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Organizers seek funds for Yo Spotlight summer concerts; nonprofit clarifies "welcoming" designation
Summary
Two public commenters told Youngstown council members about a free summer concert series that draws mostly seniors and asked for modest funding support; Thrive Mahoning Valley urged the council to distinguish certified 'welcoming' status from 'sanctuary city' policies and cited economic data on immigrants' contributions.
At the start of the meetingDeborah Benton described the Yo Spotlight Concert Summer Series, which runs Wednesdays from noon to 2 p.m. at Spring Commons Park, and asked the council for additional participation and modest discretionary support to help the event start July 8. "We average around 200 to, 300 people each week," Benton said, adding that many attendees are over 50 and that newly seeded grass at Spring Commons may not be established in time for the series' opening.
Benton said the series is entering its sixth year and emphasized its role as a free, intergenerational community gathering that gives local musicians a stage. She noted that the park renovation is ongoing and asked council members to consider small funding assistance so patrons, some of whom are elderly, would not have to sit on bare soil.
Vicky Vickers, director of operations at Thrive Mahoning Valley, spoke next and told council members there has been "deliberate confusion" conflating a certified welcoming designation with sanctuary-city policies. "They are not the same," Vickers said, explaining that the certified welcoming process assesses local efforts to include immigrants in civic and economic life and does not require limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Vickers cited data to support her remarks: she told the council that immigrants in Ohio earned $27,300,000,000 in income and paid $7,300,000,000 in federal, state and local taxes in 2023, citing the American Immigration Council. She said Thrive Mahoning Valley is leading a newcomers network and an immigration law center to improve access to trusted legal services in the region and urged council members to engage with facts and support the work of local organizations assisting newcomers.
Councilman Oliver thanked Vickers for drawing a distinction between the two concepts. No formal action was taken; both speakersBenton seeking event funding and Vickers providing policy clarificationwere thanked by the council.
