(VIDEO) ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR A "CONSOLIDATED" 9-1-1 STARK SYSTEM?

UPDATE:  11:45 AM

ENTIRE VIDEO  OF 07/11/2013 SCOG 9-1-1 GOVERNANCE BOARD MEETING

VIDEOS

FORMER STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER

JANE VIGNOS

MAKES MOTION 

TO RECOMMEND TO 

STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

THE PURCHASE OF A 

CAD SYSTEM & 800 MHZ RADIOS

RANDY GONZALEZ

UPDATES

STARK'S EMERGENCY FORCES

ON

9-1-1 REHAB

JOE CONCATTO

UPDATES

STARK'S EMERGENCY FORCES

ON

9-1-1 REHAB

ENTIRE 07/11/2013
SCOG 9-1-1 GOVERNANCE BOARD MEETING

It was a touch ironic yesterday that former Stark County Commissioner Jane Vignos made the motion requested by Stark County Council of Governments (SCOG) 9-1-1 Governance Board Chairman Randy Gonzalez that SCOG recommend to the Stark County commissioners:

• that they spend some $2.35 million (according to County Administrator Brant Luther) being held by them to purchase a Computer Assisted Dispatch (CAD) system, for
• a "consolidated," not yet a "regionalized" (see Burgasser correction in Vignos motion video posted below),
• and to apply the rest of the money towards buying state-of-the-art 800 mhz radios for Stark emergency forces who do not presently have them.

Vignos motion - "somewhat ironic?"

Yes.

Republican Vignos was one of three Stark Commissioners (Democrats Todd Bosley and Tom Harmon being the other two) who "imposed" as 0.5% county sales tax which was highlighted as being to fix what was term then (December, 2008) as being a broken Stark County emergency call receiving and dispatching operation.

But the tax did not last long.

Local attorney and civic activist Craig T. Conley soon figured out that the imposed tax was not entirely for a 9-1-1 fix.  Half of the revenues were for the county general fund.  However, that fact was glossed over by the-then commissioners and other county officials who wanted to see the tax remain on the books.

Because of the tax being "imposed" and due to the secretive treatment of the general fund aspect of the collections, voters responded to a Conley put together effort to repeal the tax in November, 2009 with an overwhelming vote to squash the tax.

Nevertheless, subsequent boards of county commissioners including the current one of Commissioners Tom Bernabei (Democrat), Janet Creighton (Republican) and Richard Regula (Republican) have set aside and protected the 9-1-1 fix share of the revenue generated by the imposed tax for 9-1-1 purposes.

The set aside and protection has been necessary because  county government went through a crisis of confidence from December, 2008 through November, 2011 generated by the imposed tax and the revelation that former Stark County chief deputy treasurer Vince Frustaci had stolen upwards of $3 million in Stark County taxpayer funds over several years but undetected by county officials until April 1, 2009.

During the crisis, pressure was put on commissioners to appropriate the $2.3 million to overall Stark County government operations.

It seems to the SCPR that the multiple boards of commissioners have understood that it would not set well with county taxpayers to give in to the pressure.

Back in 2011 it appeared that a countywide, centralized "regional" dispatch system was a "go" for Stark County when out-of-the-blue Canton mayor William J. Healy, II and his then-safety director Thomas Ream became a problem.

Along with the Stark County sheriff's office, the Canton Communications Center are to be the bulwarks (as backups to one another) of any countywide, centralized emergency call receiving and dispatch operation.

The SCPR's analysis is that Healy realized his Canton Communications Center was a key component of whether or not centralized 9-1-1 was going to be a reality and further realizing that Canton would not be in charge of a "regionalized," centralized system, all of a sudden became uncooperative.

All of that is all changed because now it is obvious even to the mayor of Canton that Canton's CAD system is out-of-date and the city can ill-afford to spend the million or so to update its system.

