(VIDEOS) HAS MAYOR WILLIAM J. HEALY, II OVERSTATED "THE STATE OF THE CITY OF CANTON?"

LAST UPDATED:  FINAL (12:11 PM)

VIDEOS

BACKGROUND & INTRODUCTION
STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

BY

CANTON MAYOR WILLIMA J. HEALY, II
(PUBLISHED)

==================================

-PILLAR OF A STRONG COMMUNITY
"ECONOMY"
MAYOR HEALY
(PUBLISHED)

==================================

-PILLAR OF A STRONG COMMUNITY
"EDUCATION"
MAYOR HEALY
(PUBLISHED)

==================================

-PILLAR OF A STRONG COMMUNITY
"COMMUNITY"
(FORMERELYY "NEIGHBORHOODS")
MAYOR HEALY
(PUBLISHED)

==================================

-PILLAR OF A STRONG COMMUNITY
"SAFETY"
MAYOR HEALY
(PUBLISHED)

==================================

ASSESSMENT

BY

COUNCILMAN-AT-LARGE RICHARD HART
 (PUBLISHED)

==================================

ASSESSMENT

BY

WARD 2 COUNCILMAN THOMAS WEST
(PUBLISHED)

==================================

COMMENTS 
CHIEF OF STAFF
FONDA WILLIAMS
(PUBLISHED)

=================================

SWEARING-IN OF NEW HIRES

NEW FIRE DEPT OFFICERS

NEW POLICE DEPT OFFICERS
(PUBLISHED)

Canton mayor William J. Healy, II never does anything "half-baked."  At least, he doesn't think so.

And he was a roll last night as he presented his seventh annual State of the City addresses everyone of which the Stark County Political Report has attended.

For the most part they have been sparsely attended.  But not last night.  As can be seen from the video included in this blog, there were hundreds and hundreds of interested persons in attendance if not over a thousand.

Healy's theme last night?

 

Those who read the SCPR regularly know that The Report is not prone to to be all that complimentary of the mayor.

As can seen from the SCPR's interview of Councilman-at-Large Richard Hart (independent; formerly a Republican), as published later on his this blog,  there certainly are questions to be asked about the specifics of the mayor's presentation.

The Report's overall take is that while the presentation highly polished, showy (note in the interviews that the SCPR did, I use the term "rosy" over and over) and somewhat impressive, only time will tell whether or not the mayor's case for "let the good times roll" in Canton is well founded or a case of "putting lispstick on a pig."

Time is likely to reveal that a little bit of both are at play.

Healy made "a really big deal" out of the quality of his management team (a la TeamHealy; his campaign approach).  Undoubtedly, he has some very good administrators, but they are not folks who are going to do much, if any, questioning of Hizzhoner's ideas, policies, practices and programs.

Being uncritical does not make a person ineffective.  But The Report thinks it is "unhealthy" for a leader like Healy to abide having nobody in his inner circle (in the manner of former administration officials Tom Bernabei, Tom Nesbitt and Warren Price) who takes vigorous exception to him.  

It is not good for the mayor.  But his personal political well-being is not a concern of the SCPR.  The Report does care about the people of Canton being lead down the proverbial primrose path on some "half-baked" idea, policy, practice or policy that damages the city as a whole and particular citizens because nobody who can open his/her mouth in protest to the mayor is tolerated by him.

Healy was "higher than a high flying kite" (see slide 5 of 50 slides) in touting in his slickly put together Powerpoint presentation:

And did he throw out the big numbers?  Indeed!

"City of Canton 2014 Operations:  2014 Total Operations $206 Million, 2014 General Fund Operations $54.6 Million."

Words not enough to impress you?  Okay, the SCRP helps Healy show off.  Here's his Powerpoint.

Its at this point in Healy's address that one gets the impression that the mayor is indeed "a miracle worker."

Or, maybe someone who can manipulate the numbers to make it "appear" he is "a miracle worker?"

Look at the next series of Healy-presented Powerpoints.

For the period 2007 (Healy took office on January 1, 2008) through 2007 through 2014 (projected, of course):

• $3,438,997 less General Fund Revenue
• but $612,816 more in carry over
• spending $3,888,064 less
• however income tax collections increase $1,097,123
• while the State of Ohio cut local government funding $6,125,921

 Wow!!!

The SCPR has this gnawing feeling that the numbers are being played with.  Maybe it just because The Report knows this mayor all to well?

The mayor is so confident in his numbers that he his administration has initiated efforts with New York's bond raters to reconsider Canton's bond rating.

If they buy into his numbers, then, indeed, Stark Countians should start believing that Healy is "a turnaround artist" in the face of great adversity.

Here is a video of the opening round of Healy's State of the City message.



Next up for Mayor Healy was an update on his "four pillars of a strong community" which he has been using for a number of years now in identifying those functions of government which he thinks constitute the correct priorities for making Canton a strong community.

The "community pillar" translates into "the neighborhoods."

