GOOD GOVERNMENT AWARD: CITY OF CANTON

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) gives its "good government" award to Canton City Council.

About 2,000 Canton property owners (according to a TV 5 - Cleveland report) a year do not comply with a Canton City ordinance requiring grass 8 inches and higher be mowed or face penalty of law.

Some may say that Canton City Council has better things to do (like work on economic development) than to preoccupy itself with monitoring the height of grass.

The Report has some sympathy with that point-of-view but one of the functions of government is to provide a structure of neighbor caring about neighbor. These 2,000 uncaring neighbors are costing Canton taxpayers about $250,000 or so a year. Moreover, the eyesore properties detract from the aesthetics of Canton.

Hats off to Canton for showing responsible leadership model to it citizens.