Beyond CAD, there is the issue of having a universal countywide radio system in which all county emergency forces have 800 mhz radios and that a capital fund be built up to upgrade the current radios (which will not be supported by vendor Motorola past 2017) and be part of the wave of the future in which nearly all if not all emergency force radio communications will be done through a state of Ohio system called MARCS (Multi-Agency Radio Communications System).

So he is all too happy now to join in with the county (though headed up by arch-political-enemies Creighton and Bernabei) and in a sense dip into the county's $2.35 million and thereby solving the need for Canton to find that much money plus to keep Canton's communication's center up-to-date.

SCOG's Gonzalez being the politico he is, to wit:

• Stark County Democratic Party chairman, 
• Jackson Township fiscal officer, and 
• an employee of fellow Democrat Phil Giavasis in the Canton Municipal Court clerk of courts office [CJIS], 

though humiliated by Healy on 9-1-1 (in the opinion of the SCPR), is willing to let bygones be bygones and is apparently overjoyed at the prospect of getting a "scaled down" system which he and others at yesterday's  session  were distinguishing as being a "consolidation" (Massillon Fire Chief Tom Burgasser was most emphatic on this point) and not a regionalization of a rehabbed county system.

Here is Gonzalez (who has worked for over 20 years for a "fixed" Stark County 9-1-1) yesterday updating a number of Stark's police, fire and emergency workers at the Stark County sheriff's training room on the status of Stark 9-1-1 dispatch upgrade.

During the session, Gonzalez said that he believes "it is now or never" for Stark County to get on the track towards regionalization of 9-1-1 dispatch.

Also weighing in yesterday was 9-1-1 Project Manager Joe Concatto who outlined:

• the CAD bids and emphasized that the county would only proceeding IF that the effort at rehabbing 9-1-1 ultimately results in a "regionalized," 
• the transition from a "consolidated" - at the start - to a "regionalized,"
• in a vague sense the costs of consolidation (e.g. historical average of 236,000 divided among 44 dispatchers [from Canton Communications Center, the sheriff's center and the RED center],

So it appears that the Stark County commissioners are willing to spend the $2.3 million for something less than ideal.

Eight dispatch centers will not be a part of a Stark County CAD at least at the start of operations.

Gonzalez, 9-1-1 Project Manager Joe Concatto and others expressed the "hope" that one day - down the road - the eight non-participants will see the light and join in with the "consolidated" system and thereby make the Stark County consolidated operation a true "regionalized" system.

The stark reality that the Stark commissioners now face is whether or not to take the tax dollars paid by "all" Stark County taxpayers and apply it for the benefit of about 75% of Stark's local government units.

The SCPR believes that they will.

It appears that they will buy into Gonzalez's "it is now or never" rationale.

For those SCPR readers who want to see the entire video (53 minutes long) of yesterday's SCOG 9-1-1 Governance Board meeting, here goes.

HARD TIMES EQUAL HARD CHOICES?

A few years ago Tuscarawas Township trustee Celeste DeHoff had caught the eye of the then Stark County Democratic Party chair Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. She landed a job working for him in the Massillon clerk of courts office which, of course, he head as the elected office holder.

Then two years ago, she, as a recent grad from law school and admitted to the Ohio Bar, had another stroke of good fortune in being hired by Jackson Township. A key figure in Jackson is fiscal officer and former trustee Randy Gonzalez who is current Stark County Dems chair and close, close political ally of Maier.

But, alas for her, when economic times get hard for government, even political loyalists are not safe. Her $47,560 is a bit too steep for Jackson Township these financially stressed days. The cut was one of a number to be made within 30 days according to a report in the Massillon Independent yesterday.

One reader of the Stark County Political Report apparently believes the initial hire was a political boondoggle. Witness this comment:

How can you turn such an expenditure into looking like a budget cut when there is no justification for the initial expense? I would be curious to see her work product for this two year project.

DeHoff appears to be on on her way out as trustee in Tuscarawas Township, too.

A source has told the SCPR that DeHoff took out a "blank" petition from the Board of Elections.

Why a blank petition?

