Welcome to Forum 360.

I'm Stephanie York, your host today.

Thank you for joining us for a global outlook with a local view.

Today we are honored to be joined by someone who helped shape the city of Akron for nearly three decades, former Mayor Don Plusquellic.

Serving as mayor from 1987 to 2015, right?

Okay, good.

Mayor Plusquellic led Akron through major periods of change, economic challenge and ambitious revitalization.

Whether you agreed with his bold decisions or not, his impact on the city is undeniable.

From downtown development and infrastructure projects to national leadership roles, he brought Akron into the spotlight in ways few others have.

We’re excited to hear his reflections, insights, and thoughts about Akron then and now.

Mayor Plusquellic thank you for being here.

- Good to be here.

So you were mayor for nearly three decades.

Looking back, what are you most proud of from your time as mayor?

- Well, I think the position we put the city in, given that we were near the tail end when I first came in of the loss of rubber jobs and the rubber factories, as well as the offices that some people thought would never leave.

And we had to rally people to say, Akron is still a great place and we've got great companies here.

They're smaller polymer companies that was sort of like a seed falling off a dying tree the way I describe it from the rubber industry that created the research and development.

And the University of Akron and their capabilities in research and development of plastics, polymers, something that came from oil instead of raw rubber.

And we had to transition.

And we did that in a way that I think people recognized us All-America City recognized in ways, the economic development, the program that we undertook to really emphasize the machining and the tooling and the dye and the factories that were still here.

there were just as many people working it, just they were in smaller places and a much smaller company.

So that was a huge thing to rally people to say, we're still Akron, we can still come back.

And Akron had transitioned so many times in the past, and we just needed to remind people, and I think we did a pretty good job of getting out of what felt like a real hole, not only economically from the loss of the original rubber jobs, but to pick up people's spirits.

I said the number one thing I needed to do is convince people that we could still survive and be successful.

And we were.

Then we did JEDS, Joint Economic Development Districts with our neighbors, which helped solve some water and sewer issues and annexation issues.

And the help and support that we provided for the schools and then the beginning of a revitalization of the downtown with the convention center and the stadium that really brought people downtown.

- It still does.

- Still does.

I can still watch from Canal Square.

- Yes you can.

- I look over from my 14th floor patio as I did this past weekend.

- So there were a lot of highs.

I mean, all America-City, that was twice while we were there.

They just won it last week if you saw.

- I see it.

- That was pretty excting.

What do you wish you would have done differently in those years?

- You know, it's interesting because most times people think about this.

I really regret that I didn't...

This is going to sound strange, but that I wasn't tougher and did more aggressively to do the things that I knew from all of the years of serving 13 years on City council, knowing, watching mayors in the early years, especially not lead and not do anything and watch southern states come in and aggressively attract our businesses away that we didn't do more economically.

At the time, economic development wise, I knew that city needed leadership.

You got to lead.

It makes people mad sometimes.

Yes.

You need to listen, you need to bring people together, you need to explain, you need to do things together as everybody seems to say all the time.

Yeah, I get that.

But then there's a place to make decisions.

The number one mistake that I made was on the school sewer lease program.

Because we had support on city council.

I should have implemented that.

And two years later when people flush their toilet, it still went the same direction.

Everything worked.

But we had 1,000 or 2,000 kids that got scholarships, not only at the University of Akron, but they could go to plumbing school, they could have gone to a hair care school.

They could have gone anywhere that was a legitimate school after high school to go in a career path they wanted, not the ones that we told them they had to go into, but what they wanted.

We could have been much more successful and laid the groundwork for success in the future.

And obviously would have impacted those thousands of kids that would have had those free school hours paid for.

And, you know, we tried to be, I guess, what we call democratic with a small D, and we put it on the ballot and we got overwhelmed by absolute lies.

I mean, people lied and they had reasons.

We had these folks that were socialists come in.

We had people holding up brown water that they pulled in from the lake.

- They dressed up like rats.

- They did all kinds of things.

And, you know, if people were going to lie, then it's hard and difficult to really compete when you're telling the truth and trying to explain something that is a little more technical.

But, that's a major one that I regret that we didn't just do and pass and then tell people this is what- The stadium was questionable and I use that comparison.

I had all kinds of people.

And the last one I can remember was probably six years ago or so.

I was walking down to go to this stadium and a police officer said, mayor can I interrupt you just a minute?

You know, I want to tell you we thought this was the craziest thing in the world.

Why would people put a baseball stadium on Main Street?

This is the best thing that the city ever did.

And yet there was always 40%.

There always will be there is now.

- Yes.

You know, there's some people right here in Akron.

