SALEM — City council will consider a request to support a bond issue for Shepherd of the Valley.

During city council’s meeting Tuesday Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey members that Shepherd of the Valley requested city council hold a meeting of the committee of the whole prior to their next regular meeting to discuss supporting a possible bond to help finance the construction of its upcoming facility in the city and to host a public hearing after that meeting. As a nonprofit, Shepherd of the Valley legally cannot seek the bond without it being routed through a government agency like a city or port authority.

Dickey said that if the city council decided to move forward with supporting a bond that the city would hold no liability towards its repayment, similarly to when the city supported a $65 million bond for the Salem Regional Medical Center in 2022. City Law Director Brooke Zellers further clarified that Shepherd was seeking a $100 million bond, reiterating that since it would be “a pass-through bond” that the city would not incur any liability. Zellers also said that he had already been in contact with Shepherd of the Valley’s bond council and would have legislation ready for the members of city council to review prior to the committee meeting.

The requested committee of the whole meeting was later set for 6 p.m. Oct. 21, with a public hearing to follow at 6:45 p.m. prior to the city council’s next meeting.

Council also held the first reading of a new ordinance levying motor vehicle license taxes for the city of Salem in both Columbiana and Mahoning County which, once passed, will raise the city’s permissive license tax to the maximum amount allowed under revised code. Meaning that starting Jan. 1, 2027 city residents living in Columbiana County will see a $15 increase, while those in Mahoning County will see a $10 increase for a new total of $20 per vehicle in addition to the annual registration fee charged by the state. Dickey explained that while the city council previously approved an ordinance that would have implemented the same increases in its prior meeting on Sept. 15, that it had been rejected due to its inclusion of the emergency clause and that a new ordinance would need to be approved without the clause.

At that prior meeting Dickey explained that while the city had initially intended to split the increase over the course of two years in increments of $7.50, that there had been an issue with the ordinance language and that in the interim the deadline to implement the first incremental increase in 2026 had passed, so the full increase was being added in 2027.

Other matters included the approval of a resolution authorizing the Salem Tourism Board to pay $10,480 from the municipal lodging tax fund for use by the Sustainable Opportunity Development Center for the production and printing of video material to market the city of Salem to new businesses.

During his report City Auditor Sal Salvino said that he expected the proposed 2026 city budget to be ready for presentation to the finance committee in two weeks.

While Service Safety Director Joe Cappuzzello did not have a formal report Zellers asked if a time had been set for the city’s trick or treat, and Cappuzzello said that it was scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Oct. 31.

During their reports Councilmen Andrew Null said he would be scheduling a finance committee meeting prior to council’s next meeting. Councilman Jake Gano said he would be scheduling a meeting of the economic development committee soon, noting that it would likely be sometime within the next two weeks.

During the pleasure of council City Council President Evan Newman said that city council’s first meeting in November, which would normally coincide with the general election on Nov. 4, would instead be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 as city council chambers will serve as a polling station for the election.

The city council will meet next 7 p.m. Oct. 21.