and suspended statutory rules for expedited consideration. Ordinance 19 was adopted by roll call and announced as adopted (recorded as "10 ayes"). Ordinance 20, which authorizes the mayor or director of public service to enter into a contract for a 2025 youth ambassador program with Simply Youth LLC and to accept donations, was also adopted by roll call (recorded as "10 ayes").
Funding and program details discussed: During an in-house finance committee recess, staff requested an $80,000 appropriation to the air-pollution control fund to contract an environmental engineer through the Ohio Public Health Association to complete a project scheduled to end in June 2026. The Board of Health had approved the OPHA contract at its April 2025 meeting.
Separately, the council discussed Ordinance 20's proposed youth ambassador program funding. On the record, speakers said the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce pledged $5,000, United Way pledged $5,000, and Start Community Foundation pledged $10,000; council members proposed using $30,000 in city comp-plan dollars to make a $50,000 total to support a first-year ambassador cohort of about 30 students aged 14–15 who would receive stipends paid through Simply Youth. During the discussion a councilor asked whether the total city contribution to Simply Youth was $120,000; that figure was not clarified to a single definitive amount on the record.
Public-safety grant: Council announcements included an ordinance authorizing the mayor or director of public safety to accept $100,855 in grant funds from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services and to enter into contracts to purchase 25 body-worn cameras and associated software and storage from Motorola, subject to procurement law and appropriation adjustments.
What comes next: Several ordinances (21–26) were set for second reading; committee meetings were scheduled for June 2, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. Council members said they would follow up on funding details for the youth ambassador program and on other appropriations in finance committee.
The meeting recorded no further final votes on the second-reading items.
