(VIDEOS: GONZALEZ & SCHURING) SCOG 9-1-1 GOVERNANCE BOARD SETS PRIORITIES. IS GONZALEZ'S FRUSTRATION EXPERIENCING SOME RELIEF?

Last Thursday 9-1-1 Stark Council of Governments (SCOG) Governance Board Chairman Randy Gonzalez called the board ("GovBoard") together for the express purpose of determining what the board wished to recommend to the Stark County commissioners as to how to spend some $2.1 million that the commissioners are holding for the rehab of the countywide 9-1-1 system.

Back in 2007/2008 a commissioned study found the system to be broken and in dire need of fixing.

In December, 2008 former Stark County commissioner Todd Bosley came up with a plan to "impose" (which fellow commissioners Tom Harmon and Jane Vignos went along with) on Stark Countians a 0.5% sales tax as a way to fund the repair of the countywide 9-1-1.

Moreover additionally in the mix was a, "let's say - a less publicized," side plan to put monies into the Stark County general fund.

The SCPR's take is that "imposed" factor coalesced with the "general fund" factor to deal an overwhelming defeat for the tax in a referendum on the tax in November, 2009.

When the tax was "imposed," Gonzalez was elated that finally, finally, his 20 year effort to bring a "state-of-the-art" countywide 9-1-1 was a reality to Stark County.

This is not to say that Gonzalez (also Jackson Township's fiscal officer, a employee of the Canton clerk of courts and chairman of the Stark County Democratic Party) was pleased with the way the funding was brought about.  Being the skilled politician he is, one has to think that he worried that the revenue would be short lived.

And, as already pointed out, it was!

However, the county did collect monies from the "imposed" tax of which the $2.1 million remains.

Since the "imposed" sales tax collection ended in mid-2010 (because of a built-in lag in collecting on/ending levies), the GovBoard through 9-1-1 Project Manager Joe Concatto has been working on five aspects of completing the "dispatch" side of fixing 9-1-1, to wit:

• a "CAD - Computer Aided Dispatch" (i.e. software) system,
• getting Stark County's first responders outfitted with "state-of-the-art" 800 mhz radios,
• up-to-date consoles,
• figuring out a way to pay for the annual upkeep on CAD to the tune of about $100,000, and
• reserving some of the sales tax revenues to use as leverage (the local match) to qualify for state and federal grants that might be available for the CAD, radio and console aspects of upgrading the Stark 9-1-1 dispatch side of the equation.

It was this latter factor (i.e. the $100,000 annual upkeep cost) that gave Stark County Commissioner Tom Bernabei "pause for thought" as to whether or not purchasing a CAD system was a wise thing to do.

Anyone who knows Bernabei is well aware that he is a painstaking, detailed type when it comes to analyzing the costs and other factors associated with implementing local government initiatives.

He is so highly regarded in the county (except, of course, for Mayor William J. Healy, II of Canton who fired him as Canton chief-of staff back in 2008), The Report does expect that Commissioners Creighton and Ferguson will follow his lead as the commissioners move towards a final decision as what to do with the $2.1 million.

The options are, as pointed out above, the CAD software and/or 800 mhz radios and/or new consoles or any combination thereof.

The Report believes Bernabei is genuinely undecided but is leaning towards the radios.

Undoubtedly, Gonzalez and Concatto are likely tuned in on Bernabei's wavering.

It has always been the impression of the SCPR that Gonzalez and Concatto favor (as the top priority) getting the CAD system.  CAD will probably cost between $1 million and $1.3 million.

Beyond that, their likely priorities are getting as many radios as they can and setting aside money for the local match factor.

The hope is that bringing dispatchers together in two central facilities (the Stark County Sheriff's Center and the Canton Communications Center [or alternative, the RED Center] will significantly reduce the need for upgraded consoles and therefore the console factor appears to be their last priority.

But the decision on priorities in not Gonzalez's/Concatto's decision to make.

It is that of the GovBoard which is made of various fire/police/emergency force units and, of course, various representatives of Stark County's political subdivisions (township, villages, and cities).