Some in government that think that you can just go out and talk to people and everybody will be holding hands and agreeing that everything.

And that's just not the way the world works.

People have their own personal interests, they have their political interests, they have...

I don't know what it is.

It's just the way of the world.

So that was one that I really regret because I would have helped thousands of people.

Kids, get the jobs of the future, not the jobs of the past.

My father was told if you get a high school education, you can always get a good job.

Well, that's not true in today's world.

The other thing it would have done would have been a real incentive for people to live here to bring their kids living here, going to school.

Because it covered any high school in the city of Akron.

- It was a good thing that just didn't pan out.

- Well, I didn't do it.

- So you think looking back, you should have been tougher and more aggressive?

- Absolutely.

No question about it.

- And I think people are going to be surprised to hear that.

- Let people judge in their way.

And I tell people this and I'm gonna clean up my language because this is going to be on TV maybe.

I never messed with anybody who didn't mess with the city first, and that's just cleaned up as I can get.

Because I use a lot stronger words for some of the people in the suburbs that lied and did everything.

They were happy to take our water and sewer, to be able to recruit businesses out of the city of Akron.

And they did.

But they didn't want to deal with the city for a lot of reasons.

Some were racial, some were otherwise.

Some are just the natural, they’re the big guys.

And people in the United States are for underdogs, you know, we're the little guy.

We're fighting the big guy, that Mayor Plusquellic, he's just a bad guy.

What I know is my numbers were better than most of the mayors in the suburb when it became.

When you measured believability, which was important for me.

- Sure.

So you were known for being bold and unapologetically direct.

Which you still are.

Which one of the things I really like.

Do you think that- - I didn’t say the wrong words though today you noticed that.

- You did.

I am like shocked.

Do you think that kind of leadership style would work today?

- Well we have President Trump.

I mean he takes that to the extreme.

And by the way, his believability is not very good.

You know, when it came to the outside suburbs, they would say, we believe him, we just, you know, we like our mayor fighting against the big mayor.

In his case, he doesn't care about believability and honesty.

He says anything.

But people want a leader.

And I know how important it was.

And I will put this out there with anybody, anywhere.

I was out in the community, the real community.

Not just a made up little meetings where a mayor pops his head in and says something and then races off, says, well, I gotta go I have an important meeting somewhere.

No, I was out at restaurants.

- I know everywhere.

- In the bars, I was everywhere.

I knew more about Lot 3 and downtown, you know what?

Because I was down at Lot 3 every weekend.

- Right.

And so talking to people, being accessible, I know what that feels like because I was out.

I tell people all the time, the black community, residents in black community recognize me and talk to me more than anybody else ten years later.

And a big part of that is because I went to black churches all the time, and I didn't run in and give a speech and run out, I stayed for the whole service.

- You didn’t just go during election night?

- No and I didn't go during the election time.

Yeah.

It's a different look and view of this citizen participation they used to call it people call it other thing.

Oh we need to get everybody together to talk.

Yeah, well, let's go out, why don't you go out during the day, during the nighttime, during the evening, go to places where people are real people.

And the last one I'm going to mention is we did a great survey that someone in Virginia came up with.

Wasn't my idea, but they use those little clickers.

- Oh yeah.

So that everybody- My mom was not a person that would have stood up in a meeting and expressed her opinion everywhere.

And if you follow meetings, you'll see the same people.

And they're always the one that grabbed the microphone.

- All right.

- We gave everybody an equal chance to weigh in on what they really felt.

- I remember that.

And it was a great way- And I didn't do it myself I had Rick Merola and and Warren Woolford head that up to go out and ask people what they really think.

Not at made up meetings that we made up with restrictions and had to call or go online to get tickets.

We went to their meetings, we went to the senior art programs, we went to the senior citizen meetings out in the senior buildings.

And it was wonderful to get the real sense and the feeling and the honest feelings.

- Because you get the silent majority that don't usually get to talk get an equal voice.

- Kind of like in my office when I was there and you were there, I didn't get to talk much.

- Touché.

- So I think I know the answer to this, but I'd like to hear what you thought your toughest decision was when you were mayor.

- It always was, and I think probably always will for every mayor or manager, and that is personnel.

- Yep.

- I had some family history and some personal things related to addiction.

And having a police officer or firefighter that had those problems and that weighed on me the night before that, the night of just grappling with, my God, you know, I have to fire this person.

And it was the right thing to do, but it was still more difficult to try to deal with.

Some of those issues that I knew family members, my own family members had dealt with over the years.

So other issues, you know, I tell the story and it may be too long, but the short version is when I first came in as council member, downtown Kenmore was similar to downtowns all across the country.

Akron was just bigger.

But they needed parking.