 Key points on "the four pillars" made by Canton's chief executive officer include:

• Economy
• unemployment down some 7 percentage points (January, 2012 through December, 2013),
• working with leading Canton-based companies,
• VXI to add 650 jobs,
• SCPR Note:  low paying jobs?
• oil and gas companies,
• SCPR Note:  no mention of loss of Chesapeake Headquarters to Louisville; no mention of the number of jobs the industry has brought to Canton; no specific numerical elaboration of what his naming Canton as being "the Utica capital" as having benefited Canton's economy
• developing regional alliances,
• coordinating with the Greater Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce,

VIDEO:  HEALY MAKES HIS CASE ON CANTON'S ECONOMY

• Education
• increasing high school graduation rates,
• Canton City Schools Brighter Tomorrow program,
• Mayor's Scholarship Program,
• Stark State College downtown campus dedicated to preparing students to work in the energy industry,

VIDEO:  HEALY MAKES HIS CASE ON CANTON'S EDUCATION  

• Community (formerly, "the neighborhoods")

• SCPR Note:   no mention of achievement or lack of achievements of  Mayor's Neighborhood Commission,

 VIDEO:  HEALY MAKES HIS CASE ON CANTON'S NEIGHBORHOODS

• Safety
• relies on FBI statistics that crime is reduced in Canton
• SCPR Note:  anyone who attends Canton City Council meetings has to be real skeptical of the FBI numbers which seem to indicate Canton is getting safer.  Frequently, citizens take to the Public Speaks lectern to complain anecdotally about the severity and widespread nature of crime in their respective neighborhoods,
• SCPR Note:  Mayor needs to explain FBI numbers in light of information on MOVO.COM which says that Canton is the second most dangerous small cities in America,
• a signigficant part of last night's event was devoted to touting of new hires (fire and police [see video below] including a very nicely done swearing in ceremony,
• SCPR Note:  Mayor has resisted making these new hires over the first six years of his administration and failed to give credit to Bruce Nordman (Group 175 leader - out of Councilman Frank Morris's (council majority leader) 9th ward for putting the heat on him to get the police force to 175 members (about where it was when he took office),
• SCPR Note:  Healy failed to note the controversy surrounding the staffing of various fire stations and the lack of the availability of ambulance units because of what some believe to be punitive political action on his part and because of a fuss over overtime and other employment issue factors,
• SCPR Note:  Healy failed to note his refusal to implement hiring of fire and police in the past even though financially provided for by council,

VIDEO:  HEALY MAKES HIS CASE ON CANTON'S SAFETY

To sum up, the SCPR wants to believe that Canton "really is" on the uptick for, as The Report as often written, Canton is the hub of Stark County and The Hall of Fame City is an overall indicator of how well the county is doing.

However, the mayor ebullience inclines the SCPR towards suspicion that Hizzhonor was feeding the crowd another round of spin that makes him look good but in reality is like Canton walking in place if not loosing ground.

Councilman Richard Hart as evidenced in the following video did not get caught up in what the SCPR suspects to be Healy Hype not borne out by nearly the substance that the mayor would have you and I believe.




A more believing assessment was offered by Councilman Thomas West, to wit.



One of the SCPR's favorite Healy administrators is Chief of Staff Fonda Williams.

Here is what he had to say.



All-in-all, the SCPR urges readers to cut the mayor some slack and to suspend skepticism for the time being and see whether or not Mayor Healy actually has Moody and Standard and Poor come to Canton and thoroughly and critically examine the numbers he presented.

If they do and they confirm that his numbers are real and are willing to put their reputations on the line by raising Canton's bond rating, then we might all start believe that the mayor has turned the corner on believability and maybe the State of the City of Canton and by extension all of Stark Community is headed towards "the sky is the limit" territory.  We shall see.

Nobody can fail to be impressed by the end of last night's meeting whereby Mayor William J. Healy, II swears-in Canton's new fire and police officers.  With the additions, the Canton Fire Department now stands at 155 in force; the Canton Police Department 165 in force.

Here is the swearing-in video.

(VIDEOS) CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? COMMISSIONER CREIGHTON IS THE DECIDING VOTE TO HELP CANTON MAYOR WILLIAM J. HEALY, II?

SCPR SERIES HIGHLIGHTING INCIDENTS IN WHICH STARK COUNTY'S POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS (I.E. COUNTY GOV'T & VILLAGE, CITY & TOWNSHIP) FAIL STARK TAXPAYERS

VIDEOS

Healy Plays Loose with the Facts

About

Stark County's Allocation of
"Ohio Moving Forward" Money

---------------------------------------------------------

The SCLRC Vote

on

Canton's OHFA Application

-------------------------------------------------------

Fonda Williams

Post-Meeting Interview

------------------------------------------------------

The SCLRC Meeting

of

January 21, 2014

------------------------------------------------------- 

Only Mayor William J. Healy, II could pull this one off.

On the one hand,

• making out that the Stark County Land Reutilization Corporation (SCLRC, "Land Bank") to be the problem getting in the way of Canton making a dent in achieving progress in tearing down abandoned eyesore residences and, then,  

on the other,

• sending a representative (Chief of Staff Fonda Williams) to Land Bank meeting "with hat in hand" pleading with the SCLRC board members to sponsor Canton in making an application with the State of Ohio for more money to demolish the vacated properties.

