A Review of the 2007 North Canton City Council Campaign

North Canton City Council Returns Three Members

Tom Rice’s name did not appear on the November ballot in the North Canton mayoral race, but he did play a key role in the election. Rice’s influence caused a call for change and potentially impacted a number of races.

Residents of North Canton were given the choice of whether or not to support a sitting city council sympathetic to, and some say influenced by, Rice. The council has had a turbulent relationship with North Canton Mayor David Held who beat Rice when he sough re-election in 2005.

Mayor Held was not opposed in his bid for re-election this year.

“What the people of North Canton appreciate most is open, honest government. They expect their leaders to be open and honest with them. As long as we provide them with information in a timely manner it allows them to make informed decisions,” said Held.

Held noted his position is the same as when he first ran.

He said, “That was one of the platforms I ran on when I was campaigning to become mayor. I assured the people of North Canton that I would provide transparent, honest government. Open, honest government; if you have good news you share it with the people. If you have bad news, you share that with the people of North Canton also.”

Ward 1

Ward 1 Councilman and City Council President Doug Foltz, like Held, ran unopposed.

Councilman Foltz was vocal in his support of retaining all the members of council who chose to run for re-election.

Foltz characterized the group as, "a very proactive city council that is willing to show leadership...."

He has been a frequent critic of Held and has not been shy about criticizing the administration in public meetings. He said, "I think council has shown more of a leadership role than the mayor has in some cases...."

Ward 2

Councilperson Kathy Magel, Ward 2, actively promoted the return of sitting council members to office.

She said, “I believe that this current council, if re-elected, is on a path, with cooperation from the administration, to move North Canton forward to again be flourishing and prosperous,”

Magel, who consistently took positions that were in opposition to those of the administration, was opposed by Pastor David Wright, a first-time candidate.

Wright’s candidacy was called into question by Councilperson Magel because he and the mayor are personal friends. She questioned whether there would be a conflict of interest.

“I’m disappointed that the mayor recruited a good friend of his to be my opponent,” she said “The potential is there for a conflict of interest with the two of them being so close.”

Wright characterized Held as a friend and said their relationship would have no impact.

“I think the world of David Held,” said Wright. “I think he does a good job; especially in trying times.”

He said, “My friendship with the mayor will not affect my decisions on council.”

Wright’s evaluated the campaign saying, “My experience from talking to people is that it’s ripe for change in Ward 2.”

The incumbent in this race was voted out by a notable margin. Wright outpolled Magel 59-41.

Wright pointed out during the campaign that the desire for change extended beyond Ward 2.

“Talking to people city-wide, not in my Ward, is it’s ripe for change,” he said. “What I’ve experienced is people are saying they want change on the council and it’s not just Ward 2.”

Ward 3

Sitting Ward 3 Councilman Doug Lane did not seek re-election. He cited a desire to spend more time with his family as the reason.

That left former councilman Rickie McLaughlin, who has 12 ½ years council experience, last serving in 2003, and political newcomer Jeff Davies, who had the support of Lane, to fight it out in Ward 2.

Davies narrowly edged McLaughlin, 51-49.

Ward 4

In Ward 4, long-time councilman Jon Snyder was opposed by Christian Feller, a political novice.

Asked why he was seeking re-election, the incumbent said, “There is work left to do that I feel obligated to complete. I want to continue to complete the construction of infrastructure to be done in my ward.

He added, “I want to continue and be a part of the new North Canton economy.”

Councilman Snyder has been a steadying force on the panel the past two years. Given the rancor between Held and some council members, there was a question of who would fill the role of a facilitator and a consensus builder if Snyder was defeated.

Said Snyder, “My business experience and my overall maturity is invaluable. I’m a team builder. I can work with whoever the mayor is and whoever is on council.”

The incumbent, who served on the North Canton Planning Commission for a decade, won the support of voters to serve another term. He’s been on council for nine years.

The margin of victory for Snyder was 56-44.

At-large

It was in the 2005 At-large race where Rice’s influence was most apparent. A slate of candidates loyal to Rice ran a joint campaign.