While the SCPR believes that the GovBoard discussion was thorough, open-ended and frank, there is little doubt that the members caught the Gonzalez/Concatto drift and and that their carefully crafted advocacy resulted in their priorities being endorsed by the board.

And for yours truly's part, the Gonzalez/Cancatto priority plan appears to be the correct one.

But it remains to be seen as to whether or not Tom Bernabei will be convinced.

The SCPR understands that the GovBoard will have representation at this coming Wednesday's regular commissioner meeting to pass onto the commissioners the GovBoard's recommendation that the CAD be put out for bid as a first priority.

Here is a videotape on the GovBoard's vote on the priority:



As was pointed out in the GovBoard meeting, merely bidding out the CAD does not necessarily mean that the CAD will actually be purchased.

A concern of Concatto is that movement take place on the $2.1 million soon as a convincer (e.g. putting CAD up for bid) to the Fund for our Economic Future (Cuyahoga County) that the 9-1-1 rehab is a "go," so as to secure payment of a $100,000 EfficientGov-Now grant won by the 9-1-1 GovBoard in June, 2010.

But it still remains for them to convince Bernabei.

Another aspect to the 9-1-1 rehab is on "the call receiving side" of the countywide system.

Stark County emergency call receiving is currently "state-of-the-art."

However, two key parts of the future funding of this side of Stark's 9-1-1 includes:

• a 28 cent per month, per cellphone user fee which is due to expire on December 31, 2012.  The fee produces about $1 million per year for Stark County 9-1-1 emergency call receiving.
•  a Stark County 1/10th of a mill property tax levy dedicated to 9-1-1 which is set to expire at the end of this year.  The tax produces about $500,000 per year.

The 28 cent fee is a State of Ohio imposed fee as voted by the Legislature.  Accordingly, Chairman Gonzalez asked state Representative Kirk Schuring (Republican - Jackson - the 51st soon to be the 48th) to look into extending the fee beyond this year.

To track Schuring's progress, Gonzalez asked Schuring to be at Thursday's meeting and make a public presentation and take questions from the GovBoard's membership.

Schuring acquiesced and explained that he has heeded the GovBoard's call as evidenced in his amending House Bill 509.

The amendment provides for a complete review of Ohio's emergency services call receiving/dispatch system with recommendations of the review to be voted upon after November 15th of this year when the Ohio General Assembly returns to Columbus for a "lame duck" session.

Obviously representatives and state senators up for re-election this year would not want to be on record as having favored the tax increase.

While it is not known how much, if anything, the review will recommend in a continued fee, Schuring in this on camera with the SCPR appears confident that his efforts will be productive not only for the Stark County SCOG 9-1-1 GovBoard, but for 9-1-1 call/dispatch functions for all 88 Ohio counties.



As for Gonzalez's 20 years plus frustration, the SCPR asked whether or not he is optimistic that there is "light at the end of the tunnel" and, perhaps, his frustration is on its way to being ended?

Here is his video response to The Report:



The SCPR is skeptical that a complete fix of Stark County 9-1-1 will be realized.

However, it could happen.

The key?

Getting Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II on board.

The only way The Report sees that happening is Gonzalez brokering some kind of deal with Healy.

Healy being the cause of the stalemate is not good politics for him.

But will his ego allow him to do what is good for Stark County's citizens and sacrifice being the "man in charge?"

Hmm?

WHAT A SURPRISE! GONZALEZ RE-ELECTED CHAIRMAN OF THE STARK DEMS IN A DEMONSTRATION OF POLITICAL MIGHT.

When the SCPR wrote earlier this week about  former Perry Township Trustee Jim Holmes challenging incumbent Stark County Democratic Chairman Randy Gonzalez (also Jackson Township fiscal officer, also Canton Municipal Courts clerk of courts employee, also chairman of the Stark County Council of Government 9-1-1 governing board chairman), the analysis of Holmes chances were "between slim and none and slim just left town."

The analysis was borne out yesterday as Gonzalez politically pulverized Holmes 126 to 7.

That the vote tally was released in and of itself tells one something:  "the internal operations of political parties are not about democracy, but about power politics."

