The discussion took about 90 minutes, and one vote decided the issue of whether to prohibit medical marijuana in the city of Defiance. When the votes were cast, Defiance Council voted to prohibit cultivation and retail sales of medical marijuana in their city by a vote of 4 to 3. That was a third and final reading on the proposal.
It was also a night to approve the budget for 2018, which passed on a second read in Defiance. The general fund spending is proposed at 10.5 million dollars, although negotiations with the fire and police unions are not wrapped up. Another 3.8 million dollars is proposed for capital improvements, with about a half million dollars set aside to build a splash pad for children at Bronson Park next year. Defiance County approved legislation to create a commercial development on south Jefferson Street near the high school, which is the planned location for a new Shoney’s Restaurant.