POLITICAL INTRIGUE IN NORTH CANTON?

Village and city council organization meetings are normally uneventful.

However, there has been a mini-revolt brewing on Daryl Revoldt over the past two weeks or so.

The SCPR is told that Councilpersons Davies, DeOrio and Foltz have been "talking" about teaming up with Council Vice President Jon Snyder (he voting for himself) to make him president.  Snyder tells the SCPR he had no desire to be council president, but that he was approached about the possibility of going along with the move should Davies, DeOrio and Foltz have the courage to step forward.

But in the end, they did not.

On occasion, Revoldt bristles various members of North Canton Council because of his authoritative and directory manner.  However, though some of them fuss and fume about Revoldt's assertive ways, is sure of his thinking and generally getting his way, they always seem to come over to Revoldt's way of thinking.

Revoldt is a seasoned politician who has served in some pretty high political circles (as chief of staff for retired Congressman Ralph Regula for a spell, and as a relatively high economic guy for former Governor Bob Taft) and in the course of doing so, has developed a thick hide to the point that very little bothers him.  Snyder tells yours truly that Revoldt has been aware of the aborted mutiny that never passed the talking stage and wasn't in the slightest bothered by it.

It appears that Councilman Pat DeOrio was most bothered by the continuance of Revoldt as council president and apparently could not bring himself to be present on Wednesday night to do the obligatory.

The official reason was that DeOrio had family obligations to attend to.  But apparently Marcia Kiesling was not buying as she feigned objecting to a motion made during the session to excuse the councilman.

The timing of the ouster talk is a bit surprising.  Other than losing Alex Zumbar to the Stark treasury via his election to the post on November 2nd, all has been pretty peachy in The Dogwood City.  Some council members are pleased to see former Chief Administrator Wise on his way out the door (come December, 31st) and probably all are breathing a sigh of relief that North Canton's finances in the near term are looking a whole lot better these days.

The only major things facing the Held administration and Council is the hiring of a director of finance to replace Zumba,r and the finding of an assistant administrative person to help Chief Administrator James Benekos.

There is talk that Benekos' assistant could end up being North Canton Chief of Police, Michael Grimes.  Mayor Held wants to take in a slew of resumes to see whether or not the job marketplace is so much in favor of employers these days that a highly qualified administrator - in terms of actual experience - might be available to North Canton for a manageable salary.

One has to wonder whether or not re-elected Council president Revoldt will be handing out victory cigars to certain council members come the next North Canton City Council meeting?