Jackson Township Board of Trustees president John Pizzino and the Township's fiscal officer Randy Gonzales had to be two surprised dudes when they learned that city of North Canton administrators filed Type I and II annexation petitions with the Stark County Commissioners on Friday (January 23, 2009).
Especially Gonzales.
Why?
A person that works for Gonzales and, of course, Canton Municipal clerk of courts Phil Giavasis?
Yes, North Canton councilman Pat DeOrio.
Some area officeholders speculate that one of the reasons Gonzales wanted Councilman DeOrio hired by Giavasis was to keep tabs on Mayor David Held of North Canton and his administration. If that was the case, then the strategy didn't work.
Witness: Friday's annexation move.
Again, the Jackson folks did not have a clue!
Held does tell the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) that he kept certain key members of council (Revoldt, Snyder and Kiesling) informed, but that plan was an administration plan that has been in the works for some time. Held did not mention DeOrio as being a person with inside knowledge.
All along (while formulating the annexation backup plan) North Canton has been negotiating with Jackson Township.
The hang up?
The 99 year promise not to annex from Jackson Township unless approved by the Jackson trustees.
Held says the deal "killer" (the Report's label) part of Jackson's proposal is the 99 year thing. Moreover, he describes the Canton/Jackson Township deal as being a move by Jackson Township to stay provincial. In other words, Jackson Township is worried about be swallowed up by surrounding municipalities: Canton, North Canton and Massillon.
From Canton's side, it seems as if Councilman Bill Smuckler is the big enthusiast and apparently has been bringing his fellow council members along. In local media reports, Mayor Healy (who, once, clearly opposed the move) now says he is uncertain.
But he need not worry.
The Report believes the annexation move by North Canton is a checkmate of Trustee Pizzino and Fiscal Officer Gonzales. And, in the opinion of The Report, for the betterment of Stark County- and - certainly for Canton. Why would Canton want to tie itself up for 99 years?
Held tells The Report that the annexation does not foreclose working with Canton, Jackson Township and Massillon in a cooperative, collaborative way that has positive results for all the players.
The Report's take on Held's reaction on any 99 year proposed agreement is that it would be irresponsible for government officials of any entity (are you listening Bill Smuckler and Canton council?) to give away growth and expansion possibilities.
It appears to The Report that Jackson Township officials have been outfoxed by the North Canton administration. By being reactive and not proactive, it seems that Jackson officials will be in one pitched battle after another with surrounding area municipalities. If the 99 year plan is any indication of "realpolitik" thinking in Jackson, then Township officials need to go out and get new thinking caps.
The Tuscarawas Township trustees seem to have the same mentality as Jackson trustees. Just take a look at the archives of The Massillon Independent. Celeste DeHoff et al have been in a prolonged battle with Massillon Mayor Cicchinelli for quite a while now.
Township government is an antiquated form of meeting the needs of citizens. Enlightened trustees should be "seeing the handwriting on the wall" and working with neighboring villages and municipalities "to think outside the box" to more efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of Stark County's township residents.
4 comments:
I AM VOTING FOR DAVID HELD
The Report should do his home work, go back in history and you will be able to find the answere to this riddle in the Canton-Osneburg CEDDA agrrement. East Canton also filed the annexation first to try to stop Canton, BUT... a co-operative agreement filed between two sundivisions ie.. Canton and Osnaburg trumps any annexation filed unilaterally by a city on its own. This means if Canton files the CEDA with Jackson, North Canton is trumped again. David Held should have done his homework at looked to EAST CANTON for some advice before braging about something he had a chance of stopping something he had first chance of being part of! North Canton once again failed at this big game of chess.
The real losers here, again, are the taxpayers of Stark County. Instead of looking for ways we can find to encourage and enhance businesses to stay and/or move into our region, and ultimately maintain and create jobs, we somehow find ways to 'steal' the businesses and land from each other.
That ultimately results in no new net gain in jobs or businesses. To the contrary, it results in more taxes to an already overburdened taxpayer. When will our elected officials wake up? Do they have to personally experience the pain that is out there in the unemployment, and lesser mentioned underemployment, being lived on a daily basis out there? Are they talking to those who are barely eaking out a living and hardly able to pay even their utilities and rent or home mortgages? What is happening is the worst of econommic times since the Great Depression! Will they stop these nonsensiscal "horse thievery" style annexations and work for the greater good of our entire region?
If not, I suggest they resign and stay home and play Monopoly where their land grabbing will have less disastrous consequences, and let more conscientious public servants work in a bi-partisan fashion toward real economic development for our entire region.
Report, as you stated, “It appears to The Report that Jackson Township officials have been outfoxed by the North Canton administration.” When if fact it has been the North Canton Mayor and his band of cronies on council Revoldt, Snyder and Kiesling. David Held has admitted along with certain council members not bargaining in good faith with Jackson by his statement, “he kept certain key members of council informed, but that plan was an administration plan that has been in the works for some time. Held did not mention Pat DeOrio as being a person with inside knowledge of the deal.” I thought the report would be one that would not condone such below board activities. “All along (while formulating the annexation backup plan) while North Canton has been negotiating with Jackson Township” even smacks the Trojan Horse tactic right in the face. The real funny part is that if precedence holds true in Stark County, which it should I think the men of Troy i.e.… Mayor Held, Revoldt and Kiesling are the ones that are going to get the Trojan surprise because it appears that they nor the report remember a recent annexation deal in Stark County that took precedence over an annexation filed by East Canton. You see Senate Bill 5, the new annexation legislation gives co-operative agreement annexation’s priority over unilateral annexation’s filed for the same land. Ha Ha, go back and see for yourself, East Canton tried to thwart the annexation of the Cory by filing first, but the CEDA agreement filed by Canton got preference due to the co-operative agreement.
The Report believes the annexation move by North Canton is a checkmate; in fact it is the exact opposite for North Canton if Canton and Jackson ratify a CEDA in an expeditious time frame, it will be Canton that wins the match set instead of just one game. North Canton needs to be the political entity that learns to co-operate and negotiate in good faith, this is another reason why they have Isolated themselves from all of their neighbors and their most recent move is just more of the same mentality that will prevent any entity from ever wanting to try and negotiate anything with them in the future. This is why North Canton is going bankrupt and this is why every citizen in North Canton unfortunately will have to bear the consequences of what their shady elected leaders have created for them.
I will be shocked if this even gets posted because it has become apparent the Report is condoning the back door under the table negotiating that Mayor Held has admitted to have undertaken in this instance.
Yours Truly
Someone that knows
how the new annexation laws work,
and understands what true co-operation is
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