HISTORY BEHIND THE "HEALY SET UP"

Back on July 29, 2013 (at a Canton City Council meeting) is seen in the video below ragging on the SCLRC for not allocating Canton all $2.3 million that the commission received from the Ohio attorney general's Stark County allocation from his Moving Ohio Forward program (LINK for background on the Moving Ohio Forward program).




Never mind that other Stark County communities have problem properties to deal with and need some of the Moving Ohio Forward money.

After all, Canton is "everything Stark County," notwithstand the following list of "other Stark County demolitions projects," no?

In Healy's mind, Canton is Stark County.

But others beg to differ with him.

Among those are SCLRC board members Stark County treasurer Alex Zumbar (Republican), Stark County commissioner Janet Creighton (Republican) and Plain Township trustee Scott Haws (Republican).

Commissioner Thomas Bernabei (Democrat) likely disagrees with Healy also but the SCPR isn't all that sure about him.

Really?

Yes.

Why is The Report unsure?

THE SCLRC "TURNING 'THE OTHER CHEEK'"

At a meeting of the SCLRC on January 21:

• Bernabei (a Democrat) joined with:
• Canton's representative on the board (Lem Green, a Democrat and who formerly worked in the treasurer's office under Gary Zeigler [until he - Green resigned], 
• to pass a resolution
• and Republican commissioner Janet Creighton in a stunning development in which she 'reluctantly" was "the deciding vote"
• in overcoming the "no" votes of Zumbar and Haws.
• to pass a resolution
• committing the the SCLRC to work with Canton, the Stark County Regional Planning Commissioner and others
• to help Canton qualify for a "minimum" $2 million grant from the Ohio Housing Financing Agency (OHFA) which is administrating a federal government Neighborhood Initiative Program (NIP) which - believe it or not - is from TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) money passed by Congress.
• NOTE 1:  Ohio did not come out with guidelines and applications until the first week of January, 2014 and required that application be submitted not later than January  31, 2014 (this past Friday).
• Canton did make a submission on Friday.
• NOTE 2:  Canton (through Fonda Williams [who was present at the meeting of the 21st) did promise to include other Stark County political subdivisions in sharing some of the grant money, should Canton's application be successful.
• NOTE 3:  That Canton has not used all of its Ohio Moving Forward money (see below), may adversely affect its NIP application.
• NOTE 4:  $60 million is available statewide to be distributed in two rounds.  Round 1 has $50 million set aside for distribution.  Awards can range from a minimum of $2 million to $15 million.  $10 million (plus any unused Round 1 money) will be distributed some time after July 31st.

Here is a video of that vote.



After the meeting the SCPR spoke to Williams about the close vote.



STARK COUNTY TO LOSE "MOVING OHIO FORWARD MONEY BECAUSE CANTON LAGS ON DEMOLITION EFFORT

The big rub at the January 21st meeting was the fact "it came to light" that Canton will not meet its demolition goal of spending $1 million in demolishing abandoned and dilapidated residences by May 31, 2014.

The SCPR covers Canton City Council on a pretty regular basis and The Report can say that council is not one bit happy with the Healy administration on the slow pace of Canton's sorely needed tear downs.

With this blog, council members are likely to be even unhappier as they learn that Canton will be leaving tens of thousands of dollars (if not in the range of several hundred thousand dollars) on the table.

According to Williams, the reason for the failure is that "not enough contractors" (7 of a possible 14) are participating in the city's bidding process and - even for those who are - they - for the most part are having to "be run herd on" in getting the demolitions done on a timely basis.

Moreover, he says, Canton has been plagued by its contractors" nitpicking various aspects of their successful bids as a pretext (the SCPR's interpretation of Williams' remarks) for justifying their not getting particular demolitions done.

So let's get this straight Mayor Healy:  Canton cannot fully use the $1 million that the SCLRC allocated the city, and so you blast the Board for not allocating $1.3 million more?

A red herring, (LINK to definitions) if the SCPR has ever seen one.

No surprise to the SCPR!  Healy always seem to blame others when things go wrong for Canton. 

THE HEALY SPIN?  WILLIAMS APPEARS TO BE DOING WHAT HE CAN.

It appears to the SCPR that Williams is endeavoring to move "heaven and earth" to spend the $1 million.  The way the program works is that Canton gets reimbursed up to $1 million (the local match which Canton financed by issuing bonds).

But when The Report quizzed him before Canton's January 27th meeting about reasons why Canton was not going be spending the $1 million, he did what appears to be a Healy-esque "two-step" and avoided the head-on question that Stark County as a consequence was going to lose the unspent and focused on "making up" for the failure under Moving Ohio Forward by using the OHFA-NIP money, if it is approved.

The SCPR likes Williams and views him as a guy who wants to be straight forward but he works for a guy (Healy) who The Report thinks in practically never straight forward.

And, Healy IS the BOSS.

If you don't believe the SCPR, just ask Hizzhoner himself.

He'll tell ya!

If you are going to work for William J., you'd better get that straight or you will not be around once he figures out that a subordinate has a mind of his/her own.

