Tara Mosley

Akron City Council is considering changing the zoning code in the Merriman Valley and Schumacher Area to a form based code.

Shammas Malik, a current city council member won 43% of the vote, according to unofficial election results. Deputy Mayor Marco Sommerville came in second in the seven-way race.

Candidates to be the next mayor of Akron took to the stage on Wednesday for the first debate of the campaign. The seven candidates fielded a variety of questions, from policing to pubic safety to education.

Six of the seven candidates running to be the next mayor of Akron attended the forum and discussed everything from housing to government transparency.

Some candidates called for Akron, which is has a growing immigrant and refugee population, to become a "sanctuary city."

Marco Sommerville, currently a deputy mayor in Mayor Dan Horrigan's administration, said the comment was "a terrible slip to make."

Six people have said they are running - a mix of longtime Akron politicians and political newcomers. No Republicans have announced candidacies yet.

Mosley is in her third term on city council and previously served as a bailiff in the Akron Municipal Court.

While city council unanimously approved a conditional use permit for White Pond Reserve, a residential and retail development, residents are speaking out with concerns about the environment and potential endangered species.

Akron City Council Vice President Jeff Fusco introduced a resolution to oppose the police oversite charter amendment during a committee meeting Monday, calling the proposal "flawed."