(VIDEO OF LWV FORUM DISCUSSION ON ISSUE) WOULD CHUCK OSBORNE BE A "DISRUPTION" IF HE WERE ELECTED TO NORTH CANTON CITY COUNCIL?

The SCPR senses that there is unease these days among North Canton City Council (NCC - Council) members on the possibility that former Councilman Chuck Osborne might be elected to Council on November 8th.

For at least a decade Democrat Osborne has been a force to be reckoned with in political/governmental circles in North Canton.

In 2001 Osborne was elected to Council with the highest vote total of all five candidates for three Council positions.

Osborne had an opportunity to build on his election to become a dominant force somewhat like former Republican Councilman Daryl Revoldt (twice a councilman [also a president of Council] and mayor of North Canton) who is now working for Republican Governor John Kasich on economic development matters as he formerly did for former Republican Governor Bob Taft.

However, Osborne does not have the political and relational skills that Revoldt has and consequently soon fell out of favor with North Canton voters.

So the question becomes:  why?

On Wednesday evening the Canton League of Women Voters (LWV) had a candidates forum for the at-large candidates for NCC.

The SCPR's take on LWV forums is that they are the least informative of all the venues for candidate presentation because moderator Dick Kuhn clamps down real quick on discussions when they get direct and personal.

Yes, such exchanges can get a little messy.  But democracy at its finest is messy.  And for the likes of Kuhn to thwart the processes of democratic dialogue is why The Report is not enthusiastic for LWV presentations.

Wednesday night was somewhat of an exception for the hoity-toity LWV types in that they allowed a question that was on everybody's mind but was not likely to be permitted by Kuhn (in the SCPR's experience) to be put to the candidates.

The responses of the candidates were interesting to say the least (reference: the video at the end of this blog to see the the complete exchange):

Osborne defended his way of being as between himself and Council, to wit:

• fell back on an opening of the forum remark by Moderator Kuhn (i.e. 'the press spins the news, partial reporting; that's the way it has been") in obvious reference to The Repository's anti-Chuck Osborne (pro-North Canton Council) stance.  In other words, apparently, The Rep has misreported or insufficiently reports an authentic description of Osborne's relationship with Council.
• Council treats him differently than others addressing them on the Public Speaks (PS) portion of Council's agenda.  According to Osborne, he is reigned in to be in compliance to individual PS time limitations whereas others are given carte blanche to go on and on in violation of Council's time standards.
• his tense relationship with Council is grounded on his making Council accountable because he has done his research on issues and they have no answer and consequently they resort to personal attacks on his credibility.
• Council baits him into making disruptive outbursts by spinning what he has said by undermining what he has said in his PS remarks

Other to admit - implicitly - that he gets out-of-line "occasionally," Osborne does not square up with the base question as to whether or not he can work in a non-combative way with the rest of Council, if elected.

Councilwoman Marcia Kiesling (first elected to Council along with Osborne (and Kathy Magel) in 2001 says that she has worked well with Osborne in the two years spent on Council about 10 years ago and there is no reason to believe that he would be a problem if elected this year, but then belies (in the opinion of the SCPR) that statement by going on to comparing him to her irrepressible ten year old.

She tries to cast an maternal understanding on Osborne's outbursts which is hardly the type of relationship that voters expect of collegial Counsel members.

In essence, notwithstanding her literal words to the contrary, The Report interprets her remarks "in reality" as being a negative on Osborne's ability to work with Council in a politically mature manner.

To his credit, Councilman Mark Cerreta does not try to deal with the question.

Cerreta has been on Council long enough (since being appointed to replace Revoldt) to know how Osborne operates vis-a-vis Council (which included one occasion in which then Council President Revoldt had Osborne escorted by a North Canton policeman out of Council). 

The SCPR in the several years of covering North Canton Council has seen numerous reactions on Council members' parts in which they express their dissatisfaction (in public and privately) with Osborne's approach to Council.

