Stow · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Stow public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Court postage budget increase
Coffey wants to check whether another company could provide courthouse postage before the city locks in another year with Pitney Bowes — the item advanced only as a first reading.
Twinsburg Prosecution Services Contract
Stow will prosecute Munroe Falls' misdemeanor and traffic cases for $15,000 a year over five years, boosting efficiency at Stow Municipal Court.
2027 City Budget Appropriations
The annual appropriation ordinance sets salaries, benefits, and operating costs for every city fund in 2027 — police ($9.4M) and fire ($6.8M) are the largest general fund lines. It stays at first reading while staff finalize a few numbers.
2027 Employee Health and Benefit Renewals
Stow keeps its partially self-funded health plan through 2027, with MMO handling administration ($170,000 cap) and stop-loss coverage ($630,000 cap) for about 225 employees, plus Guardian life, dental, and vision coverage capped at $68,500.
2027 city budget first reading (Ordinance 2026-163)
The 2027 city budget is moving through council with a second reading and no vote yet — final passage still ahead.
City general insurance renewal (property, casualty, cyber)
The city's insurance premium rose 4% to about $399,000 for 2026-27. This is the last year of the current three-year contract, and the city will seek bids for a new one in 2027.
Law Director's departure and Issue 34
Drew Reilly is leaving for the private sector after 4.5 years, and he used his final report to push a ballot issue: Issue 34 would raise the law director's pay, which he says is lower than other attorneys in his own department. Deputy Steve Hooten steps in as acting law director.
2026 Annual Staffing Report and 2027 Positions
The city reported 239 full-time-equivalent employees and floated five new or backfill positions for 2027 — including a long-needed second engineering inspector. Council wants more detail on merit raises before the budget moves ahead.
Moral claim settlement rejected (Ordinance 2026-159)
A resident is claiming $250,000 for vehicle damage he says was caused by city-related debris. The Board of Control recommended denying the claim, but council is moving to settle for the full amount anyway, with a release of all claims required.
Codified ordinances update
Stow's code book is being updated to match new state law, touching traffic rules, dog provisions, cannabis, fireworks, and more.
City debt maturities
Council member Cyle Feldman walked through every major city debt and when it ends — most by 2033-2035, though two water-line loans run to 2047 and 2053. It's a picture of how much borrowing capacity the city has for future projects.
2027 Budget Season Begins
Finance staff are wrapping up the capital budget and meeting with department heads on 2027 operating budgets over the next two weeks.
City phone system replacement
The city is ditching its old PBX phone system for RingCentral's cloud-based VoIP service — about $50,000 a year versus $100,000 now, using existing hardware. Staff can take calls remotely and the system supports texting.
2027 Tax Levies Certified
Council adopted the routine resolution accepting Summit County Budget Commission rates and certifying next year's tax levies to the county.
City building HVAC and window replacements
Aging heating and cooling systems at City Hall, the Community Center, Fox Den Clubhouse, and the Safety Building are being replaced for about $419,000, plus $70,600 for Safety Building windows. The Safety Building boilers are the building's only heat source and parts are obsolete.
City record retention and disposal
Thanks to a charter amendment, the city is updating where ordinances and resolutions get posted: the Library, City Hall, and the Community and Senior Center will replace fire stations as the official notice boards.
2027 Property Tax Levies
The city must certify its tax rates to Summit County every year to collect property taxes. This year's totals 9.50 mills — all within the charter's 10-mill limit, so no vote beyond the 10-mill ceiling.
Municipal energy as a service proposal
A vendor pitched a 25-30 year deal to electrify city buildings and fleets with no upfront cost, but members want a small pilot with benchmarks before any commitment — and don't want Stow to be the first city to sign on.
Charter amendments for Acting Mayor, Finance Director and Law Director
Three separate charter amendments clarify who takes over when the mayor, finance director or law director is absent or incapacitated — prompted by Finance Director Toppin's recent incapacitation. One debate: the finance amendment references an "assistant" director title the city doesn't currently use.
Plans Examiner staffing shortage
Stow has gone two years without an in-house Plans Examiner, slowing building plan reviews and drawing complaints from businesses. The fix: regrade the job to pay grade 13, add a Plans Examiner 2 growth path, and hire Brian Ashurst as Plans Examiner I.
The AMP amphitheater budget overage
The amphitheater broke ground April 12, and the city aims to raise about $1.1 million in sponsorships to pay for the bike trail spur — keeping the whole project debt-free. Only four sponsorship packages are offered, deliberately kept limited to avoid a billboard look.
Community Facility Rental Fee Schedule Update
The council was to adopt an updated rental fee schedule for community facilities effective October 1, with allowed annual increases of up to 10 percent until rates match regional comparables. The item, continued from May 27, did not advance.
Landscaping and Lighting District Assessments for FY 2025-2026
A public hearing was set to continue levying maintenance assessments across nearly thirty landscaping and lighting districts for the coming fiscal year. The hearing did not occur because the meeting was canceled.