From the Desk of

Akron City Council President

Greetings!

Akron is moving — and you deserve a front-row seat.

Welcome to the Akron City Council Legislative Spotlight, your direct line to the decisions, debates, and developments happening right now at City Hall. No fluff. No runaround. Just the real work your Council is doing — for you, your block, and this city we all call home.

What’s Inside This Issue

Every Spotlight is packed with what matters most:

Legislative Updates — The ordinances and resolutions on the table, and what they mean for your daily life.

Council in Action — Your representatives, ward by ward, fighting for the neighborhoods that make Akron great.

Akron Community Hub — Local events, community news, and ways to make your voice heard.

Why It Matters

City Hall shouldn’t feel like a mystery. When you know what’s happening, you can shape what comes next. Informed neighbors become engaged neighbors — and engaged neighbors build stronger communities.

Whether we’re talking infrastructure, public safety, housing, or economic opportunity, the Spotlight keeps you plugged in and ready to act.

One Small Ask



If this newsletter speaks to you, share it. Forward it to a neighbor. Post it on your block’s Facebook group. Tag a friend who needs to know what’s happening in Akron. And if someone shared this with you — subscribe here so you never miss an issue.

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Now — let’s get into it. Here’s what your Council has been up to. 

                                           Sincerely,

                                                             Margo Sommerville 

                                 Council President

                                                   Ward 3 Council Member

Proposed Charter Amendments

In August, three separate sets of petitions were submitted to the Clerk of Council that seek to amend the Charter of the City of Akron. The signatures on each of these sets of petitions have been reviewed by the Board of Elections, and each petition met the threshold for submission to the voters pursuant to Section 136 of the Charter. 

Because these petitions were sufficient, Council met in a special session on Monday, August 31, 2026 to pass legislation ordering the submission of these proposed Charter amendments to the voters. The passage of the legislation was a procedural requirement of Council and does not necessarily represent an endorsement of each issue.

You will see these issues on the ballot November 3rd:

Issue 11: Shall the Charter of the City of Akron be amended to enact Section 101b so as to require property owners or operators to permit security deposits for residential rentals to be paid over three or six month periods; to require operators to inform tenants or prospective tenants of their right to make security deposit payments over three or six months; criminalizing the failure to provide the notification; banning fees, charges, deposits or other payments prior to executing rental agreements for residential rental properties; and criminalizing the collection of an application fee for residential rentals?

Issue 12: Shall the Charter of the City of Akron be amended to enact Section 100a to add the City of Akron's existing codified anti-discrimination protections in the Charter; to, with exceptions for sex offenders and arson offenders, prohibit owners and operators from declining to rent to, or engage in real estate transaction with, an individual on the basis of that individual's criminal history such as arrests,

convictions, incarceration; making individuals with criminal histories a protected class similar to race, gender, sexual orientation, and other existing protected classes as it relates to renting, home sales, and other real estate transactions; giving Akron Civil Rights Commission jurisdiction over all real estate discrimination claims arising in Akron; and requiring City Council to enact implementing legislation within ninety (90) days of the effective date of this amendment?

Issue 13: Shall Section 68a of the Charter of the City of Akron be amended to change the composition and board member-appointment process of the citizen's police oversight board by reducing the number of members appointed by City Council and requiring the Board to select one-third of its own members from a preselected list provided by a committee comprised of individuals who are members of a “qualifying civil rights organization”; to establish procedures and timing requirements for the Mayor, Chief of Police, and City Council to respond to recommendations made by the Office of the Independent Police Auditor; to explicitly authorize the Office of the Independent Police Auditor to issue subpoenas compelling production of records in the possession of public or private entities or individuals; and to authorize the Office of Independent Police Auditor to compel attendance and testimony from private citizens and public employees?

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311- Akron's One Call to City Hall

If you have a specific city issue that you'd like to see resolved (a pothole, water leak, tree down, missed trash collection, etc.), you can enter it in the online system, call 311, or download

the "MyAkron311" app.

The app is available for free on all Apple or Android devices in the app store.

After downloading, residents can create a profile, enter a service request, look up timely city information, and set up notifications specific to their address such as trash/recycling collection reminders.

Public Comment Period

A public comment period is held at each regularly scheduled Council meeting, where up to ten (10) members of the public may address Council on matters within Council's authority. No member of the public shall be permitted to address Council during the public comment period more than once every 30 days.

Those who wish to participate in the public comment period of a regular Council meeting need to submit a public comment form by 4:00 p.m. on the date of the meeting.

The sign-up form is available here.

This brief video demonstrates how to fill out the form.

For those that do not have a mobile device/computer to utilize, or need additional assistance, Council staff is available to help.

Signing up is a requirement of Council Rules, similar to other bodies.

Chairperson

The member of Council who presides over a particular committee and its meetings. In the absence of the chairperson, the vice- chairperson shall preside over the committee.