(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)

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

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

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

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

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ASSESSMENT

BY

COUNCILMAN-AT-LARGE RICHARD HART
 (PUBLISHED)

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ASSESSMENT

BY

WARD 2 COUNCILMAN THOMAS WEST
(PUBLISHED)

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COMMENTS 
CHIEF OF STAFF
FONDA WILLIAMS
(PUBLISHED)

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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.