They were on a trolley car and everything was driven by development along that trolley car.

Well, they didn't have a place to park.

We had to take people's property to build a parking lot for the businesses.

I had the businesses and we agreed on a plant.

And don't you know, the first person there was an 80 year old woman who reminded me of my grandmother.

She had been born in the house, literally born in the house.

She grew up, and then moved upstairs when she and her husband got married, and then when her parents died, she moved up.

She called me all the time, and I agonized.

She cried, anyway, we went ahead and took her house, moved her, and she called me three years later, a couple of years after the project was done.

And I knew her voice right away, and I thought I was going to cry because I thought she was going to just unload on me.

And all she said was, I want to call to apologize.

I was wrong.

You were right to do this.

I'm so happy I have a better house.

I take my friends down to Kenmore Boulevard and see the flowering crabapple.

I'm so proud of my community.

And then she started cry and I'm crying.

You were right.

And I tell people, if you can take an 80 year old woman's house, - Right.

and she can call it 83 to say you were right, then you know what?

Some of these issues and businesses to deal with our economic development, those are easy compared to that one.

- So I'd like to remind our viewers and those whio may have joined late, we are here with former Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic.

We are finding out what he's been up to for the past decade, reflecting on his time in office and what his plans are for the future.

So let's continue.

If you could direct Akron's next major investment or development project, what would it be?

- Well, I think the last summer they called it the $100 million sum or whatever to get the polymer industry really involved more.

And in line with other communities that have developed a source for smaller companies to be able to do project development research.

And that project that they're working on right now, I think is going to have tremendous value because most of our companies are small.

Goodyear has and Bridgestone has a major research and development facility.

And the small companies don't have that capacity, but if they can do this right and not waste the money and they develop real life business based decisions to develop products that will help these companies grow and produce the next plastic product, whatever that is.

That is a tremendous increase in opportunity for the companies that are here now.

I also would not walk away from recruitment of businesses.

And there are some people who are shortsighted and say, well, why would you go out and recruit companies to compete with others?

Well, if you look at the landscape and you look at the last ten years, companies that are located in Akron have moved because the CEO comes in and says, I don't want to be and I want to live in Nashville.

I want a company is bought by another Bridgestone.

Three of the major companies were bought by other companies.

And if we don't continue to recruit and I have to tell this story, Benjamin Franklin Goodrich was not an Akron person.

Sorry to disappoint you old timers.

Benjamin Franklin Goodrich was a real doctor who brought his rubber company making bicycle tires and firehose to Akron because they were looking for a cheaper place than to build than New York City.

And he started the rubber companies here.

Harvey Firestone was not from Akron.

People came here and they got jobs.

We need to continue to look at the real market.

And we're actually helping companies, especially the base of our companies, the mold companies, tool and dye.

The real manufacturers of machines, the machining companies, by bringing other companies that will need their products.

And I think that's an important opportunity that some in the recent past have sort of walked away from.

There's about $200 billion spent reinvesting in the United States by companies coming from outside.

We can get our share.

We were 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th in the country every other year when they measured, even though where they were 73rd largest city in getting Western European investment here.

It's going to happen.

And think about it, President Trump wants everything manufactured here.

I happen to agree with that philosophy that you've got to manufacture.

Companies that compete are going to have to manufacture.

Why should we let them all go to South Carolina?

It doesn't make sense for Akron.

Those are jobs.

They represent people's employment and lives and we ought to be recruiting those people here, which I'm still involved in with the chamber trying to do, by the way.

- Well, let's talk about that.

You still stay involved in civic life behind the scenes.

What are you doing?

- Well, they had a dinner and raised money for me to work, right before COVID.

March 7th, I believe it, March 14th.

No, no.

I'm sorry.

February 7th of 2020, they had the dinner.

And as we all know, March 15th, I think we closed down.

I'm not sure, but it was in March.

So we didn't do anything for obviously a couple, 2 or 3 years.

So I'm still doing some work for the chamber and the city, and the county and trying to recruit.

We just had a delegation here from Slovenia that I helped set up from the initial contacts, so it was either the second or third highest rated research and development in polymers.

They have tremendous companies there and they want to bring those manufacturing goods here.

They want to bring companies here that then hire people.

It's hard- Sometimes people say, oh yeah, those foreign companies.

No, the companies manufacture here.

They build a plant here, so they invest.

And I can't emphasize enough how important that is because our people get hired to manufacture products that are then sold here in the United States.

- We saw it when you were in office with rustling.

- Rustling, they had 100,000ft², foot building.

And by the time they were done, they were already planning their next one.

And they did the expansion, and they have probably 150 to 170 employees... - Local.

- Local.