Among his victims on that score have been former service director Bernabei, former safety director Tom Nesbitt and former service director, safety director, and chief-of-staff Warren Price.

After the SCPR talked with Williams, to set the Healy-inspired (the SCPR thinks) spin straight, The Report contacted SCLRC president Alex Zumbar.

Zumbar has been the driving force behind Stark County getting involved in the Land Bank business.

Since early 2012 Zumbar has been leading the effort to get Stark land bank up and going.

 

To see the underlying documents (the commissioners' resolution of March 21, 2012 and the Articles of Incorporation) of the "new" non-profit (quasi-governmental) corporation, go to this LINK at the secretary of state website and then click on "Document Number/Image," to wit:

In March of 2012, the SCPR published a blog which laid out how Canton/"the Healy administration" stood to benefit "hugely" and the hand of unlikely benefactors Bernabei and Creighton.

For Canton not to have been prepared for the infusion of millions of dollars is simply inexcusable and Cantonians should be outraged.

And they should lay it right at the feet of William J. Healy, II!

Here is the above-referenced exchange between the SCPR and Zumbar.

First, the SCPR email to Zumbar:

>>> Martin Olson <tramols@att.net> 1/29/2014 8:37 AM >>>
Alex,

I talked with Fonda Williams at Canton City Council's meeting on Monday about the progress of the OHFA grant.

My question was a follow up to the point made at the SCLRC meeting re:  Canton's inability to fully utilize the OAG Moving Ohio monies.

It was:  what happens to the "unused" portion of the OAG money?

I was unable to understand his explanation.  He seemed to me to be merging his answer with the OHFA grant application and the assumption that Stark County would qualify.  My understanding was that should Canton fail to uses all the OAG money allocated by the SCLRC, the city would be covered by OHFA money.

But still was not responsive - in my opinion - to my question.

Can you help me out with an answer from the SCLRC perspective?

Thanks,

Martin Olson
SCPR

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zumbar's response:


Martin: [01/29/2014]

Thank you for your follow-up question on the January 21, 2014 -Stark County Land Reutilization Corporation meeting.

To answer your question "What happens to the "unused" portion of the OAG money?"

In short, it is left on the table and is retained by the Ohio Attorney General office.  The money not expended by the Moving Ohio Forward demolition grant deadline of May 31, 2014 will not be available to the Stark County Land Reutilization Corporation for reimbursement for demolished structures in Phase I.   Under our existing contracts, phase one of this program still requires the completion of all demolitions by May 31, 2014.

For any amounts remaining and available from the Phase I - MOF demolition grant program would then be a decision that would be made by Attorney General Mike DeWine.  Attorney General DeWine could consider the possibility of redistributing the remaining amounts to County Land banks that express an interest and that are in a position to be able to expend the funds should another Moving Ohio Forward demolition grant Phase II. 

Regards,

Alex


Of course, Janet Creighton never worked for Healy, but she did lose an election to him in 2007 after having been elected mayor in 2003.

Once he took office, Healy started trashing her in her administration of the mayor's office during her four years.

Of course, the objective of this quintessential Healy tactic is what?

You have it.  To make Healy look like Boy Wonder coming to the rescue, no?

Maybe the Bush administration should have checked with Healy before asking Janet to join the administration for its last year in office?

Healy is well known for trashing anyone who disagrees with him.

Actually, it is a compliment to be attacked by him.

The Report hears that every year for Christmas, somebody gives him a Top.  You know:  Spin, Spin, Spin, ad infinitum.

CREIGHTON'S "PRO-HEALY" VOTE

Undoubtedly, Janet Creighton would not see her vote as a "pro-Healy" vote.

Rather she has to be thinking that it was a "pro-Canton-citizen" vote that unfortunately is under the administration of a man who likely will find one way or another to botch things up if OHFA approves the application.

It is to her credit (and to Bernabei also) that she and he did not let past animosities affect their votes.

The SCPR does not think that the Zumbar and the Haws "no" votes were borne of partisan political differences.

Rather, The Report sees them as being for political "philosophical" differences, which The Report thinks Creighton shares.

It is a credit to her that she resolved her doubts in favor of everyday Cantonians who she faithfully served for four years.

When Healy runs for office again, he certainly spins his failure to use all the money available to Canton from Moving Ohio Forward into having been some grand success.

Such is the nature of William J. Healy, II.

One has to wonder when the citizens of Canton are going to get wise about this guy Healy?

He has been bamboozling them for over six years now.

Wise up Cantonians, wise up!

The January 21st SCLRC meeting is quite interesting and here it is - for the most part -  except for the first 30 minutes or so which the SCPR missed because of attending a Stark Board of Elections meeting of the same date.

The initial missed portion had to do with the SCLRC hiring an administrator.  The preference is to hire on a contract basis rather than a direct employee.

The Community Builders Partnership of Stark County, Inc (represented by by Director Joel Owens and Healthy Communities Manager Maureen Austin) is interested in obtaining the administrative work.

Also missing is a few minutes of board consideration of vacant lot disposition which occurred because of The Report's desire to interview Canton Chief of Staff Fonda Williams one-on-one.