The names Susie Hines, Jim Repace and Pat DeOrio appeared on signs and it was in that order they finished with Hines coming in first.

Marcia Kiesling, who lost her seat in 2005 said, “It’s been very discouraging that the public elected Tom Rice’s friends, but threw him out.”

Hines and DeOrio sought re-election this year while Repace chose not to run again.

Repace has aggressively opposed Held and been a vocal critic of the administration as a whole. It has not been unusual for the councilman to clash with Held and City Administrator Earle Wise Jr. during sessions of city council.

Kiesling ran to regain a seat on council along with former members Daryl Revoldt and Daniel Jeff Peters. In addition to his council experience Revoldt has also been the Mayor of North Canton.

In addition to a perceived allegiance to Rice, by Hines and DeOrio, what has been characterized as an unwillingness of council as a whole to work with Held influenced this campaign.

Hines said, “I think we’re decidedly a council that understands each other as a unit and the administration is a separate, independent unit.”

What Hines characterized as a positive was a failure to Kiesling. She said, “There is no consensus at City Hall. They’ve been unable to work together.”

Kiesling took a big picture approach in evaluating the current members of North Canton’s City Council. “They have not been visionaries. They have been politicians,” she said.

DeOrio praised the work of the current council.

“I think there’s always room for improvement in government. You always have to strive to make things better,” said DeOrio. “Council works very well together presently. There has been open, free flowing dialogue among the members. That’s led us to be proactive in our deliberations.”

That varied drastically from what Kiesling saw.

She assessed the performance of the current council saying, “I don’t think they get it or they don’t want to admit it.”

DeOrio said of council’s relationship with the administration, “We may not always have the same point of view, but we respect each other’s point of view.”

Election results indicate the voters of North Canton expect a change in the relationship between the administration and city council.

Revoldt topped the field with 24% of the vote followed by Kiesling with 22%. DeOrio held on to his seat with 20%.

Voted out was Hines who tallied 18%. Peters finished last with 16%.

A Change At City Hall

“We need to have a stronger team effort between council and the mayor. There needs to be much better communication,” said Revoldt. “We need to make sure that policies drive our decisions. Not personalities.”

DeOrio said, “I’m comfortable with the relationship I have with the administration. I’ve been able to work with the administration on a number of issues.

Davies said he thinks Held is “a good person” and that the relationship between council and the mayor has “not been good.”

He said, “I certainly understand for government to be good there has to be cooperation, consensus and a give-and-take relationship.”

Snyder went to the root of the problem when asked about the division between council and the administration.

He said, “There’s a division of authority between council and the mayor. The charter is set up in such a way that council and the mayor are in adversarial positions.”

“I have a working relationship with the mayor,” Snyder pointed out. He added, “I’ve always tried to build a consensus.”

Wright said, “I think the relationship between the administration and the council at times is tense. I think it makes the government move slower than it should.”

Addressing this situation has been a priority for Snyder who said, “My role in that is facilitate. I’m one of the senior members chronologically and in longevity. Consequently, it’s incumbent on me that I use those skills and that knowledge to build consensus.”

It's The Economy, Stupid

Finances were a top campaign issue for DeOrio and Revoldt.

“Unfinished business of the city regarding city finances” is the reason DeOrio cited during the campaign as the reason he sought re-election.

“I want to see the city through this difficult financial time. The financial management experience I have is helping us weather the storm,” DeOrio said.

The current Finance Committee Chairman said the focus of his campaign is the same as it was two years ago, “to keep the city on the right financial course; to bring financial discipline and processes to steward the city through a very difficult financial time.”

Revoldt pointed to a “looming financial crisis” as the reason he chose to seek a return to North Canton city government.

Wright described North Canton as “strong and stable, yet under some stress.”

Describing himself as “an eternal optimist” Wright said, “I believe we’ll come out of this (economic difficulty). If we plan right, and if council and the administration can work together, the city will be better.”

Davies has proposed a thorough examination of city finances is needed in order to develop a strategic plan.

“I would like to see an independent audit and assessment of every department in the city,” Davies said. “Then make decisions on what can be done, whether further cuts can be made.”