The SCPR's point is a belief that Kiesling's response to the question on Wednesday was disingenuous and not indicative of the actual view that most, if not all, Council members have of Osborne, to wit:  that he is as a citizen addressing Council and would be as Council person be disruptive.

The Report sees value in Osborne continuing to appear before Council as a citizen who is always consummately prepared and press Council (with in time limits - which Counsel needs to apply even handed way) in a "check and balance" sort of way to justify their decisions.

It appears to yours truly that there are disagreements on key issues affecting North Canton's future between Council members that do not make it out into public view (where they belong in a democracy) in service of a desire to paint an artificial picture harmony.

But the remedy of this Council shortcoming is not:   having Osborne on Council.

Implicit in his remarks on Wednesday last is a realization that "he takes the bait" and loses control "on occasion."

Moreover, Osborne has a tendency to take a technical point of Council insufficiency and "gild the lily" on it so as to turn off those who otherwise admire the work he does.

Osborne needs to use the next two years (until the next election) to show in he can manage himself to change his interaction with Council from the PS lectern.

• No more outbursts from the audience.  
• No more standing at the lectern and continuing to talk on when he has been told that his time has expired.
• and, putting Council miscues in the context of broader take of an overall issue (i.e. not failing to see the forest for the trees).

In defense of Osborne, the North Canton should know that a lot of Osborne's information about non-public issues and planning et cetera that goes on in North Canton government comes to him in conversations he has (or more correctly, has had) with various members of Council chief among whom is Councilman Jeff Davies.

Osborne has shared with yours truly numerous matters which Davies has held counsel with Osborne on and then  (according to Osborne) has nary a word to say about in public Council meetings when a given topic is brought up.

If such is the case, Osborne needs to learn the adage:  "first time, shame on you; second time, shame on me."

Why would he keep going back to such a source?

Also, The Report believes at least one Council member "pulls Osborne's leg" with disinformation designed to get an - in the public, before Council at Public Speaks - reaction.

Such conduct, if true, is unbecoming of public officials and needs to stop now!  Additionally, Osborne needs to be more discerning as to whom he is getting information from.

The SCPR's point in bringing up the Davies and annoymous things is to suggest that these Council members need to clean up their own acts and thereby assist Osborne to getting to the place that he achieves a public perception of being a consistently valuable asset to the processes and substance of North Canton government.

Every government unit in America needs solid, knowledgeable citizen participation and involvement and North Canton has a ready, willing and potentially able such person in Chuck Osborne.

Perhaps in two years henceforth Osborne can bring his superior knowledge of North Canton government (acknowledged by nearly everyone who has seen him in action) to the table for North Cantonians to consider in the context of having reined himself in and thereby being fully capable of being a non-disruptive, in fact, positive, constructive asset to Council.

Given his history vis-a-vis Council since being off Council (December 31, 2002), the SCPR thinks it is problematical, if not predictable, that the well-meaning Osborne would be a disruptive force if elected this time around.

Osborne believes he will be elected this time around.

A number of North Canton political/government figures do not agree, largely because the believe that North Canton's voters picture him as being a polarizing figure who would likely embroil Council in unhelpful conflict and debate.

Nonetheless, they are nervous about the possibilities.

And, perhaps, for good reason.

Name familiarity is a big factor with many voters because of their unpreparedness of knowing the candidates and their stands on issues.

In North Canton politics, there is probably no name that strikes a cord with the citizenry than the name: CHUCK OSBORNE.

Here is the video of Wednesday nights discussion on the issue of whether or not Chuck Osborne would be divisive as a member of North Canton City Council, if elected:

"THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG?" SOURCE TELLS SCPR THAT COMPANY COMING TO NORTH CANTON IS THE SUAREZ CORPORATION (DUBBED "OMEGA PROJECT" BY HELD ADMINISTRATION. A CASE OF NORTH CANTON'S COUNCIL BEING GIVEN THE "BUM'S RUSH" BY THE HELD AMINISTRATION?

There is an expression:  "the hurrieder I go, the behinder I get," may be in full play with North Canton economic development.