The Fonda Williams interview is presented above.

CANTON CITY SCHOOLS (CCS): "$12.075 MILLION OR FIGHT" WITH HUNTINGTON BANK BUILDING OWNER AMERIMAR!. MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN CCS TAX REVENUES MAY BE AT STAKE!

Eventually (1846 - The Oregon Treaty) the United States government settled its claims to the Oregon Territory boundary claims at the 49th Parallel; not 54 degrees, 40 minutes as the 1844 presidential election slogan "54-40 or Fight" with the British, once again, would have had the U.S. do.

A boundary fight of sorts has been underway in Stark County for some time now. 

But this version is in financial terms:  "$8.9 Million or Fight."  However, the local fight does have a land aspect to it.

It has taken the form of many of Stark's school districts challenging valuations of Stark County properties for property tax purposes

A few months ago, Stark County auditor Alan Harold, made reference with a "fight of sorts" going on between the auditor's office and Stark County Educational Service Center superintendent on the auditor's office valuations of properties.  (Note:  my wife, Mary, is a member of the SCESC Governing Board).

Harold made an oblique reference to the fight in casual conversation.

A leading figure in the fight is SCESC and Canton City Schools attorney Mary Jo Shannon Slick.

We all know that public school funding is always tottering on the edge of survival -  witness the series of cases DeRolph v. State of Ohio (1991 through 2003).

The Ohio Supreme Court seemed poised take the Ohio Legislature to task, to wit:

March 24, 1997. The Ohio Supreme Court issues an opinion holding that the current funding system is unconstitutional and orders a "complete, systematic overhaul" of the system with enactment required within 12 months by March 24, 1998. The Court remands the case to the trial court to conduct a hearing and issue findings as to whether the anticipated remedial legislation satisfies the mandates of the Ohio Supreme Court.(DeRolph I) (Source:  Bricker & Eckler website)

Eventually, Ohio's "court of last resort" decided it had no stomach for this fight in granting a Writ of Prohibition on any additional litigation on the case within Ohio jurisprudence even though the court's 1997 has never been implemented.

Consequently, Ohio's public schools have been in a survival mode ever since.

Accordingly, you are seeing more and more "wars" like Morgan's being waged across Ohio.

The latest battle being fought is over the valuation of the Huntington Bank Building, it land and its "across the street" parking garage.

The SCPR has done its own analysis of the financial issues at stake.

Currently, the CCS gets nearly all of the $152,116 (2012 auditor billings) that Canton's tax rate of 84.065154 generates. (source of data:  Stark County auditor's website)

By The Report's calculation, the CCS has about $130,000 at stake over and above what Amerimar is conceding in terms of property tax increase.

The auditor's valuation of the Huntington property was valued at $5.03 millon (buidling, garage and land) for 2012 property tax purposes.

However, on January 18, 2013 the bank building property sold (from Canton Investments LLC et al) to Amerimar for $8.9 million and the garage for $3.175 for a total of $12.075 million.

So $12.075 millon is a lot more than $5.03 million, no?

Of course, the Canton City Schools were going to want a change in the valuation on the official records of the Stark County auditor's office for the purpose of the schools' desperately needed finances, no?

And, predictably, the CCS under Shannon-Slick's guidance, filed for a re-valuation with the Stark County auditor's office Board of Revision.

And, also predictably, Amerimar filed a counter re-evaluation.

The CCS wants the $12.075 million 2013 sale to be the base for valuation purposes.

Not being stupid and piggish by insisting that the $5.03 valuation base (pre-2013-sale) be retained,  the Amerimar folks were willing to see an increase in the property taxes increase and became pro-active in advocating for a $7.74 million valuation base.

Or, on second thought, maybe Amerimar did come across as being stupid and piggish?

After all, the new owner did not - in its $7.74 proposal - even split the difference ($3.87 million) between $4.335 million and $12.075 million which would put a "in the middle" compromise figure at $8.9 millon which coincidentally matches the purchase price of $8.9 for the bank building alone.

To the SCPR's way of thinking, $8.9 million would be "the starting point" of any negotiations between the CCS and Amerimar.

And it was totally insulting (as reported by Matt Rink of The Repository on Friday, Plaza owner, Canton school district disagree over tax bill) that Amerimar had the audacity to say that it apparently overpaid $4.335 million

• ($12.075 million - $7.74 million [i.e. the 2013 sale price minus what Amerimar says the property is now worth)

on the property.

Companies, like people, do make bad deals for themselves.

But one has to believe that Amerimar did its due diligence in making the purchase and did not include $4.335 above and beyond the $7.74 million on what seems to be a ridiculous standard (as reported by Rink), to wit:

In a counter complaint to the board of revisions, an attorney for Amerimar said the sales price was based on future economic growth, particularly from the oil and gas industry, but that current conditions do not support the higher valuation.  

"Based on future economic growth" sounds like a "hope and a prayer" to the SCPR and falls under the category of: "Who is going to believe this story" even if it could be established as being true?

