Norton City Council waives third reading on tax-advance resolution, adopts amended zone-administrator ordinance with $89,000 salary

NORTON, Ohio — The Norton City Council on Feb. 2 voted to ask the county fiscal officer to advance tax collections from the 2025 tax year and adopted an amended ordinance that sets a $89,000 annual salary for a zone-administrator position.

Council first considered resolution 5-20-26, a request to the county fiscal officer to advance 2025 tax collections payable in 2026 pursuant to Ohio Revised Code section 321.34. The council voted to waive the third reading and then adopted the resolution by roll call.

President (unnamed in the transcript) moved to adopt resolution 5-20-26; the motion passed on recorded roll-call votes with council members registering affirmative responses.

On a separate item, Mister Lukens offered amended language to ordinance 2-20-26 — the zone-administrator position description — proposing the city add specific duties and set pay. “The annual salary rate shall be 89,000 per year,” Lukens said when presenting the amendment. The council voted to amend the ordinance to include that language and to attach the revised job description as an exhibit. After the amendment, the council proceeded to adopt ordinance 2-20-26 on its third reading by roll call.

Several other items were introduced for first reading and will return for later votes. Those included:
- Ordinance 14-20-26: authorizing the mayor to enter a contract with the Summit County Legal Defenders Office for 2026 (the contract language in the packet notes a maximum cost of $250 per case).
- Ordinance 15-20-26: acceptance of a NOPEC energized community grant (previous awards were noted around $7,500 and the funds were used for community-center improvements).
- Ordinance 16-20-26: transfers from the general fund to departmental budgets for calendar year 2026.
- Ordinance 20-20-26: an agreement with Lake Erie Construction Company for guardrail repair on State Routes 585 and 21, estimated at $12,215; council noted the city has submitted an insurance claim and expects reimbursement.

The council also read several second-reading items, including a replat (ordinance 6-20-26), an easement with PPG Industries (ordinance 10-20-26) and a measure declaring certain city properties no longer needed (ordinance 11-20-26).

Council set the next meeting and public hearing schedule: on Feb. 17 the council will hold a public hearing on agricultural-district applications. At the meeting President also noted the Planning Commission is preparing a recommendation on a proposed cannabis dispensary and will provide packets to council members.

The meeting adjourned following the day's business.