So far in this election cycle, only "challenging" incumbent candidates have accepted the SCPR's offer to provide North Canton voters with an in-depth look at their programs, practices and policies that they will advocate for North Canton government if elected in this year's general election.
Beginning later this week, The Stark County Political Report (SCPR) will begin publishing interviews of North Canton mayoralty candidate Scott Kelly and council candidates Daryl Revoldt (at-large), Jon Snyder (Ward 3) [conducted on 10/04/2017] and B.J. Boyajian (Ward 4), scheduled for this week.
Incumbent mayor David Held says he willing to do an interview, but deferred ("I'd rather not") on The Report's suggestion that he go "head-to-head" with his opponent Scott Kelly.
The SCPR thinks such a format would help North Canton voters better take the measure of the two candidates. Obviously, Held has concluded that a joint Q&A would not benefit his re-election bid.
So far Held has not made himself available on a specific date to take the SCPR's questions.
Will he deliver for the benefit of North Canton voters?
That is the question!
He often reminds the SCPR how accessible he has been for interviews over his years of being mayor as they parallel the existence of The Report.
However, it is appearing more and more that this year is an exception.
As Stark Countians know, each and every election year the Canton League of Women Voters publish a summary of Stark County-based candidate background and priority as well as a summary of issues.
Take a look at this excerpt on the North Canton mayor's race:
Hmmm?
"Candidate [Held] did not respond."
One incumbent council candidate (Ward 4 councilman Dominic Fonte) seems to be on the cusp of accepting The Report's offer in that:
- he has asked for a list of the questions to be asked in a prospective interview and at a recent David Held fundraiser (covered by the SCPR because Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike DeWine attended [see SCPR/DeWine interview]), and
- apparently "joking" worried that the SCPR would be too tough on him if he were to agree to an interview,
For the SCPR is not out to surprise anyone.
But each candidate should expect presented, in a non-hostile way; SCPR "pointed" questioning.
In the SCPR's experience, all too many incumbent candidates are unwilling to submit to incisive questioning on their respective records.
It really should not have been necessary for Fonte to want to know specifically in advance what questions The Report might ask. All he had to do was to check the numerous blogs done by this blogger during the time that he and others (going back to March, 2008) have been on council in the case of challenging candidates who have served on council before.
Take a look at the SCPR invitation to the contested candidates and e-mail exchanges between the SCPR/Fonte:
THE ORIGINAL INVITATION
Martin Olson <tramols@att.net> Sep 11 at 3:04 PM
To mkiesling@northcantonohio.gov dgriffith@northcantonohio.gov mcerreta@northcantonohio.gov dfonte@northcantonohio.gov swerren@northcantonohio.gov
Between now and the end of October, I am interviewing on camera willing North Canton City Council candidates in competitive races for the November 7, 2017 general election.
My plan is to hold the interviews at the Stark County District Library on Wednesdays beginning at 3:00 p.m. in the boardroom on the lower level of the library.
The interview should last no longer than 30 minutes.
The library is located at 715 Market Avenue, North, Canton, Ohio.
For those of you who are willing to do an interview, please respond by e-mail and select a Wednesday and time (3:00 p.m. or later) that you prefer.
I will try to accommodate your wishes as to day and time.
Thank you,
Martin Olson
SCPR
tramols@att.net
330 499 0465
FONTE'S REQUEST
From: Dominic Fonte <DFonte@northcantonohio.gov>
To: "tramols@att.net" <tramols@att.net>
Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2017 8:29 AM
Subject: Hi Martin
Do you have a list of questions for me.
Thanks
THE SCPR RESPONSE
Martin Olson <tramols@att.net> Sep 13 at 9:48 AM
To: Dominic Fonte
Sure.
Not looking to surprise anybody.
Here are the prime questions I plan to ask all the candidates. Note: I may follow up on candidate answers for clarification or amplification purposes.
Introduce yourself to North Canton voters.
What, from your perspective, do you think qualifies you to be elected (or, in the case of an incumbent) re-elected to this office?
For an incumbent: what do you say is a primary achievement or primary achievements of your having been a North Canton councilperson in terms of policies/practices/processes of NCCC proceedings?
Non-incumbent: what will be your primary focus in making an impact on policies/practices/processes of NCCC proceedings?
For an incumbent: what has been your major disappointment(s) in terms of council's productiveness during your time on council.
Non-incumbent: In your observations of NCCC (please specify the time period you are referencing), what do you see as having been successes/failures of council and who deserves credit/blame for the success/failure cited?
For candidates whom is a non-incumbent but whom has previously served on council: For the time period in which you were formerly a council member what was a primary achievement or primary achievements of your having been a councilperson in terms of policies/practices/processes of NCCC proceedings?
For all candidates: What is the appropriate role of the law director in council meetings?
For all candidates: Do you favor/disfavor any change in the space/amount of time provided during a NCC regular/committee-of-the-whole for citizens to interact with councilmembers?
For all candidates: What is your position (assuming you are a successful candidate) on whether or not North Cantonians can expect an initiative (speaking for yourself, of course; not all of council) for a North Canton city income tax increase over the next term?
If affirmative, provide your reasons. If negative, why not?
For ward candidates: For the ward in which you are running, what do you see as being a key issue or key issues newly elected ward council candidate?
For all candidates: For all of North Canton whether you are an at-large or ward candidate, what do you see as being a key issue or key issues facing the newly elected council?
For all candidates: Should there be a minimum attendance requirement for councilmembers? If so, what should that standard be and moreover what should be the consequences of violating the standard. If not, why not?
At the end of my line of questions, I plan to offer each candidate an opportunity to re-visit prior Q&As and to bring up new material that has not been a part of the previous Q&As.
Thanks for your wanting to know and I plan to forward a copy of your request and my answer thereto to all other council candidates.
I think North Canton voters are entitled to know the viewpoints of candidates on the questions I plan to ask.
So the question that North Canton voters should be asking themselves:
Why won't North Canton "incumbent," under political challenge, candidates answer the SCPR's questions?
Maybe just maybe because—other than possibly several North Canton civic activists—nobody knows incumbent North Canton councilpersons Cerreta, Griffith, Kiesling, Werren and Fonte office holding track record for which they owe North Canton voters explanations/justifications than The Stark County Political Report.
There could be another reason for the refusal.
It could be that because the SCPR has been highly critical of how these incumbent candidates and, indeed, the whole of North Canton council has functioned (especially council's clear antagonism towards citizens questioning them), it is retribution time.
A part of holding public office is being accountable for one's actions as an elected official.
Getting even with the SCPR, if that is the motivation for not participating in interviews, only exacerbates The Report's suggestion that council is markedly dysfunctional.
For the interview refusal in the end game is a slam on North Canton citizens in that they are willing to be held accountable for the many council screw ups over the past several years.
If the refusal continues, North Canton voters should make the refusal a key factor in whether or not to vote for a given candidate.
Questions that the vote North Canton voters should have?
Here are a couple:
- What can't they explain?
- What can't they justify?
Or Werren on whether or not, as a former head of Leadership Stark County's government leadership training; she is a model for her former students to follow.
Or Candidate Cerreta on his being cited by the Ohio Ethics Commission several years ago.
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