Also, a part of the Amerimar strategy of getting a lower valuation than the sale price is the lure to Canton city officials (to get the Healy administration involved on its behalf) that it might be interested in buying (again, "in the future," the nearby McKinley Grand Hotel.

• Note:  McKinley Grand officials say there have been no discussions for about a year.  (see quote below)

The McKinley Grand allusion is an interesting factor in this whole saga as an enticement by Amerimar to gain the involvement of Canton mayor William J. Healy, II.

Remember now, for some time now Mayor Healy has been promoting his "Four Pillars" (Safety, Education, Neighborhoods and Jobs).

So you would think, wouldn't you? that Healy would come out squarely for the CCS version of what the valuation should be.

Well, not so quick.

The SCPR thinks Healy is "at heart" a "corporatist Democrat," notwithstanding his "of late" embrace by Stark County's organized labor given his track record of wining and dining companies across the globe in his quest to bring jobs to Canton and, also, his having a great degree of pride in having attained a MBA from the Stern School of Business of New York University.

He does play the "left of center - for the people" rhetorical game with politically-inclined locals and the unions, but in the estimate of The Report, this is quintessential Healy political bamboozling at its finest.

So the SCPR is not surprised (reading between the lines) for Healy to come out in Amerimar's favor to the detriment of the finances of Canton's pillar of Healy's Pillar; namely, Education.

Inherent contradictions are nothing new to Healy.  He has made being unaccountable for his statements and actions a "political" art form which is unequaled by any other Stark County politician.

For a refresher from Rink's article on Healy administration responses, here goes:

• Amerimar, which has eyed the nearby McKinley Grand Hotel, has tried to involve Canton officials in the matter. Fonda Williams, chief of staff for Mayor William J. Healy II, placed a phone call to school Treasurer Jeff Gruber recently to relay the developer’s requests. (emphasis added by SCPR)
• Williams said Amerimar officials have asked for the city’s help with their tax bill.
  
   “They had no idea (tax bill) was going up that high,” Williams said. “They were asking if the schools could lower their demand.”
  The city, he said, has been “quietly helping them,” referring to calls he placed to Gruber about the matter, Williams believes the dispute could impact Amerimar’s interest in the McKinley Grand Hotel, however, hotel officials said last month that there have not been any discussions about a sale of the hotel in more than a year. (emphasis added)
• “The request has not come to my desk from Amerimar,” he said. “...We’ve called school officials and said, ‘Is there any break you can give them?’ But to no avail.” (emphasis added)

Three cheers for the Canton City Schools!!!

Finally, there is the matter of the Harold's auditor office (the Board of Revision) dragging its feet on making a decision.

According to Rink, the competing valuation complaints went to decision on October 1.

So what is the delay?

Is there some more politicking going on?

To the SCPR this is an "open and shut case" for the Canton City Schools at the $12.075 million figure.

Everyday Stark Countians are pretty much held to the recent "sales" figures in terms of valuation determinations of the auditor's office.

Under "proving your case" on the auditor website, guess what the #1 criterion is on valuation determinations?

You've got it:  "a recent sale of the property."

Here it is October 21, 2013.

So isn't the question that Canton schools' taxpayers ought to be asking the Stark County Board of Revision members:

Is January 18, 2013 recent enough??????????????????

CANTON'S "MISTER 'DO IT ALL'" MAYOR WILLIAM J. HEALY, II. TO CANTON POLICE DEPT: "MOVE OVER, I WILL SHOW YOU HOW IT IS DONE! "

Repository commenter Lucy Litten had it right!

In due course after the story broke, yours truly's Stark County Political Report would be all over Mayor Healy's try to show Canton's finest that in reality he is the Finest-in-Chief.

Other than underestimating his staying power, The Report figured out long ago what an insufferable egotist he is.

The inability of Tom Bernabei (as service director/chief-of-state; now Stark County commissioner) and Tom Nesbitt to work with the mayor was a clear signal that Healy was well on his way to being a "my-way-or-the-highway-sort-of-guy" as justified and vouched for by his being credentialed (i.e. his MBA from the New York Stern School of Business) as having extraordinary qualities.

Healy's Tuesday "cop-on-the-beat" takeover shows that he thinks Police Chief Bruce Lawver is mere window dressing.

If the mayor finds a need to show his "big-man-on-campus" side, Lawver is no more the "real" chief of police in Healy's mind than:

