A Solemn Binding Promise

Our Mayor for Life wants city council to find more money for the city's general fund.

How do we know this?

He came to a city council meeting and personally told them.

"Mayor Frank Cicchinelli reiterated his request Monday that the city needs new revenue and told council he'd like to see it "take a more active role" in finding money for the general fund, which in 2011 will have $16 million" (The Independent, November 30, 2010).

He wanted council to do something. He showed up. He told them what he wanted.

Nice and simple.

Just a couple of months ago, Massillon's Mayor for Life held a Town Hall meeting in the city's fourth ward. The majority of the attendees supported Fourth Ward Councilman Tony Townsend's proposal to rename Shriver Park in honor of the late T. Roy Roberson, a trailblazing former public official. This is what the mayor had to say;

"Mayor Cicchinelli told 4th Ward residents there are no plans to sell Shriver Park, or many others, and he pledged to Councilman Tony Townsend that he would help him rename Shriver by urging his Parks and Recreation Board Appointees to vote in favor of it" (The Independent, August 31, 2010).

"he pledged to Councilman Tony Townsend that he would help him rename Shriver..."

He "pledged."

A dictionary definition of pledge is as follows;

"a solemn binding promise to do, give, or refrain from doing something"

He "pledged."

Three members of the "independent" Parks and Recreation Board showed up to vote on whether or not Shriver Park should be renamed to honor the late T. Roy Roberson.

Timothy Muzi and Michelle Del-Rio Keller, who were appointed by the mayor attended. Moe Rickett, who was appointed by the Massillon Board of Education was also in attendance.

The Mayor for Life's appointees, Muzi and Del-Rio Keller, voted against the name change. The School Board's appointee, Moe Rickett, voted for the name change.

It failed by a two to one vote, with the mayor's appointees voting against the name change.

Even after the mayor's "pledge," his appointees voted no. Odd, isn't it?

The final decision will be made by city council this Monday night. After months of skillfully avoiding the vote, council will be forced to 'cowboy up' and make a decision.

If the mayor really had intended to help Tony Townsend, as he promised to do, if the mayor really intended to honor his pledge, he would show up at Monday's meeting and tell council that he supports the name change, and urge council to support it as well.

He won't.

Because he doesn't support it.

His rubber stamps will vote against.

Because that's what Frank really wants.

The mayor's "pledge" was a cynical and manipulative parlor trick to convince Fourth Ward residents that he was supportive of their efforts to honor T. Roy Roberson.

He wasn't.

Actions speak louder than words, and his Park Board rubber stamps, and his city council rubber stamps will be voting it down.

Because that's what Frank really wants.

If he was truly interested in keeping his "pledge," he would come to the meeting and request the name change.

Nice and simple.

He won't.

He lied to the people of the Fourth Ward, because he wants their vote for mayor next year, and he doesn't really care what they want to do with the park in their ward.

Hopefully the people of the Fourth Ward won't forget the mayor's "pledge," his solemn, binding promise to do something, when he comes to ask for their vote.