- Yep.

It's amazing.

So how do you feel the city has changed since you left office?

Good or bad?

- Well, I think...

I can't answer that question without mentioning COVID.

I mean, it's just a reality and it had such an impact- First of all, people started working from their homes.

And I know Rich Kramer had indicated, look, if we still don’t let some people work part time from home, they'll leave.

Because every company is doing it.

We need to get those employees back into the places where they were employed before.

Because the income tax issue, there's a whole set of circumstances and downtown.

We really had downtown moving and the downtown Main Street project took a toll.

No matter what anyone wants to believe that or agree or not, I see it.

But COVID really took a toll on restaurants, as we all know, and people's changed opinion on going to certain places.

And so I think downtown still suffers, it definitely is suffering.

I can't say it any other way.

And I'm not cast in aspersions or blaming specifically.

Just it made a significant different COVID.

I think, you know, there was a sense that still exists, that I was there so long and people just want to change.

And I've said, you know, change for betterment is good.

People don't realize this, but the last mayor who was a good friend of mine, Roy Ray, had 3,300 full time equivalent employees at the city of Akron when he was mayor in the early 80s.

When I left, I believe we had 1,860.

I believe in efficient government.

I happen to think it's something that Democrats should emphasize, that we want government to work because government is there, not for the 1% of the billionaires.

They can afford their own security.

They have the best fire suppression system.

They have the best drivers, chauffeurs with security.

They don't really need government.

The people who need government are like, my mother just passed away a year ago, but she and my stepfather, who passed away six weeks before, they needed EMS more.

I've never called EMS, so if we say we represent people that need more, then government being efficient is better for them.

And I am a strong believer in that.

So we did things to make government more efficient.

I think it is something that unfortunately Democrats have forgotten about or let it slip away.

The last one, I believe that really was a true believer was Bill Clinton.

And everybody says he cut 300,000.

He did over six years looking at each department and figuring, okay, this is waste.

Let's get rid of- We don't need to pay for that.

I'm a strong believer in that and making government work.

- What do people still get wrong or right about you?

- Well, I- You know, I tell people I once told schools person, you know, you ran cross-country.

When you run, you don't have any control over your teammates you can't grab them and throw them.

You run and wherever anyone else is.

So it's kind of like showing up for work every day at eight and you leave at five.

Okay, I did my job, you know, I was a quarterback.

I went in and not everybody can play football.

I happen to think team sports.

You know, I was a huge supporter of women.

I mean, we invested in Firestone Stadium.

There's still an unbelievable- Chris Ludlow has put the their turf in there.

It looks wonderful.

But the team sports builds a lot of things and teaches you how to- I know your kids played softball, your son played soccer.

Anything you play.

But in particular quarterback, you have to go to a huddle where nine people are bigger than you, and you have to make it your huddle and tell them to shut up, or you'll personally put them on the sideline.

Second of all, you got to call a play.

You got to go up.

You've got to read your people to make sure they're in the right place.

Hey, get over here.

You got to look at the defense.

Oh my God, this is a wrong call.

I got to change the call.

You got to do something quickly, and then you have to be held responsible after that play if it works or it doesn't work.

And at the end of the game, I felt very comfortable with that and take the responsibility it was very much like that.

I never wanted to use too many- I had some staff people earlier how people don't understand your football analogy.

They won't understand.

But being a mayor is a lot like being a quarterback.

You're responsible.

And I had no problem doing that.

Now yeah, if somebody wanted to say, hey, Don, I was open, you know, hit me on the down and out.

Okay.

That's input I get that, but there's a time that people have to make decisions.

And I felt very comfortable.

And I think that's what people, you know, want.

They want to listen.

They want people to listen to them, but they want somebody to do what's right.

And I think I did that and I feel like, yeah, could I go and bat and redone Monday morning quarterback?

Yep.

Every game I ever played.

- We're out of time.

But I'm going to ask you one question, just yes or no.

Are you getting back into politics?

You know, run for anything?

- No.

- Mayor Plusquellic, thank you for such an engaging and candid conversation today.

It's not often we get to look back with the person who helped lead the way forward.

It's clear you still care deeply about the city and its future, and it was great to hear your perspective, some of which only a former mayor can give.

And some of which only you would say out loud.

Thank you for your leadership, your candor, and for joining us on Forum 360.

I'm Stephanie York.

Thank you for being with us today on Forum 360 for a global look with a local view.

Forum 360 is brought to you by John S. and James L Knight Foundation, the Akron Community Foundation, Hudson Community Television, the Rubber City Radio Group, Shaw Jewish Community Center of Akron, Blue Green, Electric Impulse Communications, and Forum 360 supporters.