Maybe she's trying to sandbag. If so, it's not working. Three non-incumbents have taken out petitions for the two slots up this time (one of which is one currently held by DeHoff).

She got clobbered by Republican Todd Snitchler in her race against him in 2008 for the Ohio House (50th) - in her home area Tuscarawas Township and across the entire district despite huge help from Maier getting big Columbus-generated bucks to put into the race and despite Maier getting the Stricklands, John Glenn, Sherrod Brown and Richard Cordray to come to the district to campaign for her.

Undoubtedly, Maier is grieving over the hard times his political loyalist DeHoff is experiencing.

Don't be surprised to see DeHoff surface on the staff of a Democratic elected official somewhere across Stark County.

Could she be in for another stint at the Massillon clerk of courts office?

HAS STARK COUNTY "DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED" GOVERNMENT BECOME "ANIMAL FARM?"

When are everyday Democrats who contribute their $15, $25 and $50 to the "more equal pigs'" political endeavors, and who walk the neighborhoods for them, and who put up political signs, and attend rallies cheering their inanities going to realize they are being played for the fools.

All of Stark County should be doing a deep, deep belly laugh when former Stark County Democratic Party chair Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. tries to present himself as a "selfless public servant" (i.e. serving "unpaid" as party chairman).

Yours truly has heard Maier over and over again talk about serving as chairman repeating ad nauseum. What he doesn't talk about is the "dividends" that the "capital" of being party chairman pays.

And Maier has cashed in big time. Moreover, he has brought along Randy Gonzales and his dear, dear friends - the Jacksons (former Stark County commissioner Gayle Jackson, her son Shane and daughter Lisa). These folks are just few of the "Maier political entourage" who luxuriate at taxpayer expense.

Many of the beneficiaries of Maier's political patronage are folks who have seen very few, if any, days working in the private sector.

The political dominance that Maier has succeeded in foisting on Stark County has not inured to the benefit of everyday Stark Countians, but clearly to his loyalists. The Stark public treasury is truly the "happy hunting ground" of the friends and relatives of the Stark County Democratic Party elite and, of course, the elite themselves.

Like political dominance always does, it creates a feeding frenzy for the "insiders" at the expense of the rest of us. By the time the frenzy has run its course, it is generally not a pretty picture. Just ask Statehouse Republicans. It will be years before they recover from the Noe era.

It is apparent that Maier cooked a deal with Randy Gonzales to remain on the Board of Elections. Normally, the party chairman gets that job. However, Gonzales has a conflict in interest (no surprise here - the man who wears so many Stark County government hats) and therefore the emerging political boss of Stark County cannot hold the Elections position.

By the way, here is an interesting tidbit. A source told the SCPR that when Maier made his employee (at the Massilon clerk of courts) and Stark Democratic Party Political Director Shane Jackson a member of the Board of Election, Maier's wife (who is the elected fiscal officer at Tuscarawas Township) was very unhappy.

Maier "plays his cards close to the vest." Stepping down as party chairman has been a two to three month process according to q source.

But how much time for a competitor to put together a campaign to challenge his anointed one Jackson Township fiscal officer Randy Gonzales: 14 days, at best. The political fix is in - in classical Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. style.

Like Maier, Gonzales collects government (taxpayer) money from a number of sources. He is a retired Canton city employee, is currently chief deputy to political patronage dispenser and clerk of courts Phil Giavasis and is fiscal officer (elected) for Jackson Township. Moreover, he has gotten his son a job with Stark County recorder Rick Campbell who is married to a Jackson.

What the SCPR has offered as an example of how the politicos (Republicans do it too, when they control) dispense taxpayer money to the politically favored, is only the tip of the iceberg.

And this is not just a political thing. The Stark County public loses the opportunity to land these public jobs when they are set aside for the politicos, their families, friends and loyalists.

If Stark County taxpayers only knew the extent to which the Maier/Gonzales political machine has walked away with taxpayer money via political patronage, there just might be a rebellion on Stark County's Animal Farm!

