SECOND IN A SERIES: CITY OF CANTON SWIMMING IN RED INK THROUGH 2019!

UPDATED:  3:39 PM

LINK TO FIRST BLOG IN THIS SERIES

VIDEOS

Canton Finance Director
MARK CROUSE

07/17/2017

Updates

Canton City Council on City Finances
..................
North Canton Mayor David Held (Encore)
on
Ohio & City Finances

"Red, red everywhere and plenty of drops to drink!"

Such is an apt description of Hall of Fame city's finances these days.

But I have done my part to help Canton out of its financial troubles.

Yesterday, after having placed two hours on a parking meter next to the building housing the Stark County Regional Planning Commission, I learned I came up short on my estimate of the time I would spend at a Stark County Land Bank meeting and post-meeting activities.

Hence, this:

Knowing that Canton needs every dollar that it can scrum up, the first thing I did on returning home was to send an "electronic' check in to Canton in payment of the ticket.

So I am doing my part!

Watching Canton finance director Mark Crouse update Canton City Council on city finances for 2017 at council's July 17th meeting was painful enough, but his projected for 2018 and 2019 deficits are blood curdling perhaps to the point of producing financial clots of a fiscal viability life threatening nature.



Of course, the question is:  Who is to blame?

The easy answer is William J. Healy, II's eight years as mayor of Canton.

But The Stark County Political Report (SCPR) does not believe that the "easy answer" is the full answer.

For one thing, where was city council in exercising its oversight function?

Healy appears to have massaged city finances "for the moment" to make it seem Canton was on a sustainable track which "seemingness," with only a modicum financial scrutiny by the Finance Committee (personified by the committee chair [Ward 1 Councilman Greg Hawk for most of the Healy years] operating as council's watchdog could have/should have stopped the charade in council's discharging it annual duty of passing a city budget.

For another, the State of Ohio through the Ohio General Assembly budgeting process since the onset of Republican John Kasich becoming governor in 2010 has devastated local government finances in dramatically reducing the state's share of funding local governments.

Only the SCPR as Stark County-based media names names of the perpetrators of the fiscal hard times that Ohio state government has visited on local governments.

For Stark County, those names have been and continue to be Scott Oelslager (R, Ohio Senate District 29), Kirk Schuring (R, Ohio House District 48) and Christina Hagan (R, Ohio House District 50).

Ohio's core cities are bearing the brunt of what seems to be a war by a largely rural/suburban-based Republican supermajority controlling Ohio's legislature.

Recently, North Canton mayor David Held (a Republican) complained at a recent North Canton council meeting about an impending adverse to Ohio cities legislation by the Republican dominated Ohio General Assembly.



Canton's treasurer (Kim Perez) recently sent this letter to Senator Oelslager.



So Ohio's war on cities seems to be continuing unabated.

It seems to the SCPR that notwithstanding Mayor Tom Bernabei's effort to "stop the bleeding," the city's employee compensation factor has gotten out-of-control (not only with Healy, but with mostly Republican administrations going back a number of mayors) that it will take his four full years plus to get Canton onto a financial sustainable path.

Bleak financial conditions do not happen on their own.

Causative factors should be and can be assigned to particular persons making decisions government and voters need to take note of the names and hold these "real" person officials accountable by thinking two, three times about returning them to office.

IS OCTOBER 29, 2015 THE DAY?

UPDATED:  FRIDAY, 4:40 PM

Here is Healy's comment on his campaign Facebook page:

The Repository reported last night that Tom Bernabei denied that he or his campaign had anything to do with the mailer.

However, a SCPR, source who is unwilling to be identified,  just shared with the SCPR that the source thinks that is is reasonable and plausible for Healy to think that Bernabei not being entirely forthcoming on the matter.

The source thinks that Bernabei, while not likely to have participated in the creation of the mailer himself, might have had a "heads up" (The Report expression not the source's) on the imminence of a negative on Healy mailer being sent out.

Earlier in the week before the SCPR had access to the actual mailer, yours truly contacted a person close to the Bernabei campaign who denied any knowledge that a mailer was in the mail.  But this source is not as far as the SCPR knows an official part of the Bernabei campaign.

Healy in his comment does put on Bernabei a challenge "to condemn and disavow."

The question now is:  Will he?

UPDATED:  FRIDAY, 08:30 A.M.

Here is a response to the Healy threat to sue from the mailer/flyer producer going under the name Duncan Edwards (at his initiative; not solicited by the SCPR):

Duncan Edwards <duncan.edwards23@yahoo.com>  Today at 4:06 AM

To:  Martin Olson

If Healy follows through and sues then I will file a countersuit and donate any proceeds to a charity that support women who have been sexually harassed.


UPDATED: FRIDAY, 5:00 A.M.

An area media outlet is reporting that Healy denies all allegations made the the flyer (see below) mailed to some 4500 Canton households late last week which began being received yesterday.  Moreover, he is reported as saying that he plans on filing an Ohio Elections Commission complaint and lawsuit against the person(s) "responsible for the matter."

FLYER RECEIVED AT SOME CANTON VOTER HOUSEHOLDS

Also:

The mailer has reached some recipients

Duncan Edwards <duncan.edwards23@yahoo.com>  Today at 1:48 PM

To:  Martin Olson

She has not been named because she is afraid that it will make her look bad.  She is the victim.  He has some people contacting her to intimidate her.  If he denies that these thing happened then I will release to you his text messages to her. 

ORIGINAL BLOG

Do they (Martuccio, Perez and Griffin [see below]) know something?

(Source of photos:  Bernabei Facebook page)

Within the past few days they all jumped on the "independent" Bernabei for Mayor bandwagon.

