MANSFIELD — It will be one of the most interesting decisions Mansfield City Council has made in recent years.
Local lawmakers are scheduled to vote Tuesday on a six-month moratorium on any potential marijuana dispensaries in the city, an idea council has discussed in sessions a few times since Mayor Jodie Perry suggested it more than a month ago.
It’s the type of decision that brings back memories of:
— March 2017 when council voted 7-1 to reject a bill that would have allowed citizens to keep backyard chickens on city property under three acres.
— November 2017 when council voted 6-1 to ban the sale of medical marijuana in the city.
— July 2019 when council opposition basically killed a planned skatepark at Maple Lake Park, causing the proposal to be pulled.
— August 2020 when a divided council voted 5-4 against a resolution that would have declared racism a public health crisis.
The vote planned Tuesday has that kind of gravitas feel to it among local lawmakers, who tend to vote together on the vast majority of issues.
City Council’s Safety Committee, chaired by 2nd Ward Councilwoman Cheryl Meier, is scheduled to discuss the legislation again on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
All of this activity came after 57 percent of Ohio voters approved State Issue 2 in November. The issue was a citizen petition that allows home-grown cannabis, but also gave local governments the right to decide for themselves whether to permit recreational marijuana dispensaries in their communities.
One interesting twist is the fact the vote could potentially end in a tie on Tuesday evening.
Council President Phil Scott, who only votes in the event of a tie among the eight other council members, will not be in attendance.
At-large Councilman David Falquette will fill in as president pro-temp, but that leaves the potential for a 4-4 tie — which would mean the moratorium would not be approved.
That would potentially open the door for dispensary businesses to apply for licenses in Mansfield when the state opens applications next week.
In this instance, most, but not all, council members have kept their own views about a local cannabis store close to the vest since the legislation was introduced in caucus on April 16.
Third Ward Councilman Rev. El Akuchie has spoken in favor of perhaps a permanent ban against cannabis dispensaries, a step already taken by Shelby City Council, Lexington Village Council and Madison Township trustees. Ontario City Council has placed a six-month moratorium on it in that community.
Fourth Ward Councilwoman Cynthia Daley shared Akuchie’s concerns.
“It’s conflicting because we have a drug issue here and I see marijuana as a gateway for other drugs,” Daley said in April. “I work with a drug counseling agency and we see people who are being affected.
“So this is really something that we really have to take into consideration.”
At-large Councilwoman Stephanie Zader suggested in April that council needs to consider the potential economic benefit from a cannabis dispensary.
“We haven’t put in place the processes and procedures to look at adapting this into our city, but I also know that we’re in dire need of economic development in our city, and these businesses are going in all across the state of Ohio as this happens,” Zader said.
“I think limiting our options when it comes to economic development is an unwise choice. I’m a conservative sitting up here, and this is probably not the popular conservative opinion, but that’s never been my agenda,” she said.
“My agenda is only what’s best for the city. I know it’s a fairly new thing, but I guess my question is what is the reason why we are looking to limit this when other municipalities are looking at adopting this into how they do business and capitalizing on those economic development dollars?” Zader asked.
An adult-use marijuana dispensary could net the City of Mansfield as much as $250,000 in annual tax revenue, based on estimated sales offered in May by a representative of a company that would like to have a store here. That would be in addition to the regular sales tax collected and also the income tax for dispensary employees.
Keri Stan, the Ohio and Illinois district manager for The Cannabist Co. (formerly Columbia Care, told Richland Source the company estimates annual sales in a community the size of Mansfield would be between $5 and $7 million.
Based on those sales estimates, with the city receiving 36 percent of the 10 percent excise tax imposed by the state on cannabis dispensaries, the city would receive between $180,000 and $250,000 annually.
“That would be an approximation, of course, for a city of this size,” Stan said after speaking to Mansfield City Council members May 21. “(It’s) what we have seen historically in similar markets with similar populations out of (a dispensary) location.”
Other residents have questioned potential costs associated with a local dispensary, including a potential for increased crime, drug abuse, health-care costs and impact on local businesses.
Perry, who led the Richland Area Chamber and Economic Development before winning office in November, said in April the revenue increase from a dispensary may be somewhat offset by additional workforce issues.
Under the new law, employers can still maintain a drug-free workplace. This permission includes the power to prohibit the use of marijuana. As such, employers may continue establishing drug testing and zero-tolerance drug policies.
The act also provides several protections for employers, including the following:
- Employers may continue to bar the use, possession, and distribution of marijuana;
- Employers may take disciplinary action against employees, including the termination of employment due to an individual’s use, possession, or distribution of marijuana;
- Employers may continue to refuse to hire individuals due to their use of marijuana.
“We already have employers, and this isn’t just a Mansfield thing … there is a shortage of workers across the country at this point. Making that worse is not something I am super excited about,” she said.
“Those are concerns I have heard from employers,” Perry said.
“We are taking this to council. I don’t know how they will vote on this. I don’t know what the community as a whole is looking for. We are expecting a lot of feedback on this. Some will like it. Some will not.
“Our thought is at the end of the day, this is an opportunity for us to hear from the public and certainly for council, because at the end of the day, they’re going to be the ones to make the decision,” she said.
And that decision is expected Tuesday night.
(Below is all of the legislation Mansfield City Council is scheduled to discuss and/or vote on Tuesday evening.)
