SALEM – The city council Tuesday voted to move forward with a proposed intergovernmental agreement with Perry Township outlining the terms of future annexations.

The city council voted unanimously to approve a resolution permitting a joint session of the council and the Perry Township trustees preceded by a public hearing to review and possibly accept the embattled intergovernmental agreement to be scheduled. While the resolution authorizes the meeting, the date still needs to be determined with the Perry Township trustees.

Once a date is selected, it will need to be advertised both in print and online for 30 days prior to the meeting.

City Council President Evan Newman asked if the proposed income tax revenue split between the township and city — which would see the city retain 70% of the income tax revenue generated by properties annexed under the agreement while the township received 30% — would be administered by City Auditor Sal Salvino or the Regional Income Tax Agency (RITA).

Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey clarified that the agreement specifies that township’s share of income and property tax revenue would be paid as a fee by the city in lieu of being directly collected as a tax, meaning the city would collect 100% of the revenue and make payments to the township equivalent to 30% of the collected tax revenue. She further said that the calculation and administration of those payments would have to be overseen by Salvino’s office, as RITA only oversees the collection of income tax.

Prior to the council’s vote on the resolution, Newman also reiterated that he felt the division of tax revenue for residential and commercial properties should be outlined in different agreements rather than only one.

Other matters approved included an ordinance approving appropriation and transfers, and another ordinance authorizing reductions in appropriations. During a meeting of the finance committee preceding the council meeting Salvino explained that these were routine adjustments to ensure that the city had enough money appropriated to meet its actual expenses at year end. He also said that the appropriations included an additional 3% buffer to prevent the need to call an additional special meeting after the city council’s last regularly scheduled meeting for the year for a final appropriations ordinance as in years past.

During his report, City Service Safety Director Joe Cappuzzello said that he met with Columbia Gas Tuesday, and that Columbia Gas would be replacing approximately 9,100 lineal feet of pipe on Jennings Avenue beginning in January. He said that this work is expected to occur within the span of Jennings which intersects Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth streets.

During her report Parks Director Kelli Pastore announced that the parks department had been awarded a Day of Service Grant which will pay to install a fence along the nature trail at Waterworth Memorial Park. She also said a new Eagle Scout project would be starting at the nature trail soon which will install eight owl boxes along the trail — two boxes tailored to the needs of each of the four species of owl native to the area.

During the pleasure of council Councilman Andrew Null announced that he would be scheduling a meeting of the finance committee for additional review of the proposed 2026 city budget and proposed updates to the city’s payroll ordinance.

The city council will meet next at 7 p.m. on Dec. 16.