New Philadelphia Council to Meet After Parks Levy Defeat
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Nov. 9, 2026) – New Philadelphia City Council will hold its first regular meeting tonight since voters rejected Issue 9, a proposed five-year, 2.4-mill parks and recreation levy.
The levy would have generated about $1.3 million annually for maintenance and improvements at city parks, including Tuscora Park, Waterworks Park and Southside Community Park. Before the election, Mayor Joel Day said shifting park operations out of the city’s General Fund would have freed up roughly $1.2 million to $1.3 million each year for street paving and additional police and fire department needs.
Following the levy defeat, Day thanked supporters and called on state leaders to find ways to reduce cities’ and schools’ reliance on property taxes.
Tonight’s agenda includes a Finance Committee meeting at 6:30 p.m. and a Public Works and Economic Development Committee meeting at 6:45 p.m., with discussion expected on a proposed ordinance involving marijuana drug paraphernalia regulations.
The full council meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.