Former Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic says he’s enjoying his time out of the public spotlight.
Speaking Wednesday at a promotional event for the new book The Indomitable Don Plusquellic: How a Controversial Mayor Quarterbacked Akron’s Comeback, Plusquellic opened up about why he abruptly left office when he did last year, the stress he felt at the time and shared strong opinions on a variety of topics.
“I don’t miss the stress, the hassle and the aggravation,” the former Democratic mayor said during an hourlong news conference at Quaker Station in downtown Akron.
Plusquellic, appearing fit and tan, participated in the event to help promote the biography written by former Akron Beacon Journal writer Steve Love and published by the University of Akron Press.
It was a rare public appearance for the man who ruled Akron as mayor for nearly 30 years, and marked his first public comments since his abrupt resignation in May 2015.
At the time, Plusquellic blamed the Akron Beacon Journal as an overriding reason for his departure from public office.
Wednesday, he said he knew for a while that he wouldn’t seek an eighth term.
But he wasn’t interested in doing a Kobe Bryant-like farewell tour. He also didn’t want to announce that he wasn’t running and create an opportunity for a Democratic primary — with the potential for a candidate he didn’t support earning the mayor’s job.
Instead, he timed his resignation so former City Council President Garry Moneypenny would take over. Moneypenny, though, had to resign after a week in the job after he had inappropriate contact with a female city worker.
Plusquellic didn’t mention Moneypenny by name on Wednesday but said his replacement did “something unforgivable.”
Plusquellic has filled his time since leaving office with traveling, consulting, volunteer work on behalf of the city and mentoring other mayors.
He said he’s working on creating a nonprofit to counsel other mayors.
Plusquellic flashed several broad smiles as he talked about traveling to Spain with two granddaughters. He recently returned from that trip and said he was still feeling the effect, joking that that’s why he was drinking a Diet Pepsi.
“He seems to be much more relaxed,” Love said when asked if he’s seen a change in the former mayor.
As usual, Plusquellic’s answers to questions were long and he sometimes never did directly answer a question. He also took the opportunity to bash journalists — a frequent foil when he was mayor — and their inaccuracy.
Plusquellic has dropped out of the public eye since leaving office.
He also intentionally has distanced himself from new Democratic Mayor Dan Horrigan, as other former mayors and chief executives at companies have done with their successors.
He provided a letter to Horrigan last year before the new mayor took office offering some advice.
Horrigan has declined to say what was contained in the letter, and Plusquellic declined Wednesday to provide any details.
One day, he hopes, Horrigan will look back at the letter and see that “90 percent of that was pretty good information.”
Plusquellic said he will be involved in Democrat Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president and would love to debate presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.
He has no interest in accepting any high-profile role in a potential Clinton administration that would have regular dealings with the media.
“I don’t want to deal with the press ever again in my life,” Plusquellic said.
The stress during his last term weighed on him.
He was embroiled in controversy when he barred city Councilman Bob Hoch from attending his State of the City speech. At the time, he said he felt that Hoch was unstable and would possibly shoot him at the event.
He didn’t back off those comments Wednesday and criticized the Beacon Journal for its coverage. Without using Hoch’s name, he said he was worried that the individual would “go postal.”
Hoch has denied that he was a threat.
Thoughts on UA
Plusquellic, when prompted, weighed in on both the troubles at the University of Akron and the news of Stark State College opening a satellite campus in Akron.
As for UA, he compared former President Scott Scarborough’s approach to fixing problems at the school to his own heart issues.
Doctors did diagnostic work on him, Plusquellic said, before doing a double bypass on him in 2003.
Scarborough didn’t do the diagnostic work and instead brought out a “meat cleaver,” referring to the severe financial cuts made at the university, he said.
Plusquellic is endorsing Love’s book.
“Steve captured me. The good and the bad,” he said.
Following the news conference, Plusquellic and Love held a two-hour discussion and book signing.
The UA Press noted that Plusquellic had no control over the content but he cooperated by sitting for more than 20 interviews and encouraging others to participate as well.
He will receive no compensation from book sales, but Love intends to donate a portion of the proceeds in Plusquellic’s name to the Stephen and Jacquelyn Love Endowment for Writing and Literature at Hiram College.
Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @armonrickABJ.