DeOrio characterized the management of city finances by the current council as a success.

He said, “I think the greatest accomplishment of this council has been to rise to the challenge of our financial circumstances. This council has adopted processes that enabled us to have better control over our expenditures, to have a better understanding of our revenues and to have the discipline to see us through this financial storm.”

Revoldt suggested further examination of city finances by North Canton Finance Director Julie Herr.

"Part of the challenge for us outside the government is to find where the truth lies," Revoldt said. "I'd like to see a candid assessment from the Finance Director."

For Kiesling, economic development was the thrust of the campaign.

She headed the Economic Development Committee, for four years, when she served on city council. For the past three years she served on the North Canton Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee.

Kiesling said she is “very disappointed that no master economic development plan has been developed” by the current council. “I think having an economic development plan is very important,” said Kiesling. “It’s vital to the City of North Canton.”

She faulted the sitting council for taking money to create a plan from the budget of Economic Development Director Eric Bowles, who she said works closely with the North Canton Chamber of Commerce.

“I believe I represent honesty and energy. I’m ready to work to get things done,” Kiesling said. ”I’ve always been taught that all talk and no action gets you nowhere. So I’m going to try to take some action.”

Wright also noted a lack of support for Bowles and said the city is relying too much of redevelopment of The Hoover Company facility.

“We have to foster a strategy to entice business to North Canton, over and above what’s at Hoover. We can’t stop at that building once it’s full,” Wright said.

“We also need to fund the Economic Development Department to get the job done. We have to find a way to fund it. You have to find the money now or later.”

Economic development is also a strong suit for Revoldt. He’s worked in the field for the past six years and supports creating a master plan.

“We’re at a crossroads. We need to do an even better job than we are,” said Revoldt. “I feel that the council could benefit from my most recent experience of nearly six years of (economic) development.”

“North Canton has both challenges and opportunities,” Revoldt said. “Let’s identify them and let’s work on them.”

Davies has served with Kiesling on the North Canton Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee.

He said, “What we need in North Canton is leadership. I’m running to lend some leadership to the city. We need to set goals and provide what is necessary to achieve them.”

Davies said the city has to decide what direction it’s going in and what sort of businesses are most desirable to have in the city.

“If you’re going to attract businesses they’re going to be small, generally 10 to 50 people” said Davies.

He said attracting a business with 200 employees would be considered a homerun.

“What I’d like to see happen is for council and the mayor to get together after the election and set an agenda,” Davies said. “There needs to be follow-through on that agenda for the next two years. I think that can be done.”

According to Kiesling, to achieve success in economic development the city needs to have a better relationship with the chamber of commerce.

"The relationship between the chamber, council and the administration is too political," Kiesling said.

"I'd like to see a council who would respect their own chamber of commerce, to take their thoughts and plans and run with them."

DeOrio also ran on a platform emphasizing city finances and economic development. But, his assessment of the current council’s performance in those areas differ from the other winners of the most recent election.

During the campaign DeOrio said, “My priorities will be to continue to assist with bringing jobs to the city, pursuing economic development initiatives and to maintain the progress we have made with the city’s finances.”

He said, “I believe the current council has allowed for new ideas to be assimilated into our way of doing business. That’s permitted us to accomplish these goals already.”

Davies praised the work of DeOrio.

"In the last council Pat DeOrio, who's the head of the Finance Committee, did a great job of looking at the budget and trying to restrain spending," Davies said. "I'd like to make sure that every dollar spent is necessary and spent in the wisest way."

Revoldt suggested a change in perspective is needed from that that of the current council.

He said, “In the context of Northeast Ohio, North Canton competes with other communities. We compete for residents and investment. People choose where they want to live; they choose where they want to work. This city council is missing the big picture,”

He added, “We should have had in place by now, a series of measures we can offer businesses if we’re in competition, deal closers. We don’t.”

Davies is in favor of more aggressive approach to economic development.

He said, “We have to get on the ball. Canton is doing all they can to attract business and they’re doing all they can to retain their businesses. We need a plan and we have to put that plan into action.”

