Courthouse Will Stay in Kent

The debate over whether or not the Kent Municipal Courthouse should stay in Kent ended Tuesday when Portage County Commissioners voted to find a site for the new building within city limits.

Portage County Commissioners Maureen Frederick, Chris Smeiles and Tommie Jo Marsilio agreed the courthouse will stay in Kent with their vote to find a location within the city.

The move comes after prompted by Marsilio, in order to save money on the project.

Kent City Councilman Erik Valenta, who attended the commissioners' meeting, said he was happy with the outcome. He thanked all three commissioners for their support.

“Chris was very instrumental, very persistent on getting the resolution passed to keep it in Kent,” Valenta said. "It’s good news to hear the court is staying in Kent. With all we have going on between PARTA, the , the , , it’s another good example of how we can work together to reach a common goal to make Kent a better place to live, work and play."

Kent Mayor Jerry Fiala said he was ecstatic to hear the news, but he still expressed some frustration that the project has been delayed and that Tuesday's vote merely affirmed state law, which requires the courthouse be built in Kent.

“As the mayor, I’m glad that the commissioners came through and saw the importance of having the court in Kent," Fiala said. "I think it’s a win-win situation for the county and the city as a whole. Now the decision of finding a site in the city suitable for them is the next chore for the city manager and the staff."

Kent Economic Development Director Dan Smith said his goal is to help the county find a site for the new courthouse "that fits the expense parameters they would like to see and has the greatest level of synergy with local business people in downtown and the greater Kent region.

"Our local business people aren’t large franchises, so they rely on traffic generators like the , like , like the courthouse, to sell their products," Smith said. "I think it’s a tremendous asset and traffic generator."