Council adopts parks and riverfront capital fund amid split over street funding

Defiance City Council on June 9 adopted an ordinance creating a Parks & Riverfront Capital Improvement Fund (Fund 4075) intended to collect monthly general‑fund transfers and federal and state grants for long‑term park and riverfront projects.

The fund passed on a 4–3 split. During the roll-call-style voice vote, Mr. Engel voted yes; Mr. Wexler, no; Mr. Mass, no; Mrs. Crutch, no; Mr. Hancock, yes; Miss Kaufman, yes; and Mr. Corbett, yes. Council president announced the ordinance adopted with four yes votes.

The ordinance’s sponsor, Miss Sprag, told council the fund will centralize capital dollars for parks and riverfront projects, improve transparency for taxpayers and auditors, and allow the city to receive and hold grant awards (she cited two recent awards for Latty Veterans Park of roughly $315,000 and $120,000). She said the proposed funding plan relies on monthly transfers from the general fund and that Ohio law requires a disclosure of a 10‑year maximum fund capacity; she used a $30,000 monthly example to illustrate how the statute’s maximum is computed.

During more than an hour of debate, several council members pressed for stronger, explicit protections or commitments to address local streets and smaller city roads. Mr. Waxley, a council member, said he supports parks but "until we have one for the streets, I just can't vote for this thing," urging either a separate streets capital ordinance or a clear budget line that ensures accumulated funds will be used for paving local roads.

Proponents responded that paying down scheduled debts in the city’s existing capital (403) fund will free roughly $200,000–$500,000 a year that can be redirected toward streets and other projects. Mayor McCann and other supporters also argued parks and riverfront improvements deliver broader economic and quality‑of‑life benefits that justify a designated capital fund and noted that transfers can be adjusted during the annual budget and by the December final transfer action.

Daniel Gray, a member of the public who identified himself during the meeting, asked how the parks fund would be justified to voters given an unrelated ballot measure he believed would prohibit new levies; council members disagreed on whether that ballot issue would appear, with staff noting petitioners recently reported insufficient signatures.

The ordinance establishes Fund 4075 and sets the framework for how transfers and grant receipts will be handled going forward; specific annual transfer amounts and the 2027 street list and costs will be addressed during the city’s next budget process. The council scheduled an executive session on an unrelated economic development applicant following the public meeting.

Vote at a glance: ordinance creating Parks & Riverfront Capital Improvement Fund (Fund 4075) — adopted, recorded responses: Engel yes; Wexler no; Mass no; Crutch no; Hancock yes; Kaufman yes; Corbett yes.