MAIER RESIGNS AS STARK DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR. WHY? STARK COMMISSIONER BOSLEY SET TO RUN TO SUCCEED MAIER?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) has been hearing for some time that Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. was about to resign as Stark County Democratic Party chairman

The rumor became fact on May 29th in a letter written by Maier to local Democratic party officials which were first received by a number of them today, May 30th.

What is not clear, is: why?

And the SCPR knows from one-on-ones with Maier, that he is constantly calculating "what's in it for Johnnie?"

The reason that The Report has been given is so outlandish that yours truly is not prepared to publish the specific speculation. The SCPR is at a minimum skeptical of what's being said.

A leading Stark County Democrat has been heard to say something to the effect: "A lot of us [leading Stark Dems] think that in Johnnie's mind, he is going to become _____." (emphasis added)

So has Maier resigned as party chair to be in a position "to become _____." Hum?

If the conjecture (hint: a position in state government) proves to be accurate, then many Stark/Ohio politicos will be truly astounded.

Comeback to The Report frequently to see whether or not yours truly has been able to nail down the precise reason for the Maier resignation. This one could take some time.

The Report has learned that when a union golf outing entourage heard of the Maier resignation, there was a thunderous cheer and the unionists and friends were engaging in a lot of "high fives" and backslapping.

Maier made enemies of Stark County's trade unions when he dumped the popular and retired (from the Ironworkers) Billy Sherer from what had been known as "the union seat" on the Stark County Board of Elections.

Another potentially momentous development on the heels of the Maier resignation is news that Stark County commissioner Todd Bosley is weighing whether or not he is going to get into the race to succeed Maier.

Undoubtedly, Maier likely thinks he has handpicked Jackson Township fiscal officer Randy Gonzalez to take over. But Bosley has told the SCPR that if he decides to get into the race, it will be to win and not to place or show.

Bosley says he wants the party to be open to all and not the captive of folks who think they are entitled. Under a Bosley chairmanship, organized labor would have a "table of honor." Moreover, he pledges that there will be no free passes to the likes of David Stucki, Scott Oelslager, Charles Brown and the considerable number of Republicans who have run unopposed over the Maier years.

It would be great if Stark Countians would wake up to the news in the next day or two that Jeff Matthews has resigned as chairman of the Stark County Republican Party and the successor chairman would pledge that no Democrat (e.g. Ferrero, Zeigler and Rehfus - 2008) would ever run unopposed again.

One of the main goals of the SCPR is to goad each party into making Stark County a hotbed of political competition. Such is one of a number of ways to make public officials responsive and accountable to Stark's citizens.

Interesting times loom in the immediate future of Stark County politics!

IT'S THE SHERIFF'S 800 MEGAHERTZ, IT'S CONCATTO, IT'S CENCOM - ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER CONSPIRING TO UNDO STARK COUNTY CENTRALIZED 9-1-1 DISPATCH?

The word on the street that Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson and Nimishillen Township Fire Chief Rich Peterson recently got into a huge argument about the utility of Swanson's baby: the 800 megahertz communication system.

Swanson went out a got grants to put this system together. Now get this. In Swanson's mind the system was "free" to Stark County because the money came from government grants. "Free," heh?

On with the story.

Swanson has been pushing the "free" equipment and system on all of first responders in Stark County. The mission? To vastly improve communication among first responders throughout the county.

What wrong with that?

Nothing, other that passing around the fiction that is "free."

And except to Fire Chief Peterson. He objects because he thinks that a better system called MARCS (see graphic for definition). In shorthand, it is a state of Ohio system to get all of Ohio's first responders in instant contact with one another.

A source says that there is one simple problem with the MARCS system: it is not up and running. The SCPR has a call into MARCS and when the exact status is available, yours truly will update this blog reporting same.

The SCPR believes Peterson is pushing to ultimately make Nimishillen's CenCom the prime unit in the centralized 9-1-1 Stark County dispatch system.

But he has a problem in that quest.

Randy Gonzales and, perhaps, Peterson's long time political pal Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley.