With "independent" Richard Hart and Ward 1 councilman Greg Hawk, and Councilman Bill Smuckler having been on board, the addition of retiring Ward 3 Councilman Jim Griffin to the "Bernabei for Mayor" brings to four the number of councilpersons supporting the challenger to incumbent Democratic mayor William J. Healy, II who is seeking a third term.

The worrisome thing for the Healy campaign is that Martuccio, Perez and Griffin are all solid Democrats.

So why are they jumping on board which appears more and more to be a Bernabei express which is likely to produce (the SCPR thinks) at least a comfortable victory for the sitting former Democratic party elected county commissioner?

The Report thinks that word has leaked out and perhaps some of the new endorsers have learned about (i.e. seen) the content of a  "highly negative to Healy" flyer that was mailed out last Friday to over 5,000 likely Canton voters by not the Bernabei campaign but by a third party.

The SCPR has a copy of the flyer ready to publish but has agreed to withhold publication until one confirmed Canton household has received the flyer.

The Report has obtained a copy of the mailing list and has confirmed that Mayor Healy himself is on the list.

So it appears to the SCPR that it is only a matter of time until the flyer starts showing up in the mailboxes of Canton voters.

The question is this:  Is today, the day?

But the ultimate question is:  Can the man the SCPR has dubbed "the man who is the envy of the proverbial cat of 9 lives" politically survive the allegation(s) contained in this flyer?

BREAKING NEWS! BERNABEI HIRES CLEVELAND ATTORNEY ON STARK & OHIO DEMS PROTEST OF HIS "INDEPENDENT" CANDIDACY FOR MAYOR OF CANTON

ORIGINALLY POSTED 06/29/2015 AT 2:07 PM

REPUBLISHED & UPDATED 06/30/2015

It appears that Stark County Commissioner Thomas Bernabei, through his newly selected legal counsel Raymond V. Vasvari, Jr. (a Clevelander, see background below), has played his ultimate "trump" card "right out of the chute" in his endeavor to become Canton's first ever (at least in the modern era) non-partisan mayor.

Yesterday, Vasvari filed a Motion for Recusal (see pleading below) of Stark County Board of Elections members (BOE, Board) Sam Ferruccio, Jr. and William V. Sherer, II from hearing the question of whether or not the BOE should certify lifelong Democrat Bernabei as an independent candidate for mayor of Canton in a Board hearing scheduled for July 6, 2015 at 9:00 a.m.

In a preview of "what is likely to come" in his forthcoming direct responsive pleading to Stark/Ohio Dems' attorney Lee Plakas' May 29th filed protest of the Bernabei candidacy, Cleveland attorney Raymond V. Vasvari, Jr. invoked First Amendment U.S. Constitutional issues inherent in the case.

The SCPR sees the First Amendment approach as Bernabei's best chance to ultimately win the legal argument on the certification question.

And, the First Amendment Right of Association may even play in the political side of the question.

The Report envisions the BOE/Ohio Secretary of State/Ohio Supreme Court scenario perhaps playing out his way:

• Republican BOE members Curt Braden and William Cline to support certifying Bernabei.
• Democrat BOE members Ferruccio and Sherer voting not to certify (of course, having refused to recuse themselves),
• Result:  a two to two tie,
• Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted breaks the tie in siding with Braden and Cline reasoning that:
• Members Ferruccio and Sherer had a conflict in interest in that they were in effect protesters under the umbrella entity the Stark County Democratic Party and therefore were disqualified from exercising their Ohio statutory role of being adjudicators of their own interests,
• Though not a judge, Husted articulates that he is impressed with the First Amendment argument and that therefore the voters of Canton should decide whether or not Tom Bernabei should become mayor of Canton,  (see Husted, In re: Maier, "let the people decide" LINK 1, Ohio Supreme Court; LINK 2 Ohio Supreme Court; LINK 3, Ohio Secretary of State)
• The case is appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court which in the main employs an "abuse of discretion" standard on Husted's reasoning and consequently affirms the secretary's tie breaking vote in favor of certification.
• Undoubtedly, Vasvari's First Amendment approach will play big in the Ohio Supreme Court,

LINKS to prior SCPR blogs on the Bernabei quest to run as an independent:

• May 4, 2015,
• May 5, 2015,
• May 6, 2015,
• May 10, 2015
• 30+ minute video interview of Bernabei,
• May 11, 2015,
• May 12, 2015,
• May 21, 2015,
• June 3, 2015,
• June 5, 2015,
• June 10, 2015
• Video of June 9th Stark BOE meeting on certification of independent candidates to set Bernabei protest hearing date,
• June 12, 2015,
• Conley recusal action on Ferruccio/Sherer,
• June 17, 2015,
• Video of June 17th Stark BOE meeting on certification of independent candidates,
• June 18, 2015
• Ohio Dems force McTigue out as Bernabei legal counsel on protest of his independent candidate quest,
• June 22, 2015
• SCPR interview of Lee Plakas as legal counsel for Stark/Ohio Dems on protest of Bernabei independent candidacy for Canton mayor,

THE MOTION TO RECUSE



BACKGROUND MATERIAL ON VASVARI

Here is a LINK to a blog written by Vasvari with the latest entry being July 23, 2012.

Also, a LINK from Linkedin.

And what does Vasvari have to say about himself?

CONLEY PUTS PRESSURE ON FOR STARK BOE "DEMOCRAT" MEMBERS FERRUCCIO AND SHERER, II TO BE RECUSED IN CICCHINELLI (AND BY IMPLICATION) BERNABEI CERTIFICATION DECISION

Next Wednesday, June 17, 2015 could be an interesting scene at the Stark County Board of Elections (BOE).

Normally, BOE post-filing-petitions certification sessions are pretty cut and dried.

