What do Cantonians want the mayor to focus on? Cleaning up, neighborhoods & recreation
CANTON − For the first time in decades, Canton has a mayoral election without an incumbent.
A lone Republican, Roy Scott DePew, and Democrats Kimberly D. Bell, Willis Gordon, City Council President William V. Sherer II, Councilman At-Large William R. Smuckler and former state Rep. Thomas West are vying for the city's top job.
A few residents recently shared what they hope and expect from the person who will succeed outgoing Mayor Thomas Bernabei, who announced late last year that he wouldn't seek a third term.
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"It's a big job," said Dan Toussant, president of Pax Christi Stark County, a faith-based social justice and human rights group.
He said the next mayor must be someone who is accessible, but who also is a leader.
"It's important that it needs to be someone who builds programs that respect people in all parts of the Canton community," he said. "There has to be a commitment to service of the community in a safe, respectful way. There also must be an awareness of the serious challenges we have because of poverty and violence; certainly gun violence is a concern."
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'I would like for the next mayor to consider cleaning up the northeast end a little bit.'
Selma Boyd, a local hairdresser and member of Shiloh Baptist Church, said she'd like the next mayor to be more proactive when it comes to trash and litter.
"I would like for the next mayor to consider cleaning up the northeast end a little bit," she said. "Especially the Eighth Street-Riverside area where the bridge used to be. It is a mess."
Boyd said she'd also like Canton to pursue Amtrak. The nearest Amtrak route runs through Alliance.
Every summer, Melinda Ramos, a retiree and member of the Concerned Citizens of the Fourth Ward, works hard to transform her backyard in northeast Canton into flower-filled paradise.
Ramos said she wants a mayor who will work hard at treating all neighborhoods equally.
"I'm looking for a mayor who values the entire city of Canton," she said. "Currently, we are living in two separate cities. The (Pro Football) Hall of Fame has become a priority in a post-industrial city that already has decades of disparity and lacks opportunity. I would like to see a leader who believes in investing in the entire city to make it equitable for all Cantonians."
As has been the case in many American cities, Canton has lost some ground. A city which once needed four high schools is down to one. At the turn of the 20th century, Canton boasted more than 125,000 residents, many of whom worked at a plethora of manufacturing companies. However, most of those jobs have left due to globalization and technology. Conversely, Canton has seen a rise in poverty and a middle-class flight to the suburbs.
According to the latest census, the city's population stands at 71,097.
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'Concentrate on making Canton's neighborhoods more desirable ...'
As the fifth-generation owner of a successful downtown business, E.C. "Trey" Wackerly, president of the Wackerly Funeral Home, said he'd like to see the next mayor prioritize improvement of the neighborhoods.
"I feel the past administrations have done a great job with beautifying downtown and the addition of the Hall of Fame Village, but we now have to concentrate on making Canton's neighborhoods more desirable and cleaner and a great place to live and be," he said.
Located at 1375 Market Ave. N, the Wackerly Funeral Home is housed in a stately brick home, a reminder of the city's Gilded Age. Others nearby were built and occupied by some of the town's most prominent and wealthy families, including the Beldens and Harters.
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Wackerly said he also hopes the next mayor will work to ensure that the city's fire, police, sanitation and street departments are "up to par" with staffing and equipment.
He's not sure who he will support for mayor, adding that he has to read their platforms, but stressed that he's committed to keeping Wackerly Funeral Home in Canton.
"We're not going anywhere," he said. "I believe in my town. It's a great town for its size. I think it offers a lot for its size."
'More places for kids to go for recreation.'
As they played billiards at the Edward L. Coleman Southeast Community Center on Sherrick Road SE, Feldon Norwood and Robert Stokes smiled when asked what they were looking for in the next mayor.
"I'd like to see more places for kids to go for recreation that's free," Stokes said. "I'd like to see more money to fix the streets in the inner city, and not just downtown and the Hall of Fame."
At Everly's Carry-Out, a small family run business nearby, Jaylen Sanders echoes Stokes' sentiments.
"I'd like to see more events for kids," said Sanders while restocking a cooler with soda. "Maybe AAU basketball at the Community Center."
Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com.
On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
Some facts and figures on Canton
Founded in 1805; incorporated in 1855
Current population: 71,097
Racial breakdown: White residents, 62.1%; Black residents, 24.1%; all others, 7.7%.
Square miles: 26.32
Notable employers: TimkenSteel, Cleveland Clinic Mercy Medical Hospital, Aultman Hospital.
Poverty rate: 30.6%
Did you know...
The NFL was founded in Canton on Sept. 17, 1920.
President William McKinley called Canton his home from 1867 until his death in 1901. McKinley launched his successful 1896 presidential campaign from the front porch of his house, located in the 800 block of Market Avenue N.
Canton was once the paving-brick capital of the world.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Cantonians want the next mayor to clean up and focus on neighborhoods