In political reality, Gonzales (and Stark County Democratic Party chair Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.) and Bosley are big time foes. The SCPR believes that over the longer haul this internal Stark County Democratic competition will escalate into a battle over who controls the local Democratic party.

Back to the main point.

So you have Gonzales and Bosley doing a "strange bedfellows" political operation to defeat the Peterson effort to shape 9-1-1 his way.

Another qualm that Peterson and his highly supportive Nimshillen Township trustees have with the direction in which centralized 9-1-1 dispatch is heading (note: Nimshillen has pulled out of the effort, maybe?), is Joseph Concatto's unpreparedness to be project manager for the Stark Council of Governments (SCOG) shepherded centralization.

Peterson points out that Concatto (sponsored by Gonzales who also happens to be Executive Vice President of the Stark County Democratic Party) himself has said that he wasn't specifically prepared to be 9-1-1 project manager and that it will take time for him to get up and running as leader. Peterson snipes at Concatto for going on boondoggle-esque trips at taxpayer expense in his drive "to become prepared."

Now why did the SCPR write above that Nimishillen pulled out of the 9-1-1 project "maybe?"

Because in the background are negotiations for SCOG to buy the console at CenCom. Additionally, there is talk of SCOG buying all of CenCom's equipment eventually. Now does that sound like Nimishillen is really puling out?

It sounds more like "we (Nimishillen Township) know we are going out of business and are not going to be the central 9-1-1 dispatch unit and therefore we are going to do the best we can to be made whole" out of Stark County taxpayer money (the money dedicated to 9-1-1 from the commissioner imposed 1/2% imposed sales/use tax).

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT has been a supporter of a re-worked, centralized 9-1-1 dispatch operation.

But one has to wonder, with all the political machinations taking place in the construction, whether or not Stark County is going to end up with a politically gerrymandered system that is no better - perhaps worse - than the current system.

It seems to make no difference to Stark County's politicians that lives may hang in the balance.

What does appear to be the priority is: "protect my political turf."

The SCPR has been told that SCOG will iron out all of these differences and that Stark County will achieve a unified, streamlined and much more efficient and effective centralized 9-1-1.

The SCPR's response.

It's a miracle! - if it happens - given all the turfism alive and well among Stark County's political leaders.

DISCUSSION: HAVE STARK COUNTY'S POLITICAL PARTIES GOTTEN OUT-OF-HAND?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) apologizes to those public officials and/or politicos who do not have a "place of honor" on The Report's graphic for the discussion about The Report's belief that there is a rampant use of Stark County (including municipalities, villages and townships) departments of government to provide employment (present and past) to those who work the political hustings for their benefactors, the benefactor's political friends in need or the Republican and Democratic party organizations.

The topic is especially relevant now with the troubles in the Stark County treasurer's office. Treasurer Zeigler denies that Vince Frustaci became a county employee some 9 years ago because of his political connections.

Well, pardon The Report's skepticism!

So, let's start at the base question.

Why is it a bad thing for a local government official to hire (or have a fellow local government official hire - in case of relatives) political friends and family for government jobs?

First, these are public jobs paid for by taxpayer monies and should be open for one and all.

The Report knows of situations in Stark County in which virtually whole families are employed in local/state (within Stark County) government. Some have two or three public sector jobs.

Wow!

From The Report's standpoint this political reality is unconscionable at any time, but especially so when Stark has a 10.4% (Canton 11.5%) unemployment rate.

Second, how does one supervise "one's political friend" who "voluntarily" does political extras beyond the call of a given job's duty?

The Report has heard numerous accounts of folks who have gotten employed through the "political avenue" only to be found wanting in having the essential skills.

Does anyone remember Elizabeth Ray and Ohio Congressman Wayne Hays? If not here is a link to familiarize yourself.

Third, these employees grow too comfortable in their jobs. They stagnate, work over (i.e. "put them through unnecessary exercises) members of the general public who question their job performance and all too often assume a "my way or the highway" type of attitude. These folks become so ensconced and ho-hum about their jobs that when problems arise that require mental acuity to solve; they are without a clue.