Often, party chairmen withhold actual vote tallies on candidacies/measures voted upon by precinct committeepersons so as not to embarrass the losers.

However, when one has the audacity to challenge a party chairman and the vote is a smashing victory for the chair, then the vote will be released in order to send a message to any who would challenge the established order.

And that's exactly the message that Gonzalez sent in authorizing the revelation of the vote numbers after yesterday's vote.

When, on the other hand, a chairman or in the case cited below - his right hand man - has a closer call on whether or not he will retain a party selected office, then we never see the actual vote.

Such was the case a year or so ago when former Stark County Commissioner Jane Vignos challenged former Stark County GOP Chairman Curt Braden (bosom buddy with now Republican Chairman Jeff Matthews and director of the Stark County Board of Elections - BOE) for a seat as a board member at the BOE.

Because the vote was highly competitive, to release the vote would have been embarrassing to Braden, no doubt.

Reasons why Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II (who nominated Gonzalez for a new term as chairman yesterday) has fallen in line with Chairman Gonzalez are threefold:

1. He started out too far behind in the immediate sense in trying to overtake the Gonzalez/former Chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. hold over the Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee and lost badly in the March 6, 2012 elections,
2. He wants to be a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte - September 3 through 7.  It has been suggested (by a person in a position to know) to the SCPR that in exchange for Healy's recent endorsements (including yesterday's nomination), Gonzalez has promised to help Healy gain a spot in the Ohio delegation.
3. His sister Joyce Healy-Abrams thinks that she has a real shot at defeating incumbent Republican Congressman Bob Gibbs of Knox County for the redistricted 7th Congressional District which takes in a large swath of Stark County and Healy wants total local party unity to enhance his sister's chances and, of course, to that of Barack Obama to be re-elected president.

But make no mistake about it, the Stark County Democratic Party has fallen upon hard times under the chairmanship of Gonzalez (first elected in 2009).

Should: (in combination of any of the following)

• Obama lose the presidency and lose in Stark County or win the presidency but lose Stark County,
• Healy-Abrams lose her run for Congress and lose in Stark County or win but lose in Stark County (highly unlkely),
• Stark Dems lose any of the countywide offices (sheriff, prosecutor, recorder, clerk of courts or coroner),

then you can be sure that Healy will be back full force asking Gonzalez to resign or he will redouble his effort to put together an effective campaign to wrestle control of the Stark Democratic Central Committee away from Gonzalez/Maier so that in 2014 the party chairmanship will be a "real" test of political heft within the local party.

Increasingly, the voting public is totally turned off by the likes of the Healy/Gonzalez intra-party dances that take place.

Similar political undertows/dances/fights are being played out in Ohio at the state party level (Redfern, the Dems, DeWine, the GOP [who, by the way is stepping down effective April 13th]) as to whom, going forward, will be party chairman.

The public properly views these fights as having nothing to do with the public good but rather the personal political advantage of the participants themselves.

So the remedy?

To quote Shakespeare:

"A plauge o' both your houses."

Or, as frequently quoted:  "A pox on both your houses.

The phrase is a well known quote from Romeo and Juliet.

As the character Mercutio dies, three times he speaks this phrase, cursing the families whose rivalry led to his death.

This phrase is more and more heard in the actions of registered Republicans and Democrats in their moving to the roles of the independent/non-partisan voter.

Everyday Americans are increasingly understanding that the warring political parties engage in political warfare in order to feather the nests of those who control the political parties and thereby visit damage on the public interest.

The public response?

Indeed, "a pox on both your houses!"

While it is commendable that the likes of Jim Holmes and Jane Vignos would put up a fight to correct the imbalances within their respective political parties, they are engaged in fights they cannot win.

It is the likes of Gonzalez, Maier, Healy, Matthews and Braden who will always win in their concocted political worlds and not those Democrats and Republicans who want and demand that political parties serve the public good over personal political goals.

When the numbers of those exiting the established political parties reaches a critical mass and thereby leaving them more or less irrelevant, then, and only then will the party chieftains come on bended knee with hat in hand begging to be restored to the public trust.

But then it will be too late.

The American political landscape will have been changed forever!