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Perhaps the City of Cuyahoga Falls should have heeded this classic advice from “The Odd Couple” while hammering out details of the financial arrangements to redevelop the old State Road Shopping Center property.

The financial arrangements involved forging an agreement between the City and the Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education to reallocate property tax dollars to help fund the acquisition, demolition, and site preparation of the shopping center to allow for the proposed Portage Crossing development to proceed. The project entails replacing the 50-year-old shopping center with new construction for retail and other use.

The progress on Portage Crossing ground to a halt a couple of weeks ago when the school board rejected the proposed agreement to reallocate property tax dollars between itself and the city. After negotiations and adding some assurances for the school board, the two groups came to an agreement on splitting the property tax revenue Portage Crossing should generate once the project is developed.

One comment from Cuyahoga Falls Mayor Don Robart made me shudder – saying that the Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education held the project hostage:

“It’s unfortunate that the School Board held the project hostage for a couple weeks…”

With all due respect, Mayor Robart, excuse me?

Perhaps the city should have examined possible missteps on its part before pointing fingers at the school board.

It appears to me that the city assumed that the school board would just “rubber stamp” the agreement to reallocate property tax revenue between itself and the city. The school board was correct to say “wait a minute”, review the agreement, and work with the city to make sure the agreement was in the best interests of everyone involved.

Don’t get me wrong – I want the proposed Portage Crossing project to proceed – and succeed. But I also give the school board credit for having the political courage to slow things down a little and make sure the agreement is in everyone’s best interest.

A public entity making sure an agreement involving tax dollars is in the best interest of its constituents is not and should not be characterized as holding a project hostage. The Cuyahoga Falls Board of Education did its job – and did it well – in this case.