(Above) Photograph of the Macedonia City Hall from 1978, which was located at 845 East Aurora Road in Macedonia, Ohio. It was sold for $68,000 when city hall was moved to a renovated house at 9699 Valley View Road; the new city hall cost $35,000.
From Yalinda Rhoden Akron Beacon Journal staff writer
June 25, 1987
There’s a big white elephant in Macedonia that, at least, is what some residents are calling the new City Hall, which Mayor Stuart Feils is having painted white. Feils’ decision to have the 8,400-square-foot red brick building painted was attacked by residents and City Council members Wednesday during a three-hour emergency meeting called by council members, which the mayor did not attend. Neither residents nor council members knew anything about the painting until earlier that day, when the painters started. Council members said they are upset because for three months, they have been debating whether to paint the building or have the bricks stained to match the adjacent City Safety Building. – They said they are opposed to Feils’ decision because he did not consult them beforehand. However, city law director Hoover said Feils has the administrative authority to make such decisions without the council’s approval. Hoover said the city’s contract with Blunden-Barklay Architects of Cleveland calls for the structure to be painted and for the architect to have aesthetic control. Feils said Wednesday that the architects asked for a decision so they could keep work progressing on the building and he made one. He said he will not change his mind about the painting, which is to continue today. The City Hall was completed in May. It cost about $1 million. The building’s top, rear and the south sides already had been painted by the 5:30 p.m. meeting Wednesday. Feils, who said the painting should be completed by next week, mailed letters to each of the council members Tuesday informing them of his decision. But only two council members said they had received their letters by Wednesday. Council members and residents complained that Feils showed disrespect for the legislative body’s working relationship. “The real issue here is that the mayor made a decision without informing anyone,” said Council President Joseph Migliorini, who called Wednesday’s meeting. Councilwoman Rosalie Koren said that although she prefers having the building painted white, she was “disturbed to learn that it was being painted and we (council members) didn’t know about it.” Councilman Nick Molnar (not related to current council president Nick Molnar) said he didn’t care if the building was painted or stained. But he said, “I thought the mayor’s action was in very poor taste.” The council and Feils had decided at a June 4 meeting that they would postpone a decision on painting the building until they could meet with a manufacturer to see whether staining would be feasible.