Either a candidate obtained the minimum required signatures and the petitions were properly filled out and attested to or they weren't.

If they were, then the candidate goes on the ballot.

If they were not, then the candidate is denied ballot access as in case of Canton Board of Education candidate Eric Resnick in the 2011 election year cycle.

Of course, there is an opportunity to challenge in court a BOE candidacy non-certification finding as North Canton councilman Mark Cerreta successfully did in the 2013 election.

But mostly candidates or others do not challenge BOE certifications.

Accordingly, next Wednesday should be uneventful, unless, of course, Conley shows up and presses BOE Democratic members Ferruccio, Jr. and Sherer, II not to participate in any decision for reasons cited later on in this blog.

For 2015, there is already one challenge to the candidacy and a second expected.

However, the challenge (called a protest) is not on the routine basic matters of enough petition signatures or compliance with legal formalities of the petitions themselves.

Rather, in the case of Stark County Commissioner Thomas Bernabei (a well known, long time Democrat) and his quest to get on the November ballot as an "independent" challenge to incumbent Democrat Canton mayor William J. Healy, II; the question centers on his meeting residency requirements and whether or not he is making the switch from Democrat to "independent" in good faith.

Commissioners Creighton & Bernabei

(Creighton top Stark GOP supporter)

Ditto for former Massillon mayor Frank Cicchinelli.  He like Bernabei is a well known, lifelong Democrat who is attempting to unseat incumbent Democratic mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry who defeated him in the Democratic primary election of 2011 after he had been mayor for 24 years.

While having no residency problem, he is also susceptible to a good faith challenge on his switch over to "independent."

In his case, a formal protest likely will not be lodged until the BOE does its perfunctory thing and certifies him on the formalities next Wednesday.

In both cases, the Democratic members of the Stark BOE are likely to find justification for not certifying "former" Democrats Bernabei and Cicchinelli.

As for the Republicans, how they will vote on protests is unclear.

In Bernabei's case, the SCPR thinks the Republican BOE members are likely to vote to certify even in the face of a protest in view of the fact that the Stark GOP has not fielded a candidate for mayor and it is well known that Democrat Healy is loathed by Stark County Republican officialdom.

Moreover, the tie-breaker; namely, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted, and his demonstrated "pro-ballot-access" (reference: the George T. Maier case), is likely to break a tie in favor of Bernabei.

Which determination, if it is in the offing, is likely to be challenged in the Ohio Supreme Court.

To sum up Bernabei's situation, he is likely to do well on the political front (as explained above) but not on the legal issues except that the Ohio Supreme Court is likely to uphold a BOE determination (as in Maier) as long as Husted cites a plausible rationale for have decided to certify.

Husted coming up with a plausible legal rationale could be problematic in the face of of Stark Dems/Ohio Dems' attorney Lee Plakas' excellent protest brief applying the Bernabei facts to Ohio's statutory scheme as interpreted by Ohio case law.

Moreover, there are legal (constitutional) arguments of "freedom of political association" (the "independent" candidacy question) and "freedom of movement" (the "residency" question) that favor Bernabei.

These points certainly will be the mainstay of Bernabei's legal counsel (J. Corey Colombo) of Columbus; one would think.

Those, however, the SCPR believes are beyond the pale of the BOE proceedings and will only prevail at the Ohio Supreme Court level.

In Cicchinelli's case, the SCPR surmises that he loses the political battle within the BOE framework anyway one cuts it.

Even if the Democrats are recused, it is hard to see the Republican members of the Board voting to certify him in the face of a protest being filed.

That vote is likely to be 2 - 0, if the Democrats are recused; 4 - 0, if they are not.

But an appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court is likely to come out in favor of Cicchinelli both because he has done much more in advance of filing as an independent to disassociate himself from the "organized" Stark County Democratic Party than Bernabei.

Bernabei, on the other hand, was "up-to-his-ears," and "knee-deep" in organized Stark County Democratic Party/candidate activities to within days of filing his independent candidacy on May 4, 2015.

When is "all-is-said-and-done," the SCPR thinks it is likely that both Bernabei and Cicchinelli make it to the November ballot.

So the "fuss-and-feathers" about Democrat members Sam Ferruccio, Jr. and William V. Sherer, II being recused are kind of a political/legal skirmish that the SCPR doesn't think means much, if anything, in the ultimate outcome of these proceedings.

But Cicchinelli attorney Craig T. Conley does get rather creative in dealing with the argument that were Ferruccio and Sherer to be recused, there would be no quorum and therefore the protests could not be heard.



As the SCPR understands Conley's argument, if the two Democrats are recused because:

• they are members of the Stark County Democratic Party executive committee
• which voted to authorize the filing of BOE protests against the Bernabei and Cicchinelli candidacies
• Note:  the SCPR has learned that neither Ferruccio nor Sherer, II were present at that meeting authorizing the filing of protests,

then Secretary Husted could appoint temporary replacements or alternatively Ferruccio and Sherer could participate for quorum purposes but then abstain from participating on the certification determination question.

While in the cases at hand (Bernabei and Cicchinelli), the voting participation of Ferruccio and Sherer is not likely to make a difference in the outcome, Conley's effort is applauded by the SCPR.

For a conflict-in-interest free BOE membership deciding ballot questions is of critical importance in the integrity and the preservation of the "rule of law" over political party loyality considerations are of paramount importance in our American democratic-republican system of government.

VOLUME 3: SCPR ANALYSIS OF STARK/OHIO DEMS' BRIEF PROTESTING TOM BERNABEI'S "INDEPENDENT" CANDIDACY

ARE DEM BOARD MEMBERS

FERRUCCIO & SHERER, II

IN FOR A

"ST. JOHN-ESQUE" CHALLENGE?