For the SCPR, there is no doubt that the Held administration (Administration) and North Canton City Council (Council) are consummately committed to recovering from the severe economic blow the city was dealt when The Hoover Company closed its doors several years ago.

However, it appears to The Report that North Canton's  deliberative processes on and thinking about economic development are seriously flawed.

Monday night at a session of the Committee of the Whole, it seemed to yours truly that the Held administration was giving Council the "bum's rush" in terms of revealing critically needed information so as to equip Council to make a thoughtful, thoroughly vetted decision as to whether or not it is in North Canton's interest to accept the terms proffered by the fictionalized named Omega Project.

The SCPR is told that Omega Project is none other than the locally well known SUAREZ CORPORATION (Suarez) of Jackson Township.

If the information the SCPR is accurate as The Report believes it is, this seems to be yet another case of North Canton raiding from within Stark County and calling it economic development which is a case of political spin, pure and simple!

It seems to the Stark County Political Report that one of the few persons who caught the significance of what was afoot at the Committee of the Whole meeting other than North Canton Councilmen DeOrio and Davies is Council nemesis Chuck Osborne (a former councilman).

Here is what Osborne had to say about the secretive-esque Administration presentation:

What is the owner of the Hoover District doing to entice tenants to his facility? City Leaders have no idea?

Why is it repeatedly up to the City of North Canton and taxpayers to make the concessions to bring new tenants to the Hoover District?

All lease payments will go to the owners and developers of the Hoover District. I thought this was supposed to be a partnership? Does the City of North Canton have any idea what the developer of the Hoover District is providing to entice this new tenant to locate to the Hoover District?

Apparently from the discussion, no one in the City has any specifics as to number of employees of this firm, the revenues of the company, or the income taxes that would be collected.

Why is there no financial analysis of the proposal to study and scrutinize before moving ahead with further consideration of this request? Mayor Held, who was pitching this Refundable Occupancy Tax Credit Program, apparently does not know himself, as he was grabbing figures out of thin air in an effort to explain to City Council how this Tax Credit Program would work.

Why would any intelligent body of leaders move ahead with consideration of a deal without having all the information?

Why has every request for abatement of taxes in the City of North Canton always been run through on an emergency? I feel certain that these City Leaders do not make decisions about their own household business affairs with limited or no information.

Why do City Leaders take less care when it comes to the publics [sic] business than they do their own personal business?

To their credit, Councilmen DeOrio and Davies did raise serious questions about the Omega Project presentation (see the videos of their questioning below); however, the both indicated to The Report that they would be voting next Monday to proceed notwithstanding their unanswered questions which to The Report's way of thinking is a strange approach.

DeOrio not only asked questions.  He presented an alternative.  As a good and effective councilman should do, DeOrio has gone out and researched Refundable Tax Credit (variously known as Refundable Occupancy Grants [ROG).  He cited to Council a resource that all of them can access on the City of Macedonia, Ohio website in order to be better prepared in dealing with the Held administration and as a model for what North Canton might go to as future ROG initiatives come along [CLICK ON THIS SENTENCE TO LINK UP WITH THE MACEDONIA SITE]

So why is the Held administration so intent in rushing the Omega Project (Suarez?) through?

The Report believes it is because he wants something to crow about in tonight's State of the City message scheduled for the North Canton Civic Center at 7:00 PM.

Economic development is tough at any time.  And, it is particularly difficult now because of the severe blows the U.S. economy has suffered over the last three years or so.  Unemployment rates are high across the entire country.  North Canton and Stark County are no exception.

Politicians of all political stripes are under enormous pressure to get their local economies going and the SCPR believes are making some really bad deals for the taxpaying public and to boot are putting the capital structure of the various government entities at risk.

North Canton inherited the Hoover complex and is desperately trying to force feed it to success.  City leaders went out a lured Myers Industries away form Stark County sister-city Massillon and as part of the deal purchased a $400,000 crane for Myers.  So if the Myers venture doesn't pay off, what does North Canton do with and very expensive industrial crane?

