Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance Annexation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Canton officials press Perry Township on JED terms and signal annexation requirement for new water service
Summary
Mayor Scherer and council described a disputed 2023 Joint Economic Development (JED) agreement with Perry Township, said the JED contained unfavorable terms for both communities, and announced a policy that will require annexation when a property requests city water and annexation is legally permissible. Public commenters from Perry expressed concern about property values and the JED's 50-year term.
City leaders told residents that ongoing disagreements over a 2023 Joint Economic Development (JED) agreement with Perry Township have prompted formal steps to protect Canton taxpayers and require annexation in certain circumstances.
Mayor Scherer outlined the history and said the existing JED "predates myself and my administration" and contained language he described as "poorly written and quite frankly was a bad deal for both the residents of Perry Township and the city of Canton." He said the agreement allocated 0.5% income tax revenue to the township while the city received 2% from the project and did not specify which party was responsible for providing water to the data center site. He said multiple good-faith attempts to renegotiate were rebuffed and the township's attorney filed litigation related to a Chick-fil-A annexation; the city withdrew that annexation to resolve the litigation.
At the meeting council signaled a policy direction: when a property voluntarily requests city water service and annexation is legally permissible, annexation will be required as part of the request. Council framed the approach as protecting Canton taxpayers and ensuring parties that benefit from city services contribute on the same terms as city residents.
Public commenters from Perry Township raised concerns. Lorinda Johnson, who identified herself as a Perry Township resident and Canton water customer, said transfers of water service have made residents worry about property values and asked officials to prioritize humane dialogue. Dan Fonte, a Ward 8 resident who said he supports annexation overall, questioned the process used when a JED contains very long terms and asked whether council members were aware of a 50-year (renewable) term when the agreement was approved. Council members said the renewal is not automatic and noted the JED is scheduled to expire on 12/31/2072 unless legislative action to decline renewal is taken; staff were urged to draft notice language should the city decide not to renew.
Council emphasized the city's interest in ensuring that when residents or property owners seek city services, fiscal responsibility and legal eligibility for annexation will guide decisions. The discussion concluded with council asking law and service staff to prepare follow-up options and draft legislative language where appropriate.
