Does anyone on North Canton City Council, besides Councilman Jeff Davies, have any backbone?
North Canton is about to finalize an agreement with Maple Street Commerce (Stu Lichter) on the continuing development of the former Hoover complex into a facility reconfigured, refitted for new tenants.
North Canton officials released the proposal at the past Monday's council meeting as emergency legislation. The SCPR's sources have no idea what the emergency is and even after asking Council president Daryl Revoldt still do not know.
Councilman Davies did try to put the breaks on by asking for a second reading prior to the vote. Council President Revoldt was having none of that.
Of course, there are other concilpersons. Let's see there is Doug Foltz (Ward 1), Daniel Peters (Ward 2), Jon Snyder (Ward 4) and Marcie Kiesling (at-large). Pat DeOrio (at-large) was on vacation.
Apparently, Foltz, Peters, Snyder and Kiesling sat there mum. No support at all for Davies.
We all know that when someone (in this case, Revoldt) is giving something the "bum's rush," watch out. Someone is about to get the shaft. In this case, it is likely the "someone" is going to be North Canton taxpayers.
Deals with developers are notorious for not protecting taxpayers.
Public officials are under enormous pressure to give developers everything they ask for because of the politics of producing jobs to replace rapidly vanishing jobs.
If Council sits back and let's Revoldt rush this agreement through without being properly vetted, then they share in the public accountability should things go wrong.
As we all know from life experience, "haste makes waste."
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