(VIDEO) SCPR CANTON MAYORAL SERIES - BILL SMUCKLER - PART VI: "BRINGING MONEY FROM OUTSIDE STARK COUNTY TO CANTON" AS CANTON'S PRIME ECONOMIC MODEL?

In this segment of the SCPR's extended interview with Canton City Council-at-Large member Bill Smuckler who is running against incumbent Mayor William J. Healy, II in this May's primary election, the focus continues on economic development but with the nuance of zeroing in on what economic benefit a rework of the Stark County Fairgrounds could be to Canton's economy and to the economy of Stark County-at-large.

One of Smuckler's prime supporters is former Stark County Commissioner Tom Harmon (who, for most of his public career, was the clerk of courts for the Canton Municipal Court.

Well, why bring that up?

Good question.

For several reasons.

First of all, the emphasis of this particular phase of the SCPR's video discussion with Smuckler centers on a proposed "beginning ?" re-development of the Stark County Fairgrounds (Fairgrounds).

Harmon as commissioner (having been appointed by the Stark County Democratic Central Committee to replace Gayle Jackson [subsequently elected in his own right] as commissioner when she was appointed to be a lottery official for the Democratic Strickland administration), pushed the building of a horse show arena as an aspect of "his" economic development plan for Stark.  In reality, the plan was not Harmon's at all.  Rather it originated with local attorney and show horse participant and devotee Elizabeth Burick.  However, Harmon continues to be "the lead" in trying to convince area legislators and commissioners to get behind "the Burick Plan." (Plan).

Smuckler has adopted the Plan as a small part of his economic development plan for Canton.  And being the "regionalist" he is, one can fairly say his economic development plan for all of Stark County.

In the video that is located at the end of this blog, yours truly and Smuckler spar over what the scope and the vision of the Plan should be.

To The Report, Burick's plan is way too small and parochial to qualify for city/county support as being a major piece in the area's economic development re-work.

And to be fair to Smuckler, he refers to the Plan as "one small part" of his bigger overall economic development objective of bringing into Canton/Stark County "outside-the-county" dollars.

The reason The Report pushes the matter with Smuckler is that the Plan does have the seeds of greatness in it.  However, it seems that Canton/Stark does not have the leadership in place to grasp the enormous potential of taking this green space more or less in the heart of Canton (which, in turn, is the heart of Stark County with Canton being the county seat where the commissioners are based) and meeting two critical needs:

• the phased-in replacement of crumbling infrastructure and dilapidated, horribly out-of-date buildings (which present potential safety problems to users) which populate the fairgrounds presently,
• the creation of an economic development showcase (a la Clark County, Ohio) which could - with innovative, creative and driven leadership - link up with Stark's other touristy assets (e.g. Professional Football Hall of Fame) that makes Canton/Stark County the talk of northeast Ohio, if not, all of Ohio.

Smuckler and his global look at the structure of government is an ideal person to prime the pump of creativity, innovation to produce a Canton/Stark County economic/financial renaissance.

Which brings the SCPR to a second point.

Why would Smuckler want to have in his inner political adviser circle a man who is steeped in "the good ole boys" politics of the Stark County Democratic Party? 

Before proceeding, let's get the niceties out of the way.  Personally, The Report likes Tom Harmon.  He is a friendly, urbane guy that seems to be well-liked throughout Stark County who did good housekeeping work for years as Canton's clerk of courts.   However, liking or not liking someone is not a valid basis to assess whether or not one is an effective leader. 

To The Report.  Harmon does not embody the kind of bold, imaginative leadership for Canton/Stark that has the promise to propel the area out of the economic and financial doldrums.  So it is somewhat disturbing that Smuckler has Harmon in his retinue of key advisers. A background as a long standing, competent clerk of courts is hardly having credentials to be a driving force for solving what ails Canton.

Is Harmon the best Smuckler can do?

Last week yours truly had a discussion with some leading Stark County public officials as to whom was going to win between Healy and Smuckler in the Democratic primary.

And guess what the discussion boiled down to?  Smuckler does not inspire, but anybody other than Mayor Healy.

Wow!

