Canton City Council adopts 2025 appropriations with bridge amendment and approves a slate of ordinances

Canton City Council on March 24, 2025, adopted its 2025 annual appropriations ordinance and a package of routine ordinances, approving an amendment that adds $40,000 to a 4th Street bridge project and reallocates capital funds for road and building repairs.

Leader Mariel moved to adopt the appropriations ordinance, and councilmembers approved the amendment — which shifts $40,000 from comprehensive plan funds into fund 4501 for the 4th Street bridge project — before adopting Ordinance 21 as amended by roll call vote. "We've added $40,000 to that one," an agency official explained during the amendment discussion.

Council also voted to suspend statutory rules and adopt Ordinance 20, authorizing the clerk to certify unpaid and delinquent building-and-code charges for board-ups, cleanups and demolitions; the item cleared on second reading and was adopted as an emergency. Staff reported the January list totaled $41,007.60; the February total was unclear in the transcript.

In a separate capital reallocation tied to Ordinance 22, council agreed to reassign $900,000 from the Harter Heights project that came in under budget: $600,000 is earmarked for a Cleveland Avenue concrete repair project and $300,000 will go to building maintenance after unexpected basement remediation work, according to the presentation to council. Council adopted that ordinance as amended.

The council also approved a series of other measures by unanimous vote, including:

- Ordinance 23: authorizing purchase/lease solicitations for one cargo van, one pickup, a single-axle dump truck and a finish mower; adopted by roll call (11 ayes). - Ordinance 26: change orders with Winger Excavating, not to exceed $649,996.95, for Fourth Street sanitary sewer improvements; adopted by roll call (11 ayes). - Ordinance 27: final change order with HR Gray and Associates for Allen Avenue sanitary sewer replacement, not to exceed $137,533; adopted by roll call (11 ayes). - Ordinance 30: change order with H.M. Miller Construction not to exceed $971,135.52 for Allen Avenue sanitary sewer work; adopted by roll call (11 ayes). - Ordinance 31: contract with the Canton Board of Health and renovation change order at the Sears Building under FY23 COVID-19 grant funds; adopted by roll call (11 ayes).

An informal resolution confirming Darren Maley's appointment to the Tax Incentive Review Board was adopted by voice vote earlier in the meeting.

Most votes were unanimous (11 yeas on recorded roll calls), and council concluded the evening by announcing committee meeting dates and adjourning. The meeting packet listed other first-read ordinances (numbers 12–17) for referral to committees and additional planning and grant-related ordinances for future action.

Council did not take additional public-action votes on policing or community centers during this meeting; those issues were raised by multiple public commenters during the public speaks portion and are recorded separately.