Findlay council wants clarity on Heartland agreement

FINDLAY — With debate continuing over the city's proposed partnership with Heartland Forward, Findlay City Council will take up the issue again today in a Committee of the Whole meeting, just ahead of a scheduled third reading of the legislation. The meeting is set for 5 p.m. today in the third-floor conference room of the municipal building, 318 Dorney Plaza, and will include a virtual presentation and discussion with representatives of Heartland Forward's Center for Investment Readiness. The session will be livestreamed on the city's YouTube channel: Findlay Ohio. Today's Committee of the Whole session is expected to be council's first opportunity to question Heartland Forward directly before deciding whether to advance the measure. The ordinance is scheduled for a third reading at the regular council meeting immediately following the committee discussion. Council meets at 6 p.m. today at the city building. All council meetings and committee meetings are open to the public. Both meetings are expected to be livestreamed. The administration has urged council to move forward on the partnership, which would place Findlay among the first five communities participating in Heartland Forward's 30 by 2030 initiative. The proposal calls for an annual $7,500 contribution from the city and would create both internal and public‑facing data dashboards summarizing economic, workforce and housing indicators. Council members, however, have raised broad concerns about the pace of the process, the use of emergency language, and how the resulting data would be managed and released. The ordinance has now been discussed at two regular meetings — Jan. 20 and Feb. 3 — but no vote has been taken. At the Feb. 3 meeting, members questioned whether the measure was being rushed, pointing out that while the ordinance frames the partnership as multiyear, the agreement can be ended annually. Several council members said they were not convinced that emergency language was warranted and argued residents should have more time to weigh in. Other concerns have focused on data transparency, dashboard design, oversight of the information, and whether outside agencies should share in the cost. One council member questioned whether Findlay was being asked to "pay for the prize" after being invited to join the program, while others argued the city should retain flexibility and reserve the right to withdraw if the partnership proves unproductive. Mayor Christina Muryn has defended the proposal, saying Heartland Forward approached Findlay directly and that the partnership would help the city analyze growth patterns, identify gaps and strengthen its startup ecosystem. She has also said she budgeted the cost within her office budget to avoid perceptions of outside influence on the data.