Revoldt wants to see North Canton work in partnership with North Canton residents and the Stark Development Board to advance economic development initiatives.

"We need to have both the community and the Stark Development Board involved," said Revoldt. "The board should periodically be briefing city council and making recommendations."

Questions To Be Answered

The future of city services and the potential of an income tax being put on the ballot were key issues in the campaign.

Kiesling said she does not want to see services decreased.

"I hope to maintain our level of city services," said Kiesling. "That includes everything that we spend the pubic's money on."

Davies is not sure at what level services should be provided.

“I think the question about services is whether they need to be maintained at the level they’re at,” said Davies. “We need to assess all the services to be sure they’re adequate without being over done or under done.”

A hot button issue in the campaign was the mayor's proposed income tax increase.

Explaining his reason for proposing the tax cut, Held said, “You have to be honest with the people of North Canton. When I took this position I told them I would be open and honest with them as far as the city’s operation, the city’s finances. I have an obligation to do that.”

He added, “I don’t think it would be right to sit on the information for another year and wait until we have bigger problems and then try to deal with them.”

"I don't think it's right to say let the residents decide. It's a cop out," said Foltz. "If you put that on the ballot you're endorsing an income tax increase."

Foltz said, "It's a time to persevere, not panic." He added, "I don't think it's fair to our residents at this point."

DeOrio said he was "absolutely right" in voting against the increase.

Held addressed the response of council saying, “I think what they’re saying is we want to defer the decision until next year and reassess our situation at the beginning of 2008. I believe what you’ll find at the beginning of 2008 is that in order to continue to operate as we have been we’re going to have to put the issue to the ballot. If the people of North Canton vote for it, then we’ll continue to operate in the manner that we have been. If the people of North Canton vote it down then we move ahead with the cuts.”

A number of candidates discussed the choice city council made to reject a potential income tax increase without putting it on the ballot.

Kiesling said she did not agree with the current city council’s decision not to put an income tax increase on the ballot.

She said they were, “definitely deferring the decision” and that it is a choice “that will have to be made.”

According to Kiesling, putting the measure does not mean you endorse the increase. She said during the campaign she would have voted to put it on the ballot.

Refusing to put an income tax increase on the ballot is a decision the sitting city council made that Wright does not agree with.

“I hate any kind of tax increases,” Wright said. “However, I think this would be an issue better solved by the public.”

He said, “The tax increase should have been put on the ballot. I would have voted yes to put it on the ballot.”

Davies said he was “totally against the income tax increase” when it was proposed by Mayor Held. He said he will be against it, “until there is no other recourse.”

Said Davies, “I think an income tax increase should be the last thing we do not the first.”

Echoing that point, Foltz said, "I think we owe it to our residents to cut our spending where we can before raising taxes."

A New President?

Snyder was the only candidate who, during the campaign, expressed interest in becoming the new president of council. He also addressed how he would function differently in the role than the current president.

He said, “I would like to have the position of Council President. I’m in the city 24/7. I would be able to react immediately to any situation.”

“What’s generally been lacking in this two-year term is that there is not enough communication before the meetings which causes what some people call bickering,” Snyder said.

Asked how he would function differently than current Council President Doug Foltz Snyder said, “What I would do is meet weekly with the mayor and the administrator. That way I would want to knock which way they want to go, what t hey want to do.”

According to Snyder the members of council need to stop fighting to make their position victorious and focus on fostering compromise.

“The best compromise is when no one is totally satisfied. But, both sides are willing to live with it,” said Snyder. “As a legislator you have to do your homework. You have to be sure you’ve talked to all seven people before a piece of legislation comes to the floor. You take their temperature. That’s how you avoid conflict.”

Snyder pointed out that he was talking about using the telephone to speak to other council members. Otherwise, it would be a violation of the sunshine law, he said.

He concluded, “When we can come to a majority or unanimous decision once eight minds have looked at it – the mayor being the eighth, and we come to a consensus that’s generally healthy for the community.”

Wright expressed a similar sentiment. He said, “There needs to be a serous plan where everyone can jump onboard and reach those goals together for the whole community.”

The new North Canton City Council will be sworn in on December 3rd.