When government employees cannot solve the problems of government, who do the leaders call in? You've got it. They call in consultants.

Who pays for the consultants?

Bingo!

You and I. We pay for the inept political appointee and we pay for the fix. Isn't that special?

DISCUSSION: WHAT CREDIBILITY THE REP HAS IS FAST VANISHING?

It is unfair to compare The Repository to The New York Times except on a relativistic scale.

The famous masthead motto on The New York Times is, of course, All The News That's Fit to Print.

For a newspaper like Stark County's only countywide publication - The Rep - the motto ought to be All the STARK COUNTY News That's Fit to Print. But it is not advertised to be so nor does it in fact do so.

The fact of the matter is that The Rep is arrogantly withholds news from the Stark County reading public the Rep "powers that be" decide among themselves that we Stark Countians do not need to know.

Case-in-point.

When the Canton/Jackson Township annexation was in full swing a key meeting took places between city of Canton officials, a Jackson Township official and Repository officials that had newsworthy content but which The Rep kept to itself.

Who were the public officials participated in this meeting (The Meeting)?

• Canton City Council President Allen Schulman,
• Canton City Council Annexation Committee chairman, William Smuckler,
• Canton Annexation Director Sam "Darth Vader to the Townships" Sliman, and
• Jackson Twp Fiscal Officer Randy Gonzales (also an employee of the Canton Municipal Court clerk Phil Giavasis)

So?

Obviously, the meeting itself was an effort by political kingmaker Gonzalez (who The Report believes to be into controlling the future make up of Stark County) to convince The Rep powers to use whatever influence The Rep has remaining in Stark County to side with Canton/Jackson over and against North Canton in the annexation battle that has been joined.

So?

Here's the key. According to a source of the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR), one of the points made by either Schulman, Smuckler, Sliman or Gonzalez - perhaps, in combination - is that North Canton chief administrator E.E. Wise, Jr (popularly know in political circles as EJ) and North Canton City Councilman Pat DeOrio were supportive of the Canton/Jackson annexation.

The Report thinks this is big county news that should have been reported by The Rep to the Stark County reading public because of the ethical implications of the suggestions as well as economic implications to various Stark County communities.

This is where the interplay of politics and government becomes murky.

Regarding E.E. Wise, Jr.

E. J. Wise is a highly respected Stark County Democratic political figure (who has pedigreed entree into Stark County Democratic circles through his father, former 5th District Court of Appeals judge Earle E. Wise, Sr.) : among the most respected in the entire county. It is well known that he aspires to be a judge. He, a former prosecutor associated with the Bob Horowitz prosecutorial team, ran against incumbent judge Dixie Park (of the Stark County Probate Court) in 2004 and ran a relatively close race.

E.J. did try to get Governor Ted Strickland to appoint him to a general jurisdiction Stark County Common Pleas judgship when Sara Lioi was appointed by President Bush to the federal bench (March, 2007). But he was up against the equally "highly respected" Democrat Canton Law Director Joe Martuccio and the properly "politically credentialed" Taryn Heath. Heath ended up with the appointment.

For anyone to suggest that E.J. is "playing North Canton government for the fool" (because of his personal political ambition) is not credible. However, it is newsworthy and the Stark County public's right to know was taken away by the "deciders" at The Rep.

Regarding North Canton City Councilman-at-Large Pat DeOrio,

Pat DeOrio used to be one of the most powerful Republicans in Stark County. Stark County political observers (including The Report) were stunned when, a few years ago, DeOrio announced he was turning Democrat.

It could be that DeOrio reads the political tea leaves better than any other Stark County Republican. Since his switch, Republicans have been completely shut out of countywide political office (except for a few judgships, which for the most part were obtained through gubernatorial appointment in the first place).

