Canton Supervisor Confirms Retirement Plans

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Canton Township Supervisor Phil LaJoy says he will end a 26-year political career when his current four-year term expires next year.

His public life has included stints as a township trustee beginning with his 1989 appointment and continuing until he was elected to three consecutive terms as a state representative, beginning in 2003. He was elected to Canton Township’s top political office in 2008.

“I’ve loved what I’ve done,” LaJoy, 71, told The Canton Observer/Hometownlife.com. “I loved working for the people of Canton.”

LaJoy, a Republican who was elected supervisor at the height of the Great Recession, is credited with leading the township through a critical time. His accomplishments included creating an economic development team, negotiating employee concessions, reducing spending, imposing public safety taxes and developing long-range budgets.

“Phil was able to put into place a plan that really saved Canton Township from financial disaster,” Trustee John Anthony told the newspaper.

LaJoy said he’s looking forward to retirement, but will spend the next year working for the township.

“It’s business as usual,” he said. “There are a lot of things we’re still working on and we have an opportunity to make Canton even better. We’re going to have a great year.”

» For more on the interview, go to hometownlife.com.