There is not a hint in the Lee Plakas legal brief of what may become a major issue of contention in his clients' (the Stark County/Oho Democratic Parties) quest to keep Thomas Bernabei off-the-ballot as a independent candidate for mayor of Canton against two term sitting Democratic mayor William J. Healy, II.

The Stark County Political Report has learned that there may be a move afoot by Bernabei-supporting Stark County Republicans to challenge the right of the Stark County Democratic Party Board of Elections (BOE members William V. Sherer, II and Sam Ferruccio) to sit in judgment of the Bernabei candidacy protest.

Such a challenge would be, if it materializes, somewhat like the one mounted against Deametrious St. John in February, 2014 during the protest to Geoge T. Maier's right to be on the ballot as a candidate for sheriff in November, 2014.

The issues are a little bit different in that St. John was alleged to have pre-determined - prior to a BOE required as a matter of law hearing on the matter - that Maier was qualified.

Here is a summation how local civic activist and attorney Craig T. Conley put it to the BOE in February, 2014:

In the Bernabei matter, the point is that both Sherer and Ferruccio as members of the Stark County Executive Committee and as such - whether or not they actually voted on the filing of the protest in the name of the Stark County Democratic Party - are thereby sitting in judgment of a contest in which they are in effect among the contestants.

Here is a current listing of Stark County Democratic Party Executive Committee members which, of course, includes Ferruccio and Sherer, II.



To the SCPR, an interesting side matter that may or may not be relevant to their qualifications to hear the protest of Tom Bernabei's mayoralty candidacy is a Stark Dems' campaign finance report for the pre-primary 2015 reporting period showing substantial contributions by Ferruccio and Sherer, II to the organized Stark County Democratic Party.

At the very least - to borrow from a Lee Plakas' argument technique in his Bernabei protest brief - the contributions show how utterly committed Ferruccio and Sherer, II are to the Stark County Democratic Party.

The Report "suspects" that there may be a "wink and a nod" understanding that as the Dems' appointees to the BOE, they are expected to support the party's administrative operations.

As BOE members, they are paid a little over $17,000 annually.

A key Stark County Republican and Bernabei supporter is openly talking about the Ferruccio/Sherer, II apparent  "conflict-in-interest" that they as quasi-judicial officials have.

The implication is that should Ferruccio and Sherer be disqualified then the Republican members would surely vote to certify Bernabei and moreover to go on, as the only members qualified to decide the question, to vote to reject the Stark/Ohio Dems' protest.

In such an instance, there would be no tie for Republican Ohio secretary of state Jon Husted to break as he did in favor of Maier as GOP and Dem BOE members voted two against, two for Democrat Maier.

The only recourse then would be for the protesters to appeal to the courts.

Interesting, no?

Could it be that Stark/Ohio Dems' attorney Lee Plakas will have to amend his already voluminous brief to address the being talked-about conflict-in-interest problem?

Stay tuned!

VOLUME 2: SCPR ANALYSIS OF STARK/OHIO DEMS' BRIEF PROTESTING TOM BERNABEI'S "INDEPENDENT" CANDIDACY

THE BACKGROUND OF THE FIGHT

Today, The Stark County Political Report begins an "in earnest" analysis of the political personages, the political "ties that bind," and the arguments (legal & political) that compose the controversy of whether or not Stark County Commissioner Thomas Bernabei (originally elected in 2010, re-elected in 2014 as a Democrat) should be certified by the Stark County Board of Elections as an "independent" candidate for mayor of Canton.

For those of you who have not done so, to get a full appreciation of the Bernabei side of things,

• at least until Bernabei's "reported to be" legal counsel; namely, Don McTigue, 
• reputedly an Ohio elections law "expert" attorney based in Columbus] files his brief,

view this 30 minute plus video interview of Bernabei by the SCPR on May 6th.

Last Friday, the SCPR did a "breaking news" on the filing by the Stark County Democratic Party and the Ohio Democratic Party at the hand of prominent and premier Stark County attorney Lee Plakas assisted by firm member Edmond Mack who also happens to be a Canton city councilman and one of seven attorney objectors to Tom Bernabei's filing as an "independent" candidate for mayor of Canton against his old boss and current mayor of Canton William J. Healy, II.

Bernabei was chief-of-staff/service director from January, 2008 until Healy fired him in January, 2009 after a rocky 12 month ride in which Bernabei was known to sit the mayor down and read him the riot act on the do's and don'ts of being the chief executive of Ohio's eight largest city.

Anybody who knows Healy clearly understands that he is a man of immense ego who the SCPR thinks will say or do nearly anything to maintain himself as being the man in charge.

Personally The Report likes Healy and has had many, many enjoyable "political junky" conversations since meeting him in the early 2000s.

He had made his way from back to his hometown of Canton from New York City and what he says was a highly successful marketing business as an outgrowth of having graduated with an MBA from the renown New York University Stern School of Business.

His father William J. "Bill" Healy had been a state representative for 26 years and ran for mayor of Canton himself in 1999 in a losing effort before passing away in 2001.

Below is a YouTube video of Jamie Healy (as William J. Healy, II is referred to by his close friends) done by Metropolis Consulting LLC in February of this year.

As with the Bernabei video above, this interview is a valuable tool for each SCPR reader to make his/her assessment of Healy the man.

While he is not a party to the protest, make no mistake about it; the Stark Dems and the Ohio Democratic Party are de facto surrogates for him in their quest to keep Thomas Bernabei off this November's general election ballot.

For as the Healy/Metropolis video shows, being mayor of Canton is everything to William J. Healy, II.