It's too late for Smuckler to rearrange his leadership team now, but he definitely - if he is ultimately elected mayor of Canton - needs to bring in folks with a more creative, stimulative and visionary mindset than the likes of Tom Harmon.

(VIDEO) SCPR CANTON MAYORAL SERIES - BILL SMUCKLER - PART V: WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT BILL SMUCKLER COMPARED TO MAYOR HEALY? HIS THOUGHTS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & HEALY'S RESISTENCE TO GOING FORWARD WITH 9-1-1

In today's SCPR presentation of Councilman-at-Large William Smuckler and his campaign to replace William J. Healy, II as the mayor of Canton, he focuses on:

• how he will be different as mayor as compared to Mayor Healy,
• his ability to work with others (particularly the county commissioners) in his long term drive to make Canton's and Stark County's government more efficient and effective,
• new ways (and some established ways) to do economic development in Canton that benefits both the city and the county-at-large,
• his drive for government efficiency as embodied as being an advocate for Canton's cooperation with and participation in a rehabbed countywide 9-1-1, and 
• his continuing commitment as a tool in Canton's economic development arsenal.

Viewers will note in the accompanying video that Smuckler and yours truly spar with one another in a lively exchange of viewpoints.

Here is Bill Smuckler in his own words.

(VIDEO) SCPR CANTON MAYORAL SERIES - BILL SMUCKLER - PART IV: USING CANTON'S WATER TO BRING "NEW" JOBS TO CANTON?

In this Smuckler - PART IV - of the Stark County Political Report series on the Canton mayoralty race, the candidate summarizes the principal points of his campaign and gets into the details of what a Smuckler administration would mean in terms of a programmatic economic development program.

Smuckler dubs his overall revitalization program "Framing Canton's Future."

As viewers will note, Smuckler seems confident that Canton's abundant water supply can be developed into a lure to have companies located in the west and southwest of the nation to come east.  Hmm?  Really?

An interesting idea, but it seems to the SCPR that water in and of itself as being an overriding factor as a incentive for relocation would be effective only for a company or companies who are water intensive to the point of survival.

Here is Candidate Smuckler elaborating on his "Framing Canton's Future."

(VIDEOS) SCPR CANTON MAYORAL SERIES - BILL SMUCKLER - PART I. STARK COUNTY'S ONLY COUNTYWIDE NEWSPAPER DENIES CANTON MAYORAL CANDIDATE "OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD" IN SPONSORED DEBATE? HMM?

It appears to the Stark County Political Report that Canton Mayor William J. Healy, II is playing Executive Editor Jeff Gauger of The Repository like a banjo. 

According to a Repository report, Healy objects to the Republican candidates being a part of the debate format.

The Report suspects that Healy fears a person-to-person contrast with Republicans Leon Gerig, A.R. "Chip" Conde and Democrat Bill Smuckler and has used The Rep's "cast in concrete" rules to duck out of a Repository scheduled debate set for April 5th at Canton's Palace Theater.

In the public interest, The Rep should set up two debates (Republican candidates; Democratic candidates).  This year's election could be the most important in Canton's history.   The public need to see the candidates side-by-side in the primaries and in the general election. 

Why Gauger would allow Healy the opportunity to duck out on a seemingly minor point (one debate format as opposed to a two debate format) should be a question that Cantonians should be flooding The Rep executive editor with. 

It appears to The Report that the bigs at The Rep have this machismo problem of seeming to be in control.  Cantonians/Stark Countians have seen this before in a prior debate in which whether or not editorial board member Gayle Beck was going to be the moderator of a debate.  The Rep's insistence on "one big debate" is silly and is not serving of the public interest in seeing a direct contrast of the candidates.

In an interview with Healy's Democratic opponent Bill Smuckler yesterday, Smuckler tells The Report that he believes that The Repository is being unfair with him.

Moving on to other takes by the SCPR in the interview, in this Part I video Smuckler recounts his experience in Canton City government since 1984 and delves (today - on safety force levels) into his four pronged campaign approach:

• restoring Canton's safety forces to higher levels
• refashioning Canton's economic development effort
• reformulating neighborhood revitalization, and
• making government more efficient by making Canton a major player in government services consolidations