GIAVASIS OUT: A TOTALLY CHANGED SITUATION INSOFAR AS STARK CO. IS CONCERNED?

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED 12/27/2011 (UPDATED 12/28/2011)

A surprising announcement yesterday!

Plain Township Trustee Louis Giavasis drops out of county commissioner race.

Martin, I am releasing this to all the Media.

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Press Release

12/27/2011

After long and careful thought, I have decided not to seek to the Democratic nomination for Stark County Commissioner in 2012.  I’ve based this decision on three things. First, what is in the best interest of my family; next, my current commitment to the people of Plain Township; and, my full time position with Stark County Clerk of Courts, Nancy Reinbold.

My heart remains in Plain Township serving the residents that have elected me 5 times. I love my community and those that share it with me and my family.  My father raised me to fulfill commitments made; and I will fulfill the commitment I made first to the residents of Plain Township.

I want to thank those of you who have promised and shown your support to my candidacy for Stark County commissioner.  Currently, Stark County is blessed two have capable commissioners that I believe are leading this county in the right direction. 

Dr. Peter Ferguson is not seeking re-election and I want to thank him for what he has done to help our county. Canton City at Large Councilman, William Smuckler is seeking to succeed him and I believe he will make great commissioner. 

I look forward to supporting him and working with the other commissioners in the future as a Plain Township Trustee helping to move the Stark County community as a whole forward.

Respectfully,

Louis P. Giavasis

Plain Township Trustee

To the SCPR Giavasis' withdrawal (who The Report believes would have been elected had he stayed in the race) means that it is likely that long time Councilman William Smuckler will be elected to succeed outgoing commissioner Pete Ferguson who decided not to run for re-election.

The Report sees the race between Democrat Smuckler and Republican and former commissioner Richard Regula as being competitive but with Smuckler being the ultimate winner.

A major advantage to having Giavasis remain in the race and likely be elected (in the SCPR's assessment) is that he has a relationship with Canton Mayor William J. Healy that offered hope that he could be a coordinating factor in convincing Healy to work with the county to effect consolidations/mergers of Canton's duplicative services (along with other Stark County political subdivisions) with the county's.

Although, as the likely successor to Ferguson, Smuckler has the longest running and deepest commitment to regionalization among the prospective commissioners come January 1, 2013 (the SCPR believing that Commissioner Bernabei will be re-elected), he only adds to the animosity that exists between the Stark County commissioners and Mayor William J. Healy, II.

Smuckler is fresh off having lost to Healy in the Democratic primary of March of this year and, of course, Commissioner Creighton lost to him in the general election of November, 2007 and, of course, he fired Commissioner Tom Bernabei as his services director and chief of staff in early 2008.

So the exit of Louis Giavasis is clearly a loss to Stark County in terms of bringing Stark County government and the city of Canton together.