As recently as two weeks ago, Healy got very ugly with the SCPR over the critical editorial blogs that yours truly has done on his performance as mayor since he took office on January 1, 2008.

Healy has used both the carrot and the stick with yours truly which of course shows that he does not understand where the SCPR is coming from.

It is never whether or not yours truly likes or dislikes a politician.  The only question for The Report whether or not a given politician is doing good government.

The SCPR's take on Healy is that he is a master politician.  

Perhaps the best that has ever tred the Cleveland Avenue, Market Avenue and Tuscarawas Avenue.

But an effective governor, he is not.

And The Report thinks that if Bernabei makes it to the ballot; he wins in a walk over Healy.

So it is desperation time for the mayor who - as he said in the Metropolis LLC interview: IS PASSIONATE about being mayor of Canton.

Accordingly, all the stops are being pulled out to derail the Bernabei as a political independent for mayor of Canton train.

As far as the SCPR is concerned, the pro-Healy forces could not have done any better than hiring the law firm of Lee Plakas to represent the Healy interests.

Here is evidence of a person Plakas tie to Healy continuing as mayor of Canton.

And there have been contributions in the current year's campaign finance reports between Plakas associate and Canton councilman Edmond Mack to the Healy campaign and vice versa.

The SCPR has a very high regard for Mack.

A common theme of the critical of the Healy administration blogs over nearly eight years has been the "I am a survivor" factor of William J. Healy, II.

Given the numerous of self-engendered political crises that Mayor Healy has survived, he is truly the envy of the proverbial cat of nine lives.

STARTING TOMORROW WITH VOLUME 3

THE LEGAL & POLITICAL ARGUMENTS

PART I - SCPR MULTI-PART BLOG - TOM BERNABEI: WHY HE IS RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF CANTON, IN HIS OWN WORDS WITH SCPR COMMENTARY

VIDEOS

COMMISSIONER JANET CREIGHTON

CELEBRATES

BERNABEI FILING FOR MAYOR

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

COMMISSIONER BERNABEI
ON MONDAY
WHETHER OR NOT HE WAS FILING

As everybody who follows Stark County political subdivision government and politics knows, Democratic (when elected/re-elected as commissioner in 2010 and 2014 ) Stark County Commissioner Tom Bernabei - as initially reported "exclusively" by The Stark County Political Report  - filed on May 4, 2015

• the day before sitting mayor William J. Healy, II defeated Canton treasurer Kim Perez for the Democratic nomination for mayor in the November 3, 2015 general election   

to run as an "independent" for the mayorship of Canton.

Though the SCPR did capture Commissioner Bernabei speaking to the matter, he would not even say at the time that he would or would not be filing out of deference to the Democratic primary to select a Democratic Party nominee.

He did not want his plans one way or the other to affect the outcome of the Healy/Perez match up.



But there is thinking that once word got out that over the days preceding Monday's filing deadline for "independent" that he was collecting "put me on the ballot" signatures, there was an effect and it inured to the benefit of Mayor Healy in that voters who might have otherwise voted for Treasurer Perez opted instead to vote for Healy in anticipation of a Healy/Bernabei face-off.

Nobody in Stark County was more pleased with the Bernabei filing that fellow Republican Commissioner Janet Creighton.

As readers of the SCPR know, the home-base of The Report's blogging has been the regular Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. weekly meeting of the Stark County Board of Commissioners.

Unfortunately, the SCPR camera was not yet turned on when on entering the commissioners' meeting room on the second floor of the Stark County Office Building to record Commissioner Creighton "dancing and singing" rejoicing over the news of Bernabei's filing.

However, the SCPR did record a discussion among Commissioner Creighton, fellow Republican Commissioner Richard Regula and Bernabei himself over Creighton's ebullience.



As promised on Monday after his "non-committal" video with The Report, Candidate Commissioner Bernabei sat down with yours truly for about 45 minutes after Wednesday's regular weekly commissioners' meeting.

What will follow over the next several days is a multi-part series on this stunning City of Canton political development with "Bernabei in his own words," SCPR commentary thereon and reaction from Stark County based political/governmental figures and from members of the Canton electorate.

Coming tomorrow, Part Two - THE CREIGHTON FACTOR

COLLATERAL DAMAGE? BERNABEI FILING SINKS HEALY MAYORALTY?

Sitting Stark County Commissioner Thomas Bernabei was clearly anguished yesterday that "the drop dead date" for filing his candidacy as an "independent" candidate for mayor of Canton came - as a matter of election law - one day before the Democratic/Republican Party primary election day.

It is apparent to The Stark County Political Report that Bernabei gave the go ahead after much agonizing.

The Report has learned that one circulator was collecting signatures as late as 10:00 p.m. on Sunday night.

But in the end Bernabei's filing yesterday may have the effect today of an explosive torpedo of obliterating the Mayor William J. Healy, II candidacy for a third term.

And some Cantonians are unabashedly salivating over the prospect of a Healy loss.

Until yesterday's "May surprise," the SCPR's best guess was that Healy would win a relatively close race against Canton city treasurer Kim Perez mainly because of his gigantic financial resource (about 4 to 1) advantage.

From Healy's perspective, it is likely he's thinking that Bernabei waited until the filing deadline of May 4th to do his political bombshelling in order to maximize the effect.

The SCPR does not buy that line of thinking.

The Report believes Commissioner Bernabei in his saying to the SCPR that he did not want what he may or may not do yesterday to have any effect whatsoever on today's election.

He simply had no choice.  The law of Ohio set yesterday as the final filing date.  And, The Report believes, there were many Cantonians who bought into this SCPR blog message of April 16th and communicated same to one Thomas Bernabei:

It seems that Bernabei was simply responding to the call for an alternative.

