Council Meeting: Twinsburg City Council Elects New Leaders, Welcomes K‑9 Beny, Advances 2026 Budget

TWINSBURG, Ohio – The Dec. 2 Twinsburg City Council meeting marked a changing of the gavel, the formal introduction of the city’s newest K‑9 team, and continued work on the 2026 budget and other key legislation for the community. The Twinsburg City Council met at City Hall following an earlier Finance Committee session that continued budget discussions for the coming year.

Twinsburg City Council Sets 2026 Leadership and Committees

The meeting opened with outgoing Council President David Post calling the session to order and then overseeing the annual reorganization required by the city charter.

Council unanimously elected Ward 5 representative Greg Bellan as the new council president for 2026. Post, who led council through 2025, nominated Bellan and later received a plaque recognizing his year of service.

“The City of Twinsburg wishes to thank David Post for his service as president of the Twinsburg City Council in 2025,” Bellan read from the plaque as he presented it. Several colleagues praised Post for keeping “law and order” in the council chambers and for the way he managed meetings throughout the year.

Council then chose Ward 3 representative Karen Labbe as vice president. Both leadership votes were 7–0.

Bellan also announced the 2026 committee assignments, which keep all seven members engaged across multiple boards and commissions:

• Chuck Bonacci – Architectural Review Board, Public Safety, Fitness Advisory
• Greg Bellan – Finance, Public Works, Public Safety, School Board Relations
• Daisy Walker – JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion), Public Safety, Fitness Advisory
• Bill Furey – Finance, Public Works, Tax Incentive Review
• Karen Labbe – Planning Commission, Finance, Volunteer Firemen
• Shaun Castillo – Board of Zoning Appeals, Public Works, Capital Improvements
• David Post – Environmental Commission, Parks & Recreation, School Board Relations

New at‑large council member Shaun Castillo participated in his first full meeting, thanking colleagues and residents for the opportunity to serve and saying he’s eager to “jump into” his assigned committees.

K‑9 Beny Joins Twinsburg Police Department

One of the night’s most visible moments came when the Twinsburg Police Department introduced its newest K‑9 team: Officer Maggie Hunter and K‑9 Beny.

Police Chief (speaking at the podium) explained that Beny is the city’s sixth police dog since 1995 and will work alongside the department’s existing K‑9, Caesar. With a typical seven‑ to eight‑year service life for police dogs, city officials began planning to add a new K‑9 while Caesar nears retirement, with the option to expand the program in the future.

Hunter, a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year department veteran with a military and medical background, described nine weeks of intensive training with Beny. The team earned certification in:

• Narcotics detection
• Suspect apprehension
• Building searches

Beny, a year‑and‑a‑half‑old dog from Czechoslovakia, currently weighs about 72 pounds and is expected to grow another 10 to 15 pounds. Hunter noted that late in the training they focused on teaching Beny not only to “bite” on command but also to reliably release when told.

She also publicly thanked Twinsburg residents Jim and Louise Sussnick, whose donation through the K‑9 Brady Fund paid for Beny’s protective vest.

Council members and Mayor Sam Scaffide welcomed the team, calling the K‑9 unit an “invaluable tool” for public safety and thanking residents for supporting the program.

Budget, Cybersecurity and Employee Pay Move Forward

The Dec. 2 Twinsburg City Council meeting followed a Finance Committee work session earlier that evening, where members continued their deep dive into the 2026 operating budget.

During the regular meeting, council moved through a slate of legislation, much of it tied to financial planning and city operations:

• Ordinance 115‑2025 – The 2026 Permanent Appropriation Ordinance, covering ordinary and necessary expenses for the fiscal year ending Dec. 31, 2026, advanced on second reading.
• Ordinance 116‑2025 – A new citywide cybersecurity policy for Twinsburg also remained on second reading, signaling that council will continue to review details before final passage.
• Ordinance 117‑2025 – An ordinance affirming the annual wage increase for full‑time non‑bargaining employees effective Jan. 1, 2026, likewise stayed on second reading.

Council left several other measures on second reading as well, including:

• Ordinance 118‑2025 – Updating Chapter 111 (“Council”) to provide council clothing allowances and the authority to grant outgoing elected officials a lifetime individual fitness center membership and/or their city‑issued electronic device.
• Ordinance 120‑2025 – Accepting the bid of AMS Landscaping LLC for the Waterford Pond Dredging Phase 1 project, an infrastructure effort that will address sediment buildup and improve stormwater management.

New items received a first reading, including:

• Resolution 121‑2025 – Confirming the reappointment of Sheila Williams to represent Twinsburg on the Summit County Combined General Health District Board of Health for a term running from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2029.
• Ordinance 122‑2025 – Accepting the bid of Fioritto Construction LLC for the Liberty Road Culvert Extension Project, another key piece of the city’s stormwater and roadway infrastructure work.
• Resolution 123‑2025 – Authorizing a one‑year agreement with the City of Stow in which the Stow Law Department will continue providing prosecutorial services for Twinsburg cases heard in Stow Municipal Court.

The only piece of legislation adopted on Dec. 2 was:

• Resolution 113‑2025 – Council passed this measure as an emergency, authorizing Mayor Scaffide to execute a revised Summit County Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding for the county’s Direct Indictment Program. The emergency clause allows Twinsburg to stay aligned with countywide criminal justice procedures without delay.

Liquor Permits Approved for Darrow Road Businesses

Under unfinished business and new business, council unanimously approved two routine liquor‑permit motions tied to Darrow Road businesses:

1. Transfer of an existing permit

   • Council voted not to oppose the transfer of a liquor permit from Sunner & Sohal to M&D 9224, LLC at the existing liquor store location on Darrow Road and authorized the clerk to notify the Ohio Division of Liquor Control.

2. New permit for a smoke outlet

   • Council also took no position opposing a new liquor permit for E&V 9224 Inc. Smoke Outlet, also on Darrow Road, and authorized the clerk to submit the required form to state regulators.

Council members briefly clarified that the transfer involves the current Twinsburg liquor store changing ownership, while the new permit is for a smoke shop in the same commercial area but operating as a separate business.

Mayor and Council Reflect on 2025, Look Ahead to 2026

During reports, several members reflected on the year and the recent swearing‑in ceremony for Bellan, Post, and Castillo.

Mayor Sam Scaffide thanked Post for a well‑run year as council president and congratulated Bellan and Labbe on their new leadership roles, saying he looks forward to continuing what he called a strong working relationship between the administration and council.

Committee updates were brief:

• The Finance Committee wrapped up this round of budget talks, with its next meeting set for Jan. 27 at 6 p.m.
• The next JEDI meeting is scheduled for Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.
• The Architectural Review Board is slated to meet Thursday at 6 p.m. in council chambers.
• Parks & Recreation continues seasonal programming, including Cookies with Santa, Light the Night, and a Senior Holiday event.
• The Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) will meet Dec. 4 at 4:30 p.m. to discuss a downtown beautification grant program.

There was no audience participation and no department head reports at this meeting. Law Director Matt Vazzana closed his remarks by congratulating the three council members who had just taken their oaths of office and offering procedural assistance to the new leadership team.

Council adjourned at 8:13 p.m., with its next caucus and regular meeting set for the following Tuesday.