City Council Report

By Dottie McGrew

2007 City Budget

The 2007 municipal budget had been a work-in-progress since last August. But even with a six-month gestation period, the $36.2 million budget had a troubled birth.

Mayor David Held returned the budget legislation, unsigned, to council. But because council passed the legislation on emergency, the budget went into effect immediately, even without the mayor’s approval.

Held said he did not sign the ordinance because the budget had no appropriations to resolve storm water drainage issues on Lipton Street SW or to fill a vacancy in the police department. Held said he would ask council to fund both Lipton Street and a police officer.

The city lost one officer in 2006 when he moved out of state. A second officer retired in January.
Council approved filling one of the vacancies, bringing the roster to 24 officers.

Held has said that an additional officer is necessary to assure that North Canton remains “safe and secure.” But Finance Committee Chair Pat DeOrio observed that the police department has done without one patrolman for almost a year and has “not yet descended into chaos.”

Storm water drainage on Lipton Street SW is a lightening rod issue. Residents regularly monitor council meetings. But the administration and the finance committee of council do not agree on how much money is needed and where to find it.

You have not heard the last word on the budget.

Extending an olive branch to Plain Township?

After years of discord and distrust, North Canton and Plain Township want to work together.

At-large Councilman Jim Repace has unveiled a proposal that, if approved by both the city and the township, would set up a framework for negotiations on economic development, annexations and waterline construction.

Council began a review of the proposal last month. North Canton is taking the lead. Township trustees look at the document it has been OK’d by council.

The proposed agreement requires that the city not annex land in Plain Township. The city and the township have been at loggerheads over annexations in the past.

City Administrator E. J. Wise Jr. asked for clarification on annexation overtures from Plain Township residents on Heatherwood Circle, Salway Street and The Dells, a large township residential area surrounded by North Canton.

“Rooftop” annexations struck Finance Committee Chair Pat DeOrio as revenue losers rather than revenue generators. “Those areas need new waterlines and new streets. The township is under the same gun as we are. They don’t have the revenue and neither do we. I have spent six months working on the budget. I know high tight things are. We can’t take care of the infrastructure
we have. Look at Lipton Street.”

But former council member and political gadfly Chuck Osborne stated his opposition. “If we start down this path, we are saying we are satisfied with our borders and that we are never going to grow,” Osborne said.

Osborne’s continued objections from his seat brought three warnings from council President Doug Foltz. After the third warning, Foltz ordered Osborne escorted from the chamber by a police officer.

Contract Negotiations

It is possible that contracts with the six unions representing city employees will come to council
for approval this month. The administration has declined to comment on negotiations, which began last summer. It is believed the settlement includes three-year contracts with three-percent increases in each of the contract years.