Accordingly, if Healy loses and if there is a general recognition that the Cinco de Mayo (more or less) surprise was the precipitating factor, it is the SCPR's take that such was not Bernabei's intention but rather unhappily for Mayor Healy "collateral damage" given the time constraints within which Bernabei had to act or forever hold his peace.

It will be interesting to see on Wednesday (the day that Bernabei says he will speak in more specificity to the media) this candidate's take on the effect of his politically stunning action of May 4th should Healy lose today.

And, of course, he will have to answer questions about his legal eligibility to run for mayor of Canton as an independent given his strong, strong historical ties to the Stark County Democratic Party including his until the past week being part of the Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee.

If that were not enough, there is a question about his residency.  As a Hills and Dales resident until very recently, he will in the words of national political figure Sarah Palin (undoubtedly one of Bernabei's favorites) "a lot of explainin' to do."

The "explainin' to do" has to do with "will his vote today" qualify to be counted and, if so, whom did he vote for in the mayor's race today ?

If Healy wins, then its political "game on" and you can bet your bottom dollar that Healy will unleash six years of pent up fury at having had his ego battered while Bernabei was his service director/chief of staff (January, 2008 through January, 2009).

Moreover, Healy with his Ohio Democratic Party connection (Chairman David Pepper contributed to his campaign), winner or not,  (perhaps in a joint effort with Perez; should he be the winner will surely roll out the legal fire power of the Ohio Dems to challenge Bernabei on multiple (i.e. his eligibility to run as an independent; his residence eligibility to run at all) fronts.

While Bernabei has not been public in his expressed disdain and disgust with the multiple Healy teflon-esque screwups over his nearly eight years as mayor, there is no doubt that tales of same have made their way back to the mayor and he has been biding his time to square things up.

Should he survive today, the time has arrived!

The rallying cry of the Healy campaign?

Since the inception (March 12, 2008) of The Stark County Political Report it has been "let the good times roll" insofar as there being politically delicious material for readers of The Report to feast on.

With this controversy and the Cicchinelli (also likely to be challenged on his eligibility to run as an independent because of long and strong ties to the Stark County Democratic Party) one, it appears that the rich content of Stark County Political Report blogs have no end in sight.

STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: "A MIXED BAG" ON THEIR HANDLING HANDLING NEXUS PIPELINE "SUPPORT" REQUEST

CREIGHTON & REGULA 

HAVE PREMATURELY DECIDED?

 (SEE CORN'S REACTION)

Updated:  5:15 AM

The big problem that exists between the Nexus gas transmission group (NGT, a partnership of Spectra Energy and DTE Energy is a communication problem, plain and simple.

WHAT CORN HAS TO SAY



WHAT NGT HAS TO SAY



Back on February 11, the COalition to Re-route Nexus showed up at a Stark County commissioners meeting and asked for an opportunity to meet with the commissioners for the purpose of persuading the commissioners to support CORN's effort to convince the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to condition approval of Nexus to NGT agreeing to and accepting an alternative pathway.

The commissioners agreed to do so and set this past Tuesday, February 24th at 10:00 a.m. for CORN to come in.  Mondays and Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. have been set aside for use as "work sessions" which serve as a vehicle for the commissioners to learn about concerns such as CORN's.

And they invited the folks from NGT, who surprisingly enough showed up.

Before Tom Bernabei and Janet Creighton became commissioners (first elected in November 2010), there was no such thing as regularly provided for work session time slots.

NGT's plan includes traversing Stark County's Lake, Marlboro, Nimishillen and Washington townships (on a line that runs about half way between State Street and Midway Street in Lake).   

CORN's general approach (unrefined as of now) is to relocate Nexus south of U.S. Route 30 in Stark County taking up some 30 miles of more rural land as compared to NGT's more populated route.

It was interesting that Commissioner Bernabei picked up on the communication problem.



While he was perceptive about what the real problem is between CORN and NGT, he should have - in the view of the SCPR - pushed NGT harder on getting NGT to commit to resolving the communication problem which The Report believes is solely attributable to NGT.

At the end of the session, yours truly tried to engage John Sheridan, the spokesperson for the NGT point of view as to why talking direct to CORN was a problem.



But as seen in the video, he was having none of it.

Here is a series of shorter videos on various matters that came up in the "indirect" discussion.

The complete video appears at the end of this blog.

WHO ARE THE PLAYERS?

NGT (SPECTRA ENERGY & DTE ENERGY)



CORN



LOCATION OF THE PIPELINE

NGT



CORN



SAFETY OF THE PIPELINE

NGT



CORN



ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

NGT



CORN



So who was persuasive with the commissioners?

Well, insofar as Commissioners Creighton and Regula (both Republicans) are concerned, apparently NGT.



And here is CORN's reaction (asked for by the SCPR in an e-mail) to what CORN spokesman Paul Gierosky says in essence (the SCPR agrees) is a premature decision by Creighton and Regula.

OUR REACTION

The Repository wrote "Commissioners Janet Weir Creighton and Richard Regula have said they aren’t inclined to support the NEXUS re-route plan. Commissioner Tom Bernabei said he hadn’t reached a decision."

It sounds like you elicited a more definite response. But pressed to say something what is a person’s natural reaction? Personally, I was not surprised nor deterred by the statements in CR. The Commissioners have very little information, so far, on which to base their decision. Which CORN re-route plan are they not inclined to support? We have not proposed a definite plan. Are they saying they are not inclined to support any re-route plan? Or, are they saying they will only support a re-route that takes Nexus out of Stark County altogether? I don't know. We certainly would like their input.

