Akron City Council sets meeting Thursday to vote for final seat on police review board

Anthony Thompson, Akron Beacon Journal
·1 min read

Akron City Council plans to complete its last step Thursday toward establishing the Citizens' Police Oversight Board mandated last November by the passage of Issue 10.

Council will convene a special meeting at 2 p.m. to vote on the ninth and final unfilled position on the board. Assuming a nominee receives approval from the required nine-vote supermajority of the Council, the new board will assemble for its first meeting at 2 p.m. Friday.

Both public meetings will take place in the City Council's chambers at 166 S. High St.

A dispute over confirming one of the Council's nominees to the board last month led to the reopening of the application process. Candidates for the final board spot had until noon Wednesday to submit their applications..

The Council did not immediately provide information Wednesday about the nominee or nominees in line for consideration at Thursday's meeting — or the number of applications received. That figure is expected to include new applicants as well as candidates who had previously applied.

Council members missed the Feb. 27 deadline to seat the board because of division over the nomination of Imokhai Okolo, a 27-year-old Black attorney who posted disparaging remarks about the police on social media last year after the fatal shooting of Jayland Walker by Akron officers. Council members subsequently approved three candidates nominated by Mayor Dan Horrigan and five of the six nominees put forward by the Council — leaving Okolo off the panel.

Oholo's supporters said his nomination would have helped the city to meet board makeup guidelines that call for diverse representation. In reopening the application process last week, the city emphasized that additional consideration will be given to Black male candidates between the ages of 18 and 35.

Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com or on Twitter, @athompsonABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron City Council to vote Thursday on final police review board spot