No fire district, no JEDD?

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by Jeff Saunders

Reporter

Nordonia Hills -- A spat between Macedonia and Northfield Center escalated last week when Mayor Don Kuchta suggested putting an end to the two communities' income tax-sharing agreement.

Kuchta told the News Leader that the issue stemmed in part from comments Trustee Paul Buescher made in a July 1 edition of a newsletter he e-mails to township residents. Buescher made the comments while explaining why the township chose to forego a $40,000 fire/EMS consolidation study between the city, township and several other neighboring communities.

In his newsletter, Buescher, who declined comment for this story July 31, questioned the city's motives in the fire study.

"Macedonia's Chief Tim Black is a good guy and I've always respected him," wrote Buescher. "However, you have to remember that he is Macedonia's fire chief and Macedonia's representative with Macedonia's interests at heart. He does not necessarily share the interests of the other Nordonia Hills communities."

Black has pushed for consolidation of area forces.

A scheduled July 30 meeting of the city/township Joint Economic Development District board, which oversees income tax revenue from the Crossings at Golden Link shopping center, was canceled after Kuchta sent a July 29 e-mail to city and township officials stating he did not want to meet.

"I am not interested in having any meetings with a community that vilified our fire chief," wrote Kuchta, "until the Trustee who made the statements is [censured] ... Perhaps it is time to disband the JEDD."

The JEDD board meeting was canceled and a makeup meeting had not been scheduled at press time.

Reached this week, Kuchta said he made the suggestion in anger, and that he had not come to any concrete decisions regarding the city's future involvement with the JEDD.

"I would follow up with Tim to see what his feelings are," said Kuchta. "I would live with whatever Tim wants."

Black said Aug. 4 that while he was upset with Buescher's comments, "I certainly do not wish to see one person destroy what we have between Northfield Center and Macedonia.

"We can't break any ties and I'll tell the mayor that."

Kuchta said he wants Buescher's fellow Trustees Richard Reville and Brent Sommer to censure or formally reprimand Buescher for his newsletter statements.

"It would show good faith that they want to work with us," said Kuchta.

But Reville, who declined comment on Kuchta's censure request, has distanced himself from the situation.

"We sent a letter out saying we were not responsible for what [Beuscher] wrote in his newsletter," said Reville, referring to a July 10 memo signed by he and third Trustee Brent Sommer.

"Neither of us was contacted prior to the publishing of Mr. Buescher's ... personal newsletter and his comments regarding ... Black are totally his own -- not ours," stated the memo.

The newsletter includes a disclaimer stating that it is "not an official publication of the township."

Sommer did not return calls seeking comment.

JEDD board member and Macedonia Councilor Ken Martin said he, too, would have skipped the July 31 meeting because he agreed with Kuchta's position.

"Obviously there is a problem right now and that problem needs to be addressed," said Martin.

City Finance Director Steve Brunot said JEDD revenues, which are split evenly between the city and township, total about $79,000 for the second quarter of this year. He said the canceled meeting should not affect the distribution of the revenue to the communities.

But Brunot said he had other business he hoped to present to the JEDD board soon, particularly the 2009 JEDD budget.

E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3169