I understood Commissioner Creighton mentioned in the meeting that from the statistics we shared the burden was being shifted to Stark County. However, the statistics do not support that. The number of structures within 1500’ on either side of the pipeline on the current Nexus route is 1052. On our preliminary alternate re-route that number drops to 488. This is a clear improvement. Is she not inclined to support a route with a clear improvement to the safety of the public? I don’t know the answer because we did not get a chance to ask.

The current Nexus route passes through 28 acres of wetlands in Stark County. Our alternate re-route passes through none. Are the Commissioners not inclined to support and defend the integrity of our wetlands environment? We have not had a chance to get into those details either, yet.

I thought her statement that inferred the Nexus pipeline was a burden on Stark County did convey something about her opinion.

We view this as a process. It is our responsibility to inform, educate and persuade the Commissioners to support our re-route proposal which avoids the heavily populated and faster growing counties in Ohio, for a more southerly, less populated and safer route.

We started this process in this manner in Medina County in mid-December it took 7 weeks, 20 different residents speaking out many at several meetings, multiple one-on-one meetings to build a personal relationship and countless emails providing information to build and support our case.

To expect anything less in Stark County would be unreasonable.

We will be submitting a re-route alternative to Nexus and the Commission (FERC) in the next 2-3 weeks. We would like the Stark County Commissioners input to, involvement with and support of what we believe is a sensible proposal.

What is disappointing about Creighton and Regula is that they are giving no reasons for their positions.

Bernabei (a Democrat) is much more impressive.

He is thinking about it.

And he thinks he needs to comment on his decision when he arrives at one.

Whether one agrees with CORN or not, the work they are putting into their fight for a re-route is impressive and shame on Creighton and Regula for apparently deciding negatively on the request without the courtesy of offering reasons why.

This is the sort of thing that helps erode individual citizens confidence in their government that they are "really" heard and undoubtedly have to question whether or not they are respected when seeming arbitrary decisions are made.

As pointed out in the SCPR's first blog on Nexus, both Spectra Energy and DTE Energy have strong lobbying groups in Washington and Columbus.

CORN only has motivated and energized  everyday citizens.

The SCPR is impressed with CORN and encourages them to continue the fight.

Their effort is responsible citizenship at its finest!

Here is the full video of Tuesday.

CANTON MAYOR HEALY SPEAKING FOR THE LIKES OF STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER JANET CREIGHTON & THOMAS BENABEI? WHEW!!! WHAT'S NEXT?

VIDEOS

(ENCORE PRESENTATION)

CANTON MAYOR

WILLIAM J. HEALY, II

SAYING

STARK COUNTY GOV'T

HAS AGREED TO PROVIDE

$5 MILLION TO 

HALL OF FAME VILLIAGE PROJECT

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

SERIES OF VIDEOS

ON

COMMISSIONERS BERNABEI & CREIGHTON

RESPONDING TO HEALY'S ACCOUNT

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

Readers of The Stark County Political Report know that The Report's - more or less - reporting station and political analysis base from nearly the beginning of the SCPR in March, 2008 has been the Stark County commissioners' weekly meeting.

A big SCPR "thank you" to former Commissioner Todd Bosley who promoted the weekly commissioners' meeting as the "base of operations" for The Report - for the idea.

Though virtually powerless over much of Stark "County" government and having very little clout over Stark County's villages, cities, and townships, much of local government and government's step-sister "politics" filters through - even if in a perfunctory manner - through the county commissioners.

Despite the commissioners' meeting being The Report's government and politics "watering hole," the SCPR does get out and about across Stark County and "heads turn" when yours truly shows up a village, city, township, board of education or other local government associated meeting.

As readers know the SCPR can take the most benign and boring of meeting happenings and turn such into a very interesting story which can on occasion shake the very fundaments of Stark County's local government complex.

As dealt with in Tuesday's blog, as he wont to do, Canton mayor William J. Healy, II (who, as a local government official, is a godsend to this blogger) dropped a little morsel of "inaccurate" (at least, for now) information which got an interesting reaction from his dear and close friends (Janet Creighton and Thomas Bernabei) who constitute 2/3rds of the Stark County Board of County Commissioners.

Healy said that of the 30 millions or so - so far - committed to the newly announced in financial support of the newly announced Pro Football Hall of Fame Village "concept" project (HOF), Stark County had pledged (the SCPR's word; not Healy's) $5 million.

See this Healy video to make your own determination of whether or not it is fair for The Report to take Healy as saying that the Stark County commissioners' $5 million in county taxpayer support of the HOF project is a done deal.



One of the really neat things that the commissioners do that no other Stark County unit of local government does, is, after the official weekly commissioners' meeting is concluded, is to open the meeting to questions on the part of the media and presumably anybody else in attendance at the meeting.

The SCRP usually criticizes local government officials for their seeming "let's runaway and hide" persona (e.g. North Canton Council and Law Director Tim Fox), but the commissioners since Creighton and Bernabei came into office with their election in November, 2010 have "far and away" put their local government colleagues to shame.

So thank you Stark County commissioners Creighton and Bernabei of being "a light and a beacon" of democratic-republican principles of operation as a shining example - in this respect - of what Stark's other political subdivision of the State of Ohio can be!

At yesterday's commissioners' meeting, the SCPR during the Q&A asked the commissioners about Healy's $5 million commitment to the HOF project county government.

• SCPR Note:  The question was posed to Bernabei and Creighton; Richard Regula was off to Washington, DC to help celebrate the 90th birthday of  father and former Congressman Ralph Regula,
• (in the days when Stark County had only one congressman rather than the three Stark now has)
• ["three is better" according to Stark GOP chairman Jeff Matthews and state Rep. Christina Hagan, Republican - Marlboro.