• Tom Ream was the "real" safety director, 
• NOTE 1:  While Healy tried to make it appear that it was all Ream's doing to change the rules of governance of the Canton-Stark County Crime Lab so as to put in his personal friend and political pal and former Stark County chief deputy Rick Perez in as crime lab boss, the plan in reality could not have happened without the mayor's participation and blessing.  
• The SCPR hears that Ream supporters are furious at the way Healy "threw Ream under the bus" when the political scheme broke into the news and are saying so to anyone who will listen.
• Yours truly for one doesn't want to hear it.  Ream was richly rewarded by the mayor with an healthy increase in salary (from $70, 000 to $84,000 [a whopping 20%] over the space of time he has served as safety director.  He had to know what he was getting into.
• NOTE 2:  A story just broke about how Ream as an administration point man welched on behalf of the city (and, the SCPR believes, at the instruction of Mayor Healy) with some eight new Canton policemen over their rate of pay.  The city is proposing a settlement at $5,000 each.
• Councilperson Mary Cirelli writes:  I think Thomas Ream should be held accountable for his ACTIONS !!!
• So does the SCPR, however, it is shortsighted to think that William J. Healy, II was not part and parcel of the decision to not pay according to the base agreement.
• Warren Price is the "real" chief-of-staff, service director, annex director and safety chief, or
• NOTE:  The Report has been told by a reliable source that Price has been sporadically looking for alternative employment over the course of his Healy administration time.
• Fonda Williams is the "real" economic development director. 
• NOTE:  It appears that Williams has had the mayor pull the rug out from underneath him when it became obvious that necessary councilmanic support was missing.

And, on and on and on and on goes the lists of those who serve at Healy's beck and call in that a condition of serving in a Healy administration is that each and every one of them has to implicitly agree to step aside while the Wizard of the 8th floor takes charge.

As undoubtedly most SCPR readers know from The Rep's Matt Rink's coverage (Mayor stops driver, alleges stop sign violation, July 3, 2013) of an incident which occurred on Tuesday, July 2nd; Mayor Healy has landed himself in some deep, deep doo-doo for about the umpteenth time since he became the city's chief executive on January 1, 2008.

Rink in the article neatly summarizes the scrutiny that the mayor will now undergo at the hand of Chief of Police Bruce Lawver and Law Director Joe Martuccio:

• His use of a city-owned vehicle to do his police work,
• His use of an police-esque emergency light to make the stop,
• His presentation as to whether or not he represented himself or with one having police powers, and
• Whether or not, in so acting, he placed the apprehended one, himself, and onlookers at risk in terms of personal safety.

Healy for years has been trying to convince Cantonians that crime is on the wane in the Hall of Fame City and therefore there is really not much urgency to beef up the strength of the police force to Vassar Park's Bruce Nordman's demand that the administration bring the CPD up to 175 officers pronto.

A major aspect of his campaign in which he successfully unseated Republican Mayor Janet Creighton in the November, 2007 election was his much ballyhooed "Zero-Tolerance-of-Crime" oft repeated campaign cliche-esque mantra.

After his 2011 reelection,  one hasn't heard that phrase grace his lips inasmuch as it is obvious to one and all (unless one has been living under a rock somewhere) that Canton is a long, long way from achieving anything near zero tolerance of crime.

Being the politically slippery guy he is, he now says Canton is in "a post-zero-tolerance mode,"  whatever that means.

Post-zero-tolerance mode means whatever Healy says it means a la that famous Clintonian line: "It depends on what is, is."

The SCPR has often written that Mayor Healy is the envy of  a 9-lived cat because over his five and one-half years as mayor he has escaped political life threatening incident after incident after incident because he is more difficult to grasp than eel.

He is Stark County's version of former president Bill Clinton in the sense that he appears - on a number of occasions - to have "politically" killed himself, only to come springing back to life.

One should ask:  Bill Clinton - in the sense of his escape artist qualities - William J. Healy, II's political godfather?

The SCPR did the very first media publication (one year into his first term as mayor) suggesting that he and his administration was on a sinking ship.  (LINK:  SCPR blog of January 26, 2009)

But writing such was a clear demonstration of not understanding Healy's extraordinary Houdini-esque skills.

The way he is going, if he cannot find a bigger and better political landing place (e.g. the U.S. Congress or a statewide political office), the odds are that Healy is going to be around for a third term as mayor and perhaps beyond.

There is no doubt as Ms. Litten has pointed out, Hizzhonor does, by most people's standards, on becoming the de facto police chief of Canton look foolish at the worst, inappropriate at the least and tinged with a healthy dose of grandstanding (perhaps learned from Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge Frank Forchione [a la Craig Conley's assertion in the Studer case]).

Of course, he has appeared to be an inappropriate, foolish and a quintessential grandstander frequently in his five and one-half years.

What might actually do him in is if one of his scrapes escalates into being illegal.

So far he has skillfully negotiated those waters and has avoided any such finding.

Nobody in officialdom will say for sure, but there appears to have been several times from among his multiple scrapes that there has been a look-see as to whether or not he slipped over the line and did something illegal.

While some folks might get a chuckle out of Healy's antics, that Canton voters keep this man in office makes Canton look every bit a foolish city indeed!

The Healy ongoing distraction is serious business for Canton because as the SCPR sees it his foolishness makes it very unlikely that Canton is going to recover its former status as being a great Ohio city.

If Healy is an embarrassment to Cantonians, who is to blame for that?

(VIDEOS OF CANTON COUNCIL IN ACTION) "FOUR YOUNG TURKS" BEGINNING TO DRAW "THE FIRES OF JEALOUSY" FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO PULL CANTON OUT OF ITS PLUNGE TO THE BOTTOM?

The political sniping has begun!

