by Laura Freeman

Reporter

Hudson -- The Ward 1 City Council race pits the two most recent Council presidents against each other, and both feel the other poorly managed the city's finances while serving.

George Roth, who was Council president from 2001 to 2005, is challenging incumbent Brian Daley, who has been Council president since 2005, on the Nov. 6 ballot. Roth was on City Council for eight years before losing his at-large seat in the 2005 election, while Daley was first elected in 2003.

Daley, 66, of Main Street, a retired financial controller and audit manager, said he felt his opponent was defeated in the 2005 election because the voters had had enough of poor fiscal management and closed-door government.

Roth, 58, of East Streetsboro Street, a civil engineer and owner of a construction company, said he chose to run because he disagrees with several recent Council decisions, including what he called "arbitrary" cuts that "crippled" the city's staff.

"After watching the last two years, [I decided] we need a change in leadership and voters should have a choice," said Roth, who one year ago said he wouldn't run but has since changed his mind.

In 2006, Daley recommended cutting city staff from 166 to 150 employees and cutting spending by $2 million. He said if re-elected, he would continue to work to limit city spending.

"I want to work to see those advances maintained and that trend continue," Daley said. "I do not want to see this progress reversed."

Daley said from 2000 to 2006, the city's spending was "escalating rapidly" as city staff grew from 126 to 166. He said cuts were "preemptive" of any future tax increase "rather than reactionary."

Roth said the cuts should not have been made. He said a 2004 city study showed Hudson had one of the lowest city staff-to-population ratios in the county, second lowest to Green.

"We weren't overstaffed at the time," Roth said. "Daley's perception was we were overstaffed."

The 10 percent "arbitrary" cut in staff resulted in the loss of senior leadership and employees with long-term histories, Roth said.

"They have crippled many departments in the city with this mandate," Roth said. "You cannot save your way into prosperity."

Daley said during Roth's time as Council president, City Council conducted meetings behind closed doors. He claimed Council and School Board members violated state open meeting laws when they met to discuss how to spend income tax money shared between the city and schools.

Roth disputes that claim and said the city solicitor ruled those meetings did not violate open meeting laws.

However, Roth said the city should have had a Town Hall meeting in 2005 for citizens concerned about Council's decision to sell the former Hudson library building on Aurora Street to a Twinsburg company. Council did not, and citizens challenged the decision, which ultimately led to the Twinsburg company opting out of the purchase and the Burton D. Morgan Foundation moving in.

Roth said he would work to be a better communicator on issues that are important to residents.

Daley said during his term in office Council has made government operations more open by keeping full and proper minutes, getting Council workshops televised on Hudson Cable TV, and working with the Hub-Times to have agendas published in the paper before meetings.

Roth said he supports open government and televising meetings, but disagrees that Council has been more open under Daley.

"We have Council members and a mayor who have been left out of back room discussion, e-mails and telephone conversations discussing city business outside of workshops and meetings," he said. "I would prefer a translucent government where the workings of the government and debates are 100 percent visible to the residents."

The two candidates also disagree about Council's 2006 decision to eliminate the city's economic development director, which Daley supported.

The director was replaced by a volunteer economic growth board, which is now headed by a full-time city economic development and communications manager.

Daley said he supports economic development, but it should be compatible with the character of Hudson and have a positive financial impact on the city and schools.

"We should not allow ourselves to be misled into believing that any kind of development will be good for our community," Daley said.

Roth said Hudson falls behind other communities in economic development.

"Under Mr. Daley's leadership, Council completely did away with the economic development department," Roth said. "There are very good people on the volunteer board, but we do not have a professional full-time staff overseeing economic development in town."

Roth said if elected he would try to establish an economic development department with at least one full-time employee.

E-mail: lfreeman@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3150