Instantly as a "new-born" Democrat, he became the favorite of Stark County Democratic chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. The Report believes that the "new" Democrat DeOrio was Maier's (and probably - associate party honcho Randy Gonzales) choice in the 2008 Democratic primary for county commissioner which Pete Ferguson emerged from as the winner).

Somewhere along the line DeOrio ends up on the payroll of whom?

So?

Canton Municipal Court clerk of courts Phil Giavasis. Isn't this interesting?

Who else works for Giavasis? Can you believe it? Jackson Township fiscal officer Gonzales!

So?

Well, how about this.

North Canton council members are so sensitive the ethical implications of the Gonzales/DeOrio relationship that they had North Canton Law Director Chris Goldthorpe check with the Ohio Ethics Commission as to whether or not DeOrio and fellow Councilman Doug Foltz (who works in the Canton Parks Department) should be voting on issues involving both Canton and North Canton interests.

The ethical remedy (apparently suggested by the Ohio Ethics Commission): Council has asked council president Daryl Revolt (when joint interest questions come before council) to excuse DeOrio and Foltz from the meeting and then DeOrio and Foltz "accept" the being excused and do not participate in the deliberations and any vote on those issues.

North Canton City Council believes this process protects the integrity of the proceeding both from Council's standpoint and from the standpoint of the individual councilmen.

Going back to The Meeting.

Given all the political dynamics at play, wouldn't one think that The Rep would report The Meeting made suggesstion that DeOrio had divided loyalities on the question of Canton/Jackson Township annextion?

Divided loyalities?

The Report has learned on a previous North Canton City Council (not the current one), DeOrio was putting pressure on Councilwoman Marcia Kiesling, who was chairing Council annexation issues at the time, to enter into existing negotiations between Canton and Jackson Township.

So?

The Report's source is convinced that DeOrio was putting pressure on Kiesling because Randy Gonzales was putting pressure on DeOrio to put pressure on Kiesling.

Obviously, DeOrio could argue and maybe he does posit that working for Gonzales in the city of Canton milieu is merely co-incidental and that he viewed it in North Canton's interest that North Canton be involved in the Canton/Jackson negotiations and that his working for Gonzales had nothing to do with his stance.

With legal counsel in-tow (on the recommendation of another council member), Kiesling did attend at least one session with Canton/Jackson officials.

But eventually negotiations on the North Canton phase of negotiations failed because of :

• "the 99 year agreement not to annex without Jackson Township's approval" provision, and
• North Canton Council's determined that at the end of the day, when one considers the "make whole" property tax provision in Jackson's favor and the 50/50 split on income tax revenues from the annexed area, an agreement with Jackson Township was not in the financial interest of North Canton.
  

THE BOTTOM LINE?

Executive Editor Jeff Gauger was so audacious as to announce publicly and boldly that The Rep would filter the Boccieri/Schuring citizen input in the run up to the November, 2008 election to determine which would succeed Congressman Ralph Regula as 16th congressional district representative.

Now we have The Meeting report.

Critical information that bears on important issues affecting the interests of all of Stark County and The Repository determines that the content of discussions they have with key Stark County officials is not newsworthy?

So it appears that between Executive Editor Gauger and publisher Kevin Kampman Stark Countians are not getting "All the News That's Fit to Print."

Rather, we Stark Countians are getting what local news managers Gauger and Kampman decide we get. They are, after all - "the deciders-in-chief."

Readers can depend on the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) to keep not only Stark County government accountable, but also Stark County's only countywide news outlet!

The Rep is a local news monopoly.

DISCUSSION: "NESBITT STILL LOOKING TO LEAVE CITY OF CANTON?" - OF COURSE, HEALY'S REAL ATTITUDE; "DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU IN THE _ _ _?"

It is problematical, at the very least, to swallow the lines that Canton Safety Director Tom Nesbitt and Mayor William J. Healy, II fed Repository politics and government writer Kelli Young (posted below).

What follows is the STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) take on those lines or omissions of as to the real reasons why Nesbitt is on his way out of the Healy administration.