The SCPR, from many decades of life experience, knew that it was inevitable that the activism and energy of a group of Canton councilmen whom The Report has affectionately dubbed as "the four young turks" (Fisher, Ward 5; Mack, Ward 8; Mariol, Ward 7 and Morris, Ward 9) would draw the attention of those whom have not been all that effective in solving Canton's longstanding problems.

The Report believes that a line of inquiry at Monday night's council meeting initiated by Councilwoman Chris Smith (Ward 4) on the availability of a downpayment subsidy for those who want to locate in Canton's surplus housing was a tip-off that the inquiry is, perhaps, indicative that there is a sub rosa discussion underway among oppositional circles within Canton City Council, with contribution from the Healy administration, on finding ways to rope in the straying councilmen.

Joining Smith (by happenstance, of course) in the indirect criticism of the Ward 5, 7, 8 and 9 councilmen, was Ward 2 Councilman Tom West.

It was a weird sort discussion that involved, in turn, Smith (to start), then Mariol, then West and then Mack in sort of a zigzag line and finally Councilwoman Mary Cireilli (at-large) defending her fellows from 5, 7, 8 and 9.

Smith obliquely approached what The Report believes to be the real issue:  What are these councilmen doing banding together, just the four of them, to lay a foundation for finding solutions for Canton's decaying neighborhoods in partnership with the people?

Cutting through all the crap, The Report  believes that is where she and West were heading.

Take a look at this little "dog and pony show" (so, The Report thinks) put on by Smith and West.



Judge for yourself.

Please note that Smith's apparent "mask question" asked of Community Development Director Fonda Williams was, in effect:  "Doesn't Canton already have the ability to subsidize the downpayment money to those who want to buy redeveloped/rehabbed property in the city?

It so happens that the idea of a downpayment subsidy was discussed at some length by Fisher, Mack, Mariol and Morris at their joint townhall meeting of December 5th.

But it seems to The Report that there was just a tad of dissembling going on by Smith, West and their "silent" allies.

So, whose bright idea was this to, by insinuation and in misdirection, to start a "below the radar" campaign against the collaborative effort of the four?

The Report believes that Mayor William J. Healy, II is the "behind the scenes" person.

His objective?

Yours truly thinks: to create just enough turmoil (a divide and conquer strategy) to make Fisher, Mack, Mariol and Morris back off their scrutinizing of his poorly thought schemes of government and to back off their aggressive and proactive search for effective and enduring solutions for what ails Canton.

They have been a primary force is making him retreat from several legislative initiatives and you can bet that this man MBAed by the New York University Stern School of Business is not liking it one bit!

The Report thinks he will do what he has to in order to come out on top.

And there is precedent for Healy trying to put others up to doing his dirty work.  It could be that the tools of Healy's effort are not even aware of how they are being manipulated.

Does anyone doubt that as Canton's chief executive that Healy (given his grandiose view of himself), in his heart of hearts, thinks he and his administration is the only legitimate authority to deal with Canton's overwhelming problems?

However, Healy has one huge chore in trying to sell that notion to Cantonians.

Notwithstanding his having been mayor for five full years, Canton is not making headway in solving its problems.  Many think Canton is sliding more quickly and deeper into an abyss of no return than ever before.

Healy undoubtedly sees that if allowed to show success, the four newer council members will put him on the sidelines looking on.

Anyone who knows Hizzoner has to know that being on the sidelines is not a option for him.

So we shall see what kind of determination that Fisher, Mack, Mariol and Morris have.

All they have done so far is to start meeting with their constituents on a regular and sustained basis and in doing so they are raising eyebrows.

And for the four to have come together on December 5th for a mass meeting, wow!  The raised eyebrows appear now to have been converted into clanging alarm bells.

If they actually get some "redeem Canton" solutions up and running and showing effectiveness restoring Canton into becoming a viable city, they "ain't seen nothing yet" in terms of the subterranean lighting and thunder that will began flashing to the surface.

It could be they will "get the message" and back off.  After all, they are elected officials likely with future political aspirations. Moreover, they are human beings.  And if they start producing results, the pressure to back off will ratchet up proportionally. 

If they do, then Canton loses perhaps its last chance to escape its inexorable destiny of political and governmental oblivion.

The Report looks for Healy to try to use the likes of West (Ward 2), Smith (Ward 4), Babcock (at-large) and Cole (at-large) in one fashion or another to stymie Fisher et al.

They already are pretty much in Healy's hip pocket.  But that is not enough to fire them up to do "in the trenches battle" with the insurgent councilmen.

Aha! (a finagler might think)

Who likes to standby and watch peers achieve what one has not been able to do him or herself?  Think that won't generate some passion?

Indeed, the recipe!  "Look, you are being shown up!!"

Go figure that one of the observations on Monday night was in effect a finger pointing at the four young turks as being a cause for concern as bringing division within council for actively pursuing solutions - just the four of them - for Canton's deep, deep problems.

Blame the victim, pure and simple!

Another telltale sign that an attack is underway?

As far as the SCPR is concerned, what is beginning to unfold has William J. Healy, II's hand written all over it.

For the future well being of generations of Cantonians, the question is: will these "can do councilmen" have the strength of character and personality to hold their ground in doing the right thing; not the politically expedient thing?