The question to Bernabei and Creighton was:

"Did the [SCPR] miss something of a past commissioners meeting for The Report learned from Mayor Healy that the commissioners had agreed to ante up $5 million of taxpayer money for the HOF project?

Answer:  (from Commissioner Bernabei):

The SCPR had not missed anything.   No official action has taken place to put Stark County government on record as providing $5 million or any other number of dollars to the HOF project.

VIDEO:  BERNABEI ON THE $5 MILLION QUESTION



Well, then it was "Katy, bar the door," Olson was off and running with a string of questions.

As he nearly always does, Commissioner Bernabei's responses offer a "fount of knowledge" and information as to the history and the current status of "outside-the-public-purview" discussion between the commissioners (i.e Bernabei; not a majority of the board), HOF officials and other local luminaries (public and private sectors) on the "behind-the-scenes" exploratory talks that have been going on at least a year and the SCPR has the impression:  "much longer than anybody will ever admit to."

VIDEO:  BERNABEI ON WHERE THE $5 MILLION OR "WHATEVER" WILL COME FROM



VIDEO:  WHOM APPROACHED WHOM & WHEN

• SCPR Note: also some humor:  Bernabei commits Creighton to donating $11 million a la New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson

VIDEO:  COMMISSIONERS COMMIT TO A "PUBLIC HEARING" PROCESS BEFORE ANY DECISION MADE



VIDEO:  BERNABEI ON SPECIFIC NUMBER - $5 MILLION OR WHATEVER - BEING CONSIDERED



COMMISSIONER BERNABEI'S "AS AN INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONER" VIEW ON HOF FUNDING



VIDEO:  COMMISSIONER CREIGHTON "INDIVIDUAL VIEW AS A COMMISSIONER" VIEW
& 
THE BERNABEI TAKE ON WHETHER OR THE HOF PROJECT WILL "ULTIMATELY" BRING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO STARK COUNTY



Before going further, readers should take note of what the HOF folks themselves have to say about the conception of the project:

Hall’s Board approves HOF Village Concept

11/11/2014 

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Trustees recently approved in concept a master plan to develop the current campus into a “Hall of Fame Village.”

At the center of the plan is the renovation of Pro Football Hall of Fame Field, the stadium adjacent to the Hall. Work on the stadium is expected to begin next fall.

The Hall of Fame will now proceed with securing partners to create a village that may include:

• a world-class hotel and conference center, 
• an Academy of Excellence that would service the corporate world, 
• a Center of Athletic Performance & Safety, 
• youth football fields, 
• retail, 
• thematic restaurants, and 
• mixed use residence for Hall of Famers and NFL Legends. 

The multi-phased project is also master planned to include other entertainment opportunities for fan engagement such as an interactive Fan Experience.
“The concept of Hall of Fame Village aligns with the Hall’s vision for the future,” stated Hall of Fame President David Baker. “The commitment by the Board of Trustees provides the staff the opportunity to begin the next steps recommended in recently completed feasibility studies.”

• SCPR Note:  HOF quote restructured to emphasize the many aspects that the project envisions.

Here is the SCPR exclusive video footage of the Bernabei/Creighton response to The Report series of questions.

It is somewhat of "an ironic twist" for Canton mayor William J. Healy, II to be speaking (or, at the very least "sharing information") for Creighton and Bernabei.

These folks have not exactly been "bosom buddies" going way back to November, 2007 when Healy defeated Janet Creighton in her quest to be re-elected (a Republican mind you, in a 9 to 1 Democratic registration majority city) mayor of Canton.

Healy defeated her and quite convincingly.

Before that defeat, Creighton was deemed by many of us political types as being invincible in Stark County elections.

And that is probably still the case outside-the-city-of-Canton.

But nonetheless, Creighton's defeat was quite a humiliation for her.

If Healy had just let things settle in and, for most of his first term as mayor, not bashed Creighton on how she administered Canton government, maybe, in time, Creighton would have gotten over her defeat by Healy.

But he could not resist the opportunity "to blame her" for all Canton's problems so as to put himself in the "savior mode" which, of course, everybody knows is still "a work in progress."

As for Bernabei, he became Healy's first service director and chief of staff.

What a mistake that was!

You talk about mixing "oil and water," what a classic case that the Bernabei/Healy hookup turned out to be.

Both are highly self-confident and Bernabei, being the veteran administrator as Canton's long time law director, he was used to giving orders; not taking them.

Healy as the newly elected mayor had to be like "a kid in a brand new 'sand box.'"

Wouldn't you liked to have been "a fly on the wall" as subordinate Bernabei started barking out orders to "Hizzhonor?"

It is amazing, but Bernabei lasted an entire year as Healy's top administrator.

But then Bernabei goes out-of-town in early 2009.

"When 'the cat' is away, the [mouse] will play," no?

That folks is "the rest of the story!"

While Bernabei was away, Healy summoned the courage to dump him.

Sorry for the diversion, but some SCPR readers might not know why The Report thinks it is just a tad ironic that Healy would dare to share information (which, is inaccurate as of December 4, 2014) much less speak for Commissioners Creighton and Bernabei.

As is evident from Bernabei's responses to the SCPR's questions yesterday, both commissioners are "bullish" for the HOF project concept and it is near certain they will find a way - one way or another (i.e. not getting into Stark County's general fund money and/or the Justice System Sales Tax [JSST] revenues) - to come up with Stark County taxpayer supported revenue stream to redirect to the HOF project.

In time, the SCPR thinks Healy will be right.

But just not now.

The SCPR has got to say that covering Stark County government and politics is "really exciting stuff."

What "a cast of characters" we Stark Countians have for village, city, township and board of education officials, no?

And you can depend on the SCPR to bleed every ounce of the intrigue out of Stark County government and politics goings on!