The Report's overall take on North Canton's partnership (sort of) with Maple Street Commerce LLC is that it is treading water.  Not a failure.  Not booming success some city officials are touting.  Again, "just treading water."

Recently, it came to light to North Canton economic officials that Diebold (presently primarily located in the City of Green [Summit County] bordering Stark) was looking to relocate its facilities.  Recently?  Well, only if you are a North Canton economic development official.

Actually, Diebold has been scouting about for a site that will accommodate facilities akin to Diebold's competitor National Cash Register (NCR - formerly of Dayton) campus like facilities in the Atlanta, Georgia area FOR NINE (9) MONTHS.

Even though North Canton came to the game late, it seems that Diebold is interested in North Canton's Arrowhead grounds as a potential site that could rival its competitor's in Atlanta.  But, alas, the North Canton councilpersons that The Report has talked to indicate they think that North Canton's economic development team is "a day late and a dollar short" and therefore are not optimistic that anything will come of the Diebold thing.

So what is one to make of North Canton's economic development effort?

For The Report:  it is flawed and needs to be overhauled!

There is no question that North Canton has some terrific assets to offer (hopefully, out-of-county; if not out-of-state/country) prospective employers to come into the Dogwood City and Stark County.

Disturbingly, it does not appear to the SCPR that North Canton has a economic development team in place to enable it to parlay its capital and social assets into jobs in sufficient numbers to offset those lost in Hoover's demise.

If North Canton's officials want to turn the city around economically, they need to re-evaluate the quality  of the city's  economical development effort.

Here are the videos of Councilman DeOrio and Davies speaking out on the Omega Project.

ARE DAVID HELD'S DAYS NUMBERED AS MAYOR OF NORTH CANTON?

UPDATE:  06/17/2010 AT 10:00 AM

Mayor David Held contacted the SCPR to tell his version of the story of Council rejecting his administration's request for a $15,000 allocation to hire temporary help to be used to relieve the administrative burden engulfing city hall.

Currently, the administration is bringing, on an alternative basis, an employee from the city engineer's office and the Civic Center to handle the excess work on a part-of=the-day basis.

Held says that he has one person to service his operations, the functions of City Administrator Earle E. Wise, Jr and the economic development department.administrative tasks.  The Mayor was not at Monday's Council meeting and says that the request was made by Wise.

Meanwhile, Mayor Held pointed out that Council is adding to the work of the Mayor's court (i.e. hearing nuisance cases, et cetera).

Will Held be going back to Council again on the Wise request?  No, he says.  He is determined to live within the constraints places on the administration by Council.

Moreover, Held highlighted repeatedly in our conversation that Council has three employees.  He did not use the word "unfair" in our talk, but that was the clear inference that The Report took away from the confab.

When The Report suggested that Councilman Jeff Davies may be behind his administration's troubles with Council, all Held did was chuckle.  He said he is not about to get into a fight with Davies or anyone else on Council that his attitude is to work hard to improve North Canton's provision of city services while reducing costs.

He says that he has reduced the number of employees during his term in office from 116 to 95.

So it appears to the SCPR that there will be no open warfare in North Canton government. 

But that doesn't mean there won't be an undertow of discord.

And as we all know from life experience, undertow's can mature into a crisis in a hurry.



ORIGINAL POST

Yours truly was just in hometown Gettysburg, Pennsylvania this past weekend for a high school reunion.  Oldest daughter is in Washington, DC for the summer with her family and we hooked up in Gettysburg so that the family could get an "expert-led" led tour of the historic civil war battlefield.

Our starting point was the Gettysburg National Military Park Visitors Center.  Since the Electric Map is no longer in existence, the Visitors Center is the only alternative with which to get an overall view (via a well-made film) of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1 - 3, 1863). Yours truly did not witness the battle).

In the presentation, the narrator mentions the Confederate firing on the Union water bound fortress of Fort Sumpter on April 12, 1861 as being the "opening shot" of the Civil War.

