Just Say No To Annexation

Annexation is a dirty word. Its abuses the use of the Ohio Revised Code and the annexation laws to temporary satisfy the city needs.
Government does take the unhealthy practice to spin how great it is to be part of the cities services when in reality they have no legitimate obligations such as time tables for extending services to the newly annexed area, as well as no provisions for Municipal-township annexation agreements. Under the Ohio Revised Code http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/709.19 a municipality must compensate the township or village for lost revenues. This is a twelve year cycle. If a municipality is struggling with budgetary problems, how can their short comings successfully work if now they incur more debt?
If the annexation happens you will still have to participate in paying that 1.5 to 2 percent City tax and receive empty promises without anything you can do about it.
Annexation is very glorified as the way to go. Annexation is the quick fix to boost city tax revenue and pay for services, but the quick fix generally becomes a 2 year legal battle and still municipalities and township budgets continue to hemorrhage. Annexation only works short term till more money is needed and wolfs come out to start the cycle again.
Annexation makes it difficult to have any sort of long range development plans when portions of your boundaries and tax base are lost. It hinders any economic progression and is a band aid on the larger picture.

Cities have taken good advantage of annexation up to now but it's not the wave of the future. Our communities need to seize the opportunity and make up for the slowdown and budget shortages through joint planning and regional cooperation. Money is extremely scarce and the effects of this a negative economy gives us an ability to retool our region by looking at our resources like infrastructure so that there is more then tax abatements and hostel takeovers.

We are in a financial war and it is at a global level. Annexation prolongs long term solutions for a region and creates more bricks in that wall around our individual communities.






Here are some of our local annexation information and some ORC legislation.

Massillon Ohio
http://www.massillonohio.com/annex.html

Canton Ohio
http://www.cantonohio.gov/annexation/

Ohio Revised Code Incorporating and other annexation information
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/707

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/709.024

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/search/503.07

Knowing the Competition

When any business wishes to open the doors they should know who the competitors are. Capitalism stretches further then what one sees.

With the 2008 Recession we have come to witness more about Globalization, the Global structure and we should as well have take notice to our Global rivals.
Why? Well there is not one answer to this question, it is very diverse. So please allow me to respond with a small list.

Global Competitors which include their strategies and tactics

How Other Countries are Encouraging Internal and Foreign Investment which include incentives such as taxes and skilled workforce

Infrastructure Availabilities

Local and Foreign Supportive Availabilities


This list is just bullet points for any business looking to find profitable margins. Let’s face it, a business opens or expanses for profit and without it they can not survive or surpass competition. That’s a bottom line

While working in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam, I could see the development of Capitalism and really the fall of Communism traditions. Here was a Country that deepened on 60% of it commodities from the Soviet Union. When the USSR fell, many of the Vietnamese Government Officials as well as the “well to do citizens” continued and stepped up corruption tactics. Over time the system collapsed upon itself and the country had to change.

By 1999 the rebuild of Vietnam was underway with the aid of the World Health Origination (WTO), World Trade Organization (WTO) and other International Organizations. By January 12, 2007 Vietnam had became the 150th member of the WTO. They have developed plans for investment and have seen a GDP of 8.0 for the past 4 years. They will see a drop to 6.0 or 5.5 till the global economy levels again.

Stark County plus the surrounding areas can work with countries like Vietnam. Look at this potential in a few ways.
One is it encourages trade and networking opportunities with other countries. Vietnam has 110 Industrial Zones (IZ). I personally know of 3 and in each IZ, there are 15 to 20 different countries represented and all of them doing something that requires supportive means. With the current US monetary value, we are cheaper in cost and have a niche that allows for any development country. We also have Agricultural and Industrial that would fit nicely when any country is looking for something.
If you get a chance, check out the International Monetary Fund http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm and The World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/. Both provide a “craigslist” for countries who require something and place the requirements on their websites for bidding.

Another development is, while understanding the Global environments; we can develop new local strategies for economic encouragement. I don’t know of any pro-sports team that is not aware of the opposition’s plays. That’s why they look at those films.

As a communtiy we have to restructure ourselves with real time knowledge about our competitors and how we can utilize the markets for our economic development potentials. All while creating economic development.

With Imagination, Courage and Fortitude for Mankind