Youngstown City Council approves package of purchase orders, tax abatement and expanded cadet positions

Youngstown City Council on Oct. 1 unanimously approved a package of ordinances authorizing purchase orders, a 10-year tax abatement tied to a proposed local investment, an increase in police cadet positions, and several small discretionary expenditures.

The measures were largely advanced under suspension of council rules after being read into the record and passed by 6–0 votes (one member, Samantha Turner, was recorded as absent). Councilman Mike Ray moved most of the actions and council approved them without recorded debate.

Key approvals included ORD-25-325, authorizing a blanket purchase order up to $70,000 for Clemans, Nelson & Associates for labor negotiation and consultation services; ORD-25-326, a blanket PO up to $50,000 to Fairway Ford for police fleet parts and supplies; and ORD-25-327, a PO up to $155,000 to Vance Outdoor Inc. for 150 Glock Model 45 pistols with holsters, optics, lights, training ammunition and targets for qualification of the new pistols. All three ordinances were read, the rules of council were suspended, and each passed by a roll-call vote of yeas 6, nays 0.

Council also approved vehicle and engineering procurements: ORD-25-328 authorizes payment not to exceed $90,000 to Greenwood Chevrolet Austintown for three 2026 Equinox LT vehicles for the Water Department; ORD-25-329 authorizes up to $125,000 for professional services for Madison Ave./service road improvements and a McGuffey–Early traffic signal upgrade.

On economic-development matters, ORD-25-330 authorizes a 75% tax abatement for 10 years for Gulu Electrical Contractors Inc., which the ordinance says has proposed to invest $400,000 to expand operations at 1295 Crescent Street and to hire two full-time employees at the project site. Council approved the abatement as presented.

The council amended its master salary ordinance with ORD-25-331, increasing authorized Police Cadet/Recruit positions from 15 to 30; the ordinance lists an hourly rate of $16.4931 (annualized to $34,305.65). Council also approved ORD-25-332, which increases the budget cap for legal services with Roetzel & Andress from prior authorizations up to a new amount not to exceed $310,000 for calendar year 2025.

Community-development and small-dollar items approved included ORD-25-333 (transfer of $11,000 within the 47th-year CDBG activity funds), ORD-25-334 (removal of listed special assessments per Exhibit A), ORD-25-335 (acceptance of two small right‑of‑way dedications totaling approximately 0.284 acres along Baker Street and McGuffey Road), and several discretionary fund expenditures—ORD-25-336 ($500, First Ward, vendor event catering), ORD-25-337 ($2,000, President of Council discretionary for Holafest), ORD-25-338 ($1,000, Third Ward for parade/tree lighting), ORD-25-339 ($500, Fifth Ward for Holafest) and ORD-25-340 ($1,000, Fifth Ward for the 9th Annual Mahoning Avenue Fall Fest). Each passed by recorded 6–0 votes.

The Committee on Safety’s previously signed-out ORD-25-312—authorizing payment up to $89,384 to Sound Thinking Inc. for the annual maintenance agreement with the ShotSpotter gunshot detection system—was read a second time, the rules were suspended, and the ordinance was placed before council and approved 6–0.

Under communications, council received and filed a series of notices (COM-25-154 through COM-25-162) and recorded requests to speak from Richard Scarsella and Kimberly Anderson. Chief Davis recommended setting Halloween hours for Youngstown on Oct. 31, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.; Mr. Ray moved to set those hours and the motion passed 6–0.

Councilman Mike Ray moved to enter executive session to discuss pending litigation; Anita Davis seconded and roll call recorded yeas 6, nays 0. The meeting moved into executive session at 6:04 p.m. and President Tom Hetrick called the council back into session at 6:30 p.m. The council adjourned after a closing motion by Ray, seconded by Oliver. The minutes were later attested by Clerk Valencia Marrow Thomas.

The council’s next meeting is listed as Oct. 15, 2025, where the minutes were recorded as approved.