Bellefontaine City Council voted down Ordinance 26-50, the long-debated measure known as the Golf Cart Ordinance, at its Tuesday meeting. The proposal would have permitted low-speed and under-speed utility vehicles, along with mini-trucks, to travel on designated city streets.
The vote was 3-3, with Nick Davis absent. Kyle Springs, Jenna James and Devin Palmer supported the measure; Wes Easton, Mick Lile and Jordan Reser opposed it. Under the Ohio Revised Code, passage requires a simple majority of members voting. Council President Ben Stahler broke the tie with a no vote, saying he was swayed by objections from residents and from City Service-Safety Director Wes Dodds and Police Chief Christopher Marlow.
Numbering is inconsistent in the published account: the story calls the vehicle measure 26-50, while the ordinance-by-ordinance list labels it 26-51.
Council adopted 26-57, a supplemental appropriation covering salaries, wages, pensions and Medicare, on first and final reading after waiving the three-reading rule. City Auditor Fred Brentlinger had urged quick action, explaining that the 2027 pay cycle opens Jan. 1, 2027, a holiday, so the actual pay date falls on Dec. 31, 2026, producing 27 pay dates in 2026. The second November meeting had been canceled.
Pay ordinances covering court employees, the municipal court judge, an assistant tax superintendent, hourly service, clerical and supervisory workers, and elected officials received first reading only. Council adopted 26-66, for fuel, and 26-67, approving the Brighton Meadows Phase I subdivision dedication plat of 7.836 acres in Lake Township.
Marlow reported that dispatcher and patrol officer candidates were selected to continue through testing and that sergeant and lieutenant candidates remain in process. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ben Vollrath said the city received another federal Opportunity Zone designation. Mayor David Crissman missed the meeting due to a family emergency, and Dodds relayed the family of longtime city employee Bryan Dalrymple's thanks for condolences. Council next meets Dec. 8, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.