The Report believes that "Nesbitt declines to give his reasons for leaving" because one of the unarticulated reasons (in the Report's analysis) is not flattering to Mayor Healy and the other is bound up in the well known expression "don't burn your bridges behind you" by making public declarations of disgust.

Reason number one. The Report believes that Healy has given his safety director a heave-ho in so many words, but with time to find a new job. Forget all that malarkey that Healy says to Young, to wit:

“I think he’s [Nesbitt's] done a fine job for us, and you don’t like to see turnover when you have good employees,”[....] “But I’ve found that when you find really good people, they tend not to stay long term because other opportunities come their way... . If that means I can (either) have a really good employee for a year or have an average employee for three years, I’ll take the really good employee and then replace him with another good employee.”

Mayor Healy appears to have an intoxication with anybody whom he perceives to be, in an allegorical sense, "a greener pasture: " a New Yorker, Nebraskan, Akronite, Clevelander, Las Vegasan, Arizonaian or from wherever. From elsewhere, that's where the good employees come from if you follow Healy's words and actions.

Never mind the destabilizing effect of having "the exotic" from wherever come and be a key person in the administration and then move on after only one year.

Can you imagine being an employee with the city of Canton over the duration of the Healy administration? These folks will experience one directive change after another after another from a succession of one year at a time cabinet members.

Down home Cantonians or Stark Countians (let's say a Tom Bernabei), to use Healy's words, are the "average employee" who work "for three years" and coincidentally provide continuity and stability. Healy's "three year employee" language translates into: they are "a dime a dozen" unless, of course, you have to fire one of them because he turns out to be every bit the equal or superior to (management skill wise) the Mayor himself."

The thing about folks like Healy, who are afflicted with "the greener pasture syndrome," is that they soon learn that the person brought in from the Land of Exotica - puts his/her pants on the same way everybody else does. Then disenchantment sets in and it is only a matter of time until "the exotic" is nudged out a la Nesbitt.

The Report believes that reason number one is only part of the answer as why Nesbitt is looking to leave Canton after a little more than one year on the job.

Reason number two. The Report has learned that Nesbitt has been saying quite generally to various Stark County leaders, in more or less private settings, that the Healy administration is falling apart and near being in shambles. So this must be the "rest of the story" for being out looking for a new job.

Nesbitt lucked onto a grand opportunity for staying put in Canton when the Stark County commissioners took a bold step in January in imposing a sales/use tax to fund a countywide 9-1-1. Somehow he was able to get ear of Randy Gonzales who is head of the Governance Committee of the Stark County Council of Governments (SCOG). He applied for the 9-1-1 Project Manager position, AFTER - The Report believes - he had assurances from Gonzales that the job was his.

Gonzales did try to deliver.

But he did not figure on Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley taking the stance of Nesbitt "over my dead body." And Gonzales fought Bosley tooth and nail to get Nesbitt in. However, In the end, it was more important to Gonzales to get on with the business of putting the countywide 9-1-1 system together than holding out for Nesbitt.

Gonzales' need to compromise (Bosley was pushing equally hard for Nimishillen fire cf Rich Peterson), is why Nesbitt has to go to Plan B (all those other opportunities). The Report believes Nesbitt was both stunned and irate when he learned that Gonzales could not produce for him. The Report has previously reported on Nesbitt's immediate reaction to not getting named 9-1-1 Project Manager. (CLICK HERE for a direct link to that piece)

The Report thinks there are other reasons for Nesbitt's impending departure such as Healy being frustrated at Nesbitt's inability to get rid of Canton police chief Dean McKimm. Because McKimm is protected by civil service rules and regulations, Nesbitt has not been able to produce for his boss.

The tragedy of all of this political intrigue is that it is a roadblock to solving the very real problems Canton has.

Even if there weren't rampant disharmony at Canton City Hall, the best of leaders would have a huge challenge to redirect Canton from being a dying city into being a rejuvenated city.

With the way Mayor William J. Healy, II is handling Canton City Hall, is there any basis for optimism for turning the city around?