Yours truly has been a resident of Stark County since 1975. Over the nearly 25 ensuing years, Stark County as well as its major city Canton, have wasted away to "a struggle to survive stage."
Cantonians turned in 2007 to William J. Healy, II as "a needed change" from the "ways things have been done." But as much as Healy likes to trumpet himself as an "agent of change," the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) is unconvinced. Healy has wedded himself to out-of-town interests and there The Report questions whether or not he has a "real" commitment to Canton or, is it, as The Report suspects: all about Jamey Healy?
With Healy, The Report thinks what Canton has bought into is "rearranging the chairs on the deck of the Titanic." The turmoil that Healy and his imperial-esque "I'm in charge" attitude has brought to Canton and Stark County is a major distraction.
Canton will not move forward in a meaningful way a a viable economic entity (even with the "Darth Vader to the Townships" [Canton Director of Annexation Sam Sliman as he describes himself] annexing every thing in sight as a desperation move to save Canton) until the Healy matter is resolved.
If Sliman realizes his goal to annex everything in Stark County that is worth annexing from his and Canton City Council's "generate income tax money flow from the county into Canton" perspective just to survive, then Stark County's economy could be doomed. To The Report; Healy, Sliman and Canton City Council are not about positive area leadership, but about surviving "one more day."
Meanwhile, Stark County does have a burgeoning leader who seems to get it. In today's Alliance Review (Hats Off! to The Review), reporter Laurie Hoffman does a splendid piece on Bosley's effort to work with Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson to recapitalize the heating plant at the Stark County jail without costs to Stark County taxpayers.
How is Bosley going to pull this one off?
Through grants and cost savings in terms of wood waste products in to fuel for the the wood fired furnaces.
Bosley is like a juggler these days. Working on: a consolidating county operations (the engineering project), a confluence of the Stark County/Canton inspection units, pushing for a reconfiguration of 9-1-1 into a state of the art countywide collaboration; just to name a few.
When The Report talked with Healy several months ago at one of his "Townhall meeting" he wasn't the least bit enthusiastic about the work of Todd Bosley.
Why would that be?
Perhaps because Bosley doesn't have the credentials, the pedigree - if you will. After all Mayor Healy graduated from the New York University Stern School of Business.
Where did Bosley get his education from?
From tiny Wheaton College (Billy Graham's alma mater) and from the "school of hard knocks."
The Report's money is on the highly practical Bosley to lead Stark County into the 21st century. Not the dapper and comopolitan William J. Healy, II.
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