Monday night's North Canton City Council meeting may well have been the "opening shot" of a political civil war between Mayor David Held and a majority of North Canton City Council members.

Held asked for $15,000 to do some stop-gap hiring for the city's administration.  A motion was made, but it did not get seconded and, of course, wasn't voted on.

The SCPR has known since the summer of 2008 that at least one member of Council (Jeff Davies) and perhaps others were not enamored with Mayor Held.  Apparently, most, if not all of Council, is now about joining Davies to rein Held and his administration in.

Davies' complaint back in 2008 was that he performs as a "weak mayor" and that he was fast losing respect of Council.  Yours truly has brought this up directly to Held who more or less pooh-poohed the entire notion of Council unhappiness.  Rather, he thought, it was just Davies talk.

Is Held in for a shock, if he doesn't already know it?

The SCPR understands that the word is to be put out to Held that he must make substantial cuts in the administration's use of city revenues.  And if he doesn't?

Then Council will make the cuts for him.

How so?

It will appropriate X number of dollars to administration in a kind of "Here it is boys and girls, spend it as you wish; but this is all you are getting."

And The Report understands that the Council strategy is pretty much supported by all members of Council.

So do you think Mayor Held is likely to get the message?

Mayor Held is the eternal peacemaker.  So expect him to use his peacemaking skills to change some Council members' minds.  If he can do that, then maybe there will be another day for Held to fire back.

Otherwise, the war is over and David Held could be on his way out as mayor of North Canton.

There is talk that Councilman Davies will run against Mayor Held next year.  Wouldn't surprise the SCPR.  Held embarrassed Davies earlier this year in making an issue out of a certain North Canton employee allegations that Davies was acting inappropriately.

North Canton's law director decided that the allegations were not substantive enough to pursue action against Davies.

Another player in all of this is community activist Chuck Osborne (a former councilman).  Osborne is particularly put out with City Administrator Earle Wise, Jr.  The question is this.  Is he so negative on Wise that he will take up sides with Davies et al?

The final question:  How long will this war go on in North Canton between the Administration and Council?

Because we know that the first shot has been fired!!!

CANTON DEMOCRATS ARE INFIGHTING OVER MAYORALTY; NORTH CANTON REPUBLICANS ARE INFIGHTING MAYORALTY

It is old news that Canton Democrats (Smuckler and his many friends on Canton City Council; Healy and his "few" friends on Council) are lining up to determine who will be the next mayor of Canton.

Healy has alienated all but about two or so Canton councilpersons in his bid to be reelected mayor.  However, he has developed an alternative strategy to remain mayor.

The SCPR believes the odds of Healy returning are not looking good.

The "new" news is that North Canton is looking like it is going to have a mayoralty contest come May, 2011.  And, like Canton, because a lopsided Republican registration factor in the Dogwood City, the primary will determine who is to be North Canton's new mayor.

Who are the likely foes in North Canton?

Councilman Jeff Davies and current Mayor David Held.

There has been bad blood between these two for some time now.  Moreover, there has brewing dissatisfaction on many Council members' part with the Held administration, to wit:  Held, himself and City Administrator Earle Wise, Jr. but not so much other members of the administration leadership mix.

Davies and Held do not get along.

Davies thinks Held is a weak mayor.  Held thinks Davies is brash and uncouth.

Held and a number of others in North Canton government has complained about Davies.  However, the complains were dismissed by North Canton's law director as not being actionable. 

Held and Davies are North Canton's mix of oil and water; just like Cantonians Smuckler and Healy.  Even though they are of the same political party; partisan ties are not enough to keep them together.

North Canton Council is different than Canton's.  Of the seven councilpersons, four are announced Republicans (Canton:  all but one are Demcrats). 

How will North Canton Council wade in on a Held/Davies match up?

It's hard to say.

What they will be doing in the opinion of the SCPR is weighing the lesser of two political evils.

Davies' perceived temper and brashness versus Held's perceived inability to lead North Canton with strength and purpose.

