Mayor Thomas M. Bernabei

About the Mayor

Thomas M. Bernabei was elected in 2015 and is currently in his second term as the Mayor for the City of Canton.

Mayor Bernabei is a lifelong resident of Stark County and lives in Canton, Ohio. He is a 1964 graduate of Canton Lehman High School. He graduated from Brown University in 1968 and the Ohio State University School College of Law in 1975. Between college and law school, Mayor Bernabei served four years in the United States Army, including one tour of duty in Vietnam.

Mayor Bernabei entered public service as Assistant Prosecutor in Massillon Municipal Court. He later served as an Assistant Law Director in Canton and was elected Canton Law Director in 1989. After retiring from the Law Department in 2000, Mayor Bernabei was elected to Canton City Council and served one term as Councilman at-Large. He subsequently worked as Director of Public Service in Canton from 2008 to 2009 and as SARTA’s interim Executive Director in 2009. Mayor Bernabei was elected Stark County Commissioner and served from 2010 to 2015.

Mayor Bernabei proudly practiced law with his father, Joseph, from 1975 to 1989. He is married to Bebe, a Canton Central Catholic High School graduate. They have three daughters and five grandchildren.

Duties of the Mayor

The Mayor is responsible for a wide variety of functions in city government. While some of these functions are the result of over 200 years' tradition - others are listed directly in state law. These duties are listed in the Ohio Revised Code, a summary of which appears below.

Legal Responsibilities

  • The Mayor enforces all laws of the City. He/she signs all commissions, licenses, and permits granted by legislative authority, as well as other instruments that require his/her signature under the law.

  • The Mayor serves as the top conservator of peace in the City. The Mayor maintains safe streets by appointing and supervising the city's Director of Public Safety, who works closely with the Police and Fire chiefs to control crime and establish programs that preserve the health and welfare of Canton residents.

  • The Mayor manages the operations of the City. By supervising the conduct of all officers and department supervisors in the City authorized by law, the Mayor manages the day-to-day operations and long-term planning strategies of City government.

  • The Mayor recommends legislative actions to City Council and provides them with requested information. Through the course of managing the operations of City government, the Mayor is well suited to make recommendations to City Council members as to the best course of action when considering legislation. The Mayor is also responsible for providing Council members with any information they request in order to help them make good decisions for the residents of Canton.

  • The Mayor delivers a "State of the City" address once each year. To inform city residents, businesses, and elected officials of both the city's progress and its future outlook, the Mayor delivers an annual report most commonly in the form of a speech.

SLFRF Fiscal Recovery Plan Performance Report

SLFRF Recovery Plan - Performance Report - Canton OH 2021 (PDF)

Contact Us

We hope you will be able to use this website to find the information you need. If you cannot find what you are looking for, don't hesitate to give us a call! Staff are available during normal business hours (8 am to 4 pm, Monday through Friday) to answer all of your questions. Simply call us at 330-438-4307.

Meet with the Mayor

If you are an individual or organization that would like to meet with or invite the Mayor to a special event, you can submit your request online.