With just 20 days until the Akron mayoral primary, Akron citizens had the opportunity to ask the seven candidates questions directly during a debate Wednesday night.
Several hundred people packed the auditorium of the Akron-Summit County Public Library in Downtown Akron for the second and final Akron Decides debate. The event was held by the The Ohio Debate Commission, Akron Press Club, Akron Beacon Journal/BeaconJournal.com and Ideastream Public Media.
Ideastream’s deputy editor for news, Andrew Meyer, and “Sound of Ideas” host Rick Jackson co-moderated the debate.
Citizens asked the seven candidates to speak on a wide range of topics, from questions about their leadership skills and integrity, to their ideas on how to bring young people back to the city after they complete college.
Greer, Malik spar over citizen oversight board
One of the more heated moments of the event came when the candidates were asked about the city’s new citizen police oversight board.
Police reform is top of mind for both candidates and voters as the city grapples with the death of Jayland Walker, 25, a Black man fatally shot by Akron Police last June. Walker was wounded or grazed at least 46 times in the shooting. A special grand jury is currently reviewing the investigation and is expected to decide whether to indict the eight officers involved within the next two weeks.
In the back of the crowd, several audience members held up signs calling for justice for Walker.
All nine members of the review board were recently seated, but it did not happen swiftly. Council failed to approve Imokhai Okolo, a young Black lawyer initially on the slate of nominees in February. Some councilmembers took issue with a social media post in which Okolo called police “pigs.”
Council later withdrew his name and instead approved Brandyn Costa, another Black lawyer and Okolo’s former law school roommate, in March.
Mark Greer criticized councilmember Shammas Malik, who helped write the charter amendment that established the board, for requiring a supermajority of nine out of the 13 city councilmembers to approve nominees. A simple majority of seven members would have allowed Okolo to serve, Greer said. Eight councilmembers originally voted in favor of Okolo's nomination.
“My colleague mentioned that he tackled this issue, but in fact, he fumbled this issue,” Greer said.
Malik countered that it was written this way to make sure there was consensus among most councilmembers.
“I didn’t fumble it,” Malik said. “The problem with what happened with Imokhai was the people who stood in the way of him.”
Councilmember Tara Mosley came to Malik’s defense when it was her turn to answer.
Several councilmembers refused to vote for Okolo because the police union did not support him, she said.
“Whether it was a supermajority or a simple majority, the numbers would have been worked where Imokhai would have never gotten on that board,” Mosley said. “Y’all need to understand how council works.”
Addressing Akron’s brain drain
Moderator Jackson read a question from resident Nancy McDowell, who asked how candidates would address young people leaving the city for jobs elsewhere after they complete college or other training.
“I have 3 daughters: 2 PhD.'s and 1 M.D. that have left Akron. How can we make Akron a place that people want to live and work in?” McDowell wrote.
Marco Sommerville, a current deputy mayor under Mayor Dan Horrigan, said he’s experienced this within his own family, as two of his three adult children moved to other cities. If elected mayor, he would work to attract new businesses and partner with the University of Akron, he said.
“Particularly in the field of polymers, to use that as a way to continue to grow our community and to grow our economic base in this community, so we can have more opportunity for our children,” Sommerville said.
Summit County Councilman Jeff Wilhite said he’d focus more on businesses already in Akron that need workers.
“We have to create a way that we can share with folks what exists in this community, so that those ladies and gentlemen who earn those advanced degrees, or learn those trades and skills to work with their hands, to work with our businesses,” Wilhite said.
Both Mosley and Malik said they’d work to improve public safety as a way to encourage young people to stay in the city.
Mills said he would increase mental health services for young people who are feeling overworked. Schaffer wants to eliminate taxes for five years for people who decide to stay in Akron.
Candidates pick who’d they work with
Resident Shirley Simon sparked a more lighthearted moment of the debate. Laughter erupted across the crowd when she asked the candidates which of the other candidates they would most like to be a deputy mayor for.
Some of the candidates instead answered who they’d choose as a deputy mayor.
Sommerville said the choice was “easy” and he’d like Wilhite to serve in his administration. Wilhite spoke highly of all candidates but singled out Sommerville for his tenure of working in the city.
Mosley and Malik picked each other.
Joshua Schaffer, a cell phone store manager, drew more laughs from the crowd when he said Mosley would make an “excellent addition to my administration.”
Greer and Mills both picked Wilhite, Mills adding he’d also consider Mosley.
You can watch the full debate Thursday at 7:30 p.m. on WVIZ.