Both will be lobbying Council for support over the next year and who wins that battle could have a leg up on next year's primary.

The SCPR believes the likelihood of a Davies/Held contest is good for North Canton in the sense that political competition will clarify the issues and characteristics between the two from which to make a choice.

In 2009, Held ran unopposed.

North Cantonians should be urging Davies and others to run for mayor next year.  The more candidates, the better for North Canton!

WHAT'S THIS: A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SAYS SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT A CITIZEN WHO GET'S THEIR GOAT?

"You make a good point," is a refrain that one can hear frequently at North Canton City Council when citizen Chuck Osborne takes to the mike during the "public speaks" portion of a Council meeting.

For every North Canton government issue, Osborne has an opinion.

Moreover, he comes in "armed to the teeth" with facts.  However, his facts often prove embarrassing to the North Canton administration and Council.

Lately, Osborne has been pushing and pushing hard on the North Canton/Aqua of Ohio water supply agreement.  He has been working hard to get what he thinks would be a much fairer agreement for the taxpayers of North Canton than what has been in place.

Much to the consternation of city officials, Osborne has been using the facts generated by a company (Arcadis) commissioned by North Canton to study the cost/price aspects of the now "scraped" 20 year between The Dogwood City and Aqua.

Why consternation?

Because, depending on how one interprets the Arcadis study, one could come to the conclusion that North Canton is not making a fair profit on the water sold to Aqua.  And since Hoover closed its doors in North Canton, the city's investment in its water infrastructure in probably its most important asset.

Edd Prichard of The Repository reported of this past Monday meeting (North Canton officials, Aqua reach a deal):

Councilman Jeff Davies, Ward 3, said the proposed contract changes were discussed and reviewed more than any other matter brought to council over the last two years.

And why was "the proposed contract changes ... discussed and reviewed more than any other matter" over the past two years.

Indeed!  Citizen Chuck Osborne is the reason.  If it were not for Osborne, North Canton would likely be languishing under the terms of the old 20 years agreement;  It is unbelievable to the SCPR that North Canton negotiated a 20 year agreement in the first place.  And now to "improve" it, according to Council president Revoldt (as one of the changed aspects) to being for "only" ten years is absurd, too.

Osborne is not happy with the revised agreement.

The SCPR suspects that Osborne is correct in thinking that the new agreement is not what it should be.

The Report believes that future North Canton councils will dig out the minutes of council meetings on the Aqua agreement deliberations and come to fully appreciate the work of Osborne.

On the other hand, future council members will likely be saying among themselves of the 2010 edition of Council:  "What were they thinking?"

Pritchard reports thusly about Osborne's efforts:

Davies thanked former council member Charles Osborne for constantly raising questions during the course of the discussion. “He held our feet to the fire,

A SCPR "hats off" to Davies for recognizing Osborne and to Prichard for reporting it (Prichard often ignores Osborne's input).

What's next:  A North Canton good citizen award to Osborne?

Don't hold your breath!

For the SCPR has reason to believe that more Council members loathe Osborne than like him.  Hence the graphic "they like, they really like Osborne" is presented "tongue-in-cheek."

Government disdain of citizen critique is a core reason why about 80% of Americans do not trust (and impliedly) do not like government.

Such is not good for government!

COUNCILMAN JEFF DAVIES OF NORTH CANTON THE SUBJECT OF THREE COMPLAINING LETTERS GENERATED INSIDE NORTH CANTON CITY GOVERNMENT. WHAT ARE THE ALLEGATIONS?

In yesterday's blog on North Canton's city government, the SCPR wrote in part:

A recent biggie that has city officials in a dither is a letter or letters that Mayor David Held has generated fingering a sitting council member as engaging in harassing and discriminatory conduct.  A source close to the councilman says that the Held accusations are bogus and are a total overreaction to innocent conduct.

Today, the SCPR expands on this prior post.

The councilman who is the subject of three letters obtained by the SCPR, is Councilman Jeffrey Davies.


