New Philadelphia Wednesday meetings: City pay raises, fire engine, school facilities
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Sept. 27, 2023) – The city and the school district have both scheduled important meetings for Wednesday night.
City Council
New Philadelphia City Council members will meet tonight to further look at the affordability of two separate funding proposals.
The Salary Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. at Council Chambers to discuss seven percent annual raises being considered over the next three years for about 35 non-union city employees plus council members. Officials have said this would keep the city competitive with other employers.
Council will then meet at 6 p.m. to vote on a resolution that would authorize the city to order a rescue engine for the fire department costing more than $1.4 million. The city wouldn’t have to start paying until it arrives in three years.
Fire Chief Jim Parrish says this would replace one that’s approaching 25 years old, and the cost for a new one will only keep climbing the longer council waits.
School District
The New Philadelphia School District is hosting its first Quaker Spirit Facilities Improvement Committee meeting Wednesday night from 6:30 to 8 at the Front Avenue Administrative Building in the multipurpose room.
Superintendent Amy Wentworth says officials want to know what the community thinks about addressing the district’s aging school buildings.
“There are some challenges at every location, so whether we remodel or we tear down and start over, that’s going to be an answer that our community decides,” Wentworth said. “There are pros and cons in both directions, and we need to hear what people want.”
There will be a presentation at 6 followed by small group discussions.
The district over the summer hired ThenDesign Architecture out of Willoughby for $60,000 as a pre-bond architect to help develop a master plan. Representatives will make a presentation at Wednesday’s meeting.