Canton council adopts fact-finder's police contract report, citing $2.02 million cost over three years

Canton City Council on March 10 adopted an ordinance accepting the fact-finder's report on the collective bargaining agreement between the City of Canton and the Canton Police Patrolmen Association Local 98, after an in-house personnel committee review.

Leader Mariel moved to adopt Ordinance No. 16, and after committee discussion the council returned to the full body and approved the measure by recorded vote. The finance briefing identified the fact-finder's recommended total wage cost as $2,018,000 over a three-year period.

The personnel committee met in recess to hear clarifying questions and to confirm the figures. A finance staff member told the panel: "It's 2,018,000 over a 3 year period of time." After reconvening, the council suspended rules to place Ordinance 16 on the agenda and suspended statutory rules before the final adoption vote. The clerk recorded 12 yeas; the motion carried and Ordinance 16 was adopted approving the fact-finder's report.

Council members did not record dissent in the roll call on the final adoption. The council president explained the procedure before the vote: the first vote would be to approve the fact-finder report; failure would require a different ordinance. No alternate motion was pursued.

What this means going forward: adopting the fact-finder's report does not by itself publish all contract details in the meeting record; it authorizes the city to proceed according to the fact-finder's terms and the city's administrative processes for implementation and budgeting. Finance staff indicated the figure is the total wage impact over three years; additional implementation costs or offsets, if any, were not specified during the public discussion.

The council adopted a number of other ordinances later in the evening and adjourned after setting committee meeting dates.