THE LETTERS:


Letter #1 generated by Mayor David Held.

In this letter penned by Mayor Held on December 7th, Held complains to Council president Daryl Revoldt:

• That after a November North Canton City Council meeting, in a conversation between Held and Davies, Davies made an offensive comment to Held regarding Held's wife,
• That after the December 1, 2009 North Canton City Council meeting, Held arranged for group photo during the taking of which, Held alleges, made an offensive comment towards Councilwoman Marcia Kiesling,
• That Davies has a history of making offensive comments to "[city] employees and others" which Held had already communicated to Revoldt.

 Held concludes as follows:

Letter #2 written by Superintendent of Utilities and Recreation Thomas Chupar on December 10, 2009 and directed to Mayor David Held.

In this letter, Chupar writes, in part, as follows:

Letter #3, was written by a subordinate level city employee which the SCPR is withholding the name of:

 

Davies friend and community activist Chuck Osborne says that all of these allegations are unfounded and to the degree they show anything, it  is that Davies is a well know jokester and nothing more.

Osborne also suggested that, in his opinion, Held doesn't like Jeff Davies and that Held is leading an effort to force Davies off counsel.

And so "the beat goes on at North Canton City Hall."

It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out.

Is Osborne correct that this is a Held grudge on Davies exercise.

Or, as he has told the SCPR, is Held doing what he thinks the law requires of him and other city officials in terms of Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities law?

Stay tuned!

WHAT IS COUNCIL PRESIDENT DARYL REVOLDT'S HURRY?

Does anyone on North Canton City Council, besides Councilman Jeff Davies, have any backbone?

North Canton is about to finalize an agreement with Maple Street Commerce (Stu Lichter) on the continuing development of the former Hoover complex into a facility reconfigured, refitted for new tenants.

North Canton officials released the proposal at the past Monday's council meeting as emergency legislation. The SCPR's sources have no idea what the emergency is and even after asking Council president Daryl Revoldt still do not know.

Councilman Davies did try to put the breaks on by asking for a second reading prior to the vote. Council President Revoldt was having none of that.

Of course, there are other concilpersons. Let's see there is Doug Foltz (Ward 1), Daniel Peters (Ward 2), Jon Snyder (Ward 4) and Marcie Kiesling (at-large). Pat DeOrio (at-large) was on vacation.

Apparently, Foltz, Peters, Snyder and Kiesling sat there mum. No support at all for Davies.

We all know that when someone (in this case, Revoldt) is giving something the "bum's rush," watch out. Someone is about to get the shaft. In this case, it is likely the "someone" is going to be North Canton taxpayers.

Deals with developers are notorious for not protecting taxpayers.

Public officials are under enormous pressure to give developers everything they ask for because of the politics of producing jobs to replace rapidly vanishing jobs.

If Council sits back and let's Revoldt rush this agreement through without being properly vetted, then they share in the public accountability should things go wrong.

As we all know from life experience, "haste makes waste."

$2.2 MILLION TAXPAYER DOLLARS AT WORK?

What was good for Hoover Company employees - is - apparently, not good for the employees of companies occupying the Stu Lichter Hoover rehab project in North Canton.

What's that?

Well, Hoover Company employees, probably from the inception of the company, who parked in the parking lot directly south of the sweeper factory (requiring the crossing of East Maple Street) dodged traffic to get to and from the factory/office complex and the parking lot.

When company profits were at stake, a pedestrian traffic control light would do. But apparently no more.

When Ohio (not just North Canton) money is available, this "other peoples' money" can be used to luxuriate.

If the plan goes forward, North Canton government will spend $2.2 million of our money to unburden employees crossing East Maple Street from having to push a traffic control button to go to and fro to work.

On North Councilman Jeff Davies appears to oppose the plan so far.

This plan promotes a twofold question:

A. Is the bypass a wise, efficient and productive use of taxpayer money (remember, all of Ohio participating), and

B. Is it a permitted use under the funding law that provides the money?