Stow Voters to Decide on $100K Pay Raise for City Leaders

Stow residents will head to the polls on Nov. 3 to decide whether the city’s top officials should get a pay boost. The ballot asks if the mayor, law director and finance director should earn $100,000 a year beginning in 2028. If voters say yes, John Pribonic, Drew Reilly and Kelly Toppin would each see their paychecks rise to that figure.

The three elected leaders currently take home about $80,000 each year. The mayor’s salary has stayed the same since 2011, while the law and finance directors haven’t seen a bump since 2013. The proposal would lift the mayor’s pay by roughly 24 percent and the other two positions by about 23 percent. Because the roles are elected, Stow’s charter forces the community to vote on any salary change.

The City Council approved putting the measure on the ballot by a 5‑to‑1 vote. Councilmember Kelly Coffey opposed the plan, and Cyle Feldman chose to abstain. Supporters noted how long the salaries have been frozen, arguing the officials deserve a raise. The new rule ties future increases to the average raise police officers get under their union contract, not to inflation or the biggest union hike. Council members dropped an earlier formula after worries it could give elected officials bigger jumps than other city workers.

Voting starts early on Oct. 6 at the Summit County Board of Elections, 1050 E. Tallmadge Ave. in Akron. Absentee ballots will be mailed out the same day. The registration deadline is Oct. 5, and any request for an absentee ballot must reach the elections board by Oct. 27 at 8:30 p.m.