Twinsburg Council Affirms Flock Cameras, Approves Fire Captains Contract and Hires New Auditor

Twinsburg City Council packed a lot into Sept. 22. Members voted on license plate cameras, a firefighter contract and a new audit firm. The night included a caucus, a Finance Committee session and the regular meeting. Here is a look at what happened, sorted by topic. Public Safety Council Affirms Flock Safety Agreement on a 6 to 1 Vote Council voted 6 to 1 to adopt Resolution 2026-111, which affirms the city's action to enter an agreement with Flock Safety. Ward 5 Councilman Greg Bellan cast the lone no vote. The city signed a five year agreement in 2025 at a cost of $30,000 a year. Police Chief Tom Mason and Lt. Bob Waltz briefed council members on the system before the meeting. No residents spoke on the issue during audience participation. Ward 4 Councilman David Post said he expected more public comment. Safeguards Cited by Supporters Ward 3 Councilwoman Karen Labbe pointed to a transparency portal linked from the city website. She said it lets residents see roughly 60 searches from the last 30 days and the reason for each one. The portal redacts the license plate and the person who ran the search. At large Councilman Shaun Castillo said Waltz personally audits the searches every 30 days. He also said the system alerts police only when a plate produces a hit. Post said the city limits who can use the system, and that safety drove his vote. Mayor Sam Scaffide told council he hopes members support the cameras. He said they have helped solve crimes in Twinsburg. He added that he has not heard solid evidence that Flock has misused anyone's information. Questions About Privacy and the Contract The member who voted no said he trusts the police department to use the technology responsibly. He said he is uneasy about government routinely collecting data on people who are not suspected of a crime. Most residents who contacted him opposed the cameras, he said, though that did not decide his vote. Castillo raised questions about the contract rather than the technology. He asked what the city would owe if Ohio or the federal government imposed a moratorium. He noted that state legislation has been introduced. He had asked to see the full contract. City officials said the law director would be asked to answer. Fire Captains Get a Three Year Contract Council approved Ordinance 2026-113 by a 7 to 0 vote as an emergency. It is a three year contract with Twinsburg Fire Fighters Local 3630, International Association of Fire Fighters, on behalf of the fire captains. Members suspended the three reading rule so the contract could be processed quickly. Finance Director Christina Conway presented the deal for the law director. She said the unit has three members and the talks were short. The captains wanted to match items already negotiated with firefighters and lieutenants. The contract includes: A larger comp time bank, equal to the increase given to firefighters and lieutenants An increase to light duty, matching their counterparts A $50 increase to the uniform allowance A wage differential over lieutenants that rises from 11.25 percent to 12 percent Police Back at Full Staff Scaffide said the city swore in a new police officer Sept. 21, bringing the department to full staff. He said the city is working toward the same goal for the fire department. Finance and Taxes New Audit Firm Chosen for Five Years Council adopted Resolution 2026-114 by a 7 to 0 vote as an emergency. It authorizes a five year agreement with Zupka & Associates to audit the city's financial statements for 2026 through 2030. The city had to submit the agreement to the Auditor of State by Sept. 29. Conway explained that the state auditor's office told the city it lacked the time and staff to audit Twinsburg for another year. The state then sent a request for proposals to its pre qualified firms. The state gets 94 of 100 scoring points. The city gets six. Five other firms also submitted proposals. Conway said she chose Zupka & Associates based on its strong ratings and a favorable price. The agreement includes an option to extend for five more years. Furey noted the city has used the same auditor for 11 years. Tax Levies and Tax Advance Approved Council passed Ordinance 2026-101 by a 7 to 0 vote as an emergency. The yearly measure accepts the tax rates set by the Summit County Budget Commission for 2026, collected in 2027. The total is 3.0 mills and is estimated to raise $2,344,810. That includes 0.3 mill each for the police and fire pension funds, worth about $283,214 apiece. Members also approved Ordinance 2026-102 by a 7 to 0 vote as an emergency. It lets the city receive its local tax money in advance from the Summit County fiscal officer. Capital Improvements Board Recommendations The Finance Committee heard the Capital Improvements Board's recommendations. The board's chairman walked members through the list. Most items passed 4 to 0, including about $1.2 million in spending from the Landing development account. That covers trees, a City Hall p