The Big Scheme

When Massillon's Mayor for Life proposed merging the city's unprofitable golf course with the Parks and Recreation Department, he pitched the plan as a cost saver.

"The Mayor explained that the merging of these two areas will maximize resources of the current departments and provide an organizational structure which will promote efficient operations giving top notch service to the public. The Mayor believes this decision now, in the long term, will be beneficial to everyone, and he stated that he promised the citizens that the city would not subsidize the golf course."
(Parks and Recreation Board minutes, November 14, 2002).

..."and he stated that he promised the citizens that the city would not subsidize the golf course"

Cicchinelli claimed his plan was "not a big scheme to have the parks department cover the golf course's expenses" (The Repository, December 17, 2002).

We have all come to the conclusion that it was indeed a big scheme to have the park's department cover the golf course's expenses.

According to today's Independent, The City of Massillon will be paying $524,000 on golf course debt in 2011. $174,000 of that debt will be paid for by the Parks Department from the .3% income tax that the voters of Massillon passed to fund parks and recreation.

The parks are a mess. The rubberized walking track at Reservoir Park has no rubberized surface. The ball parks are in disarray and many are unusable. Equipment is rusting and falling apart. There is a clear lack of basic maintenance and upkeep, and the dam is about to burst, literally.

$524,000 next year to pay the debt on a golf course which will NEVER, and we mean NEVER make a profit. Debt payments which continue until 2032.

Please mayor, explain to us simple residents who lack your 37 years of governmental experience, and your financial wisdom how your "merger" hasn't been a big scheme to, and we quote you mayor, how this wasn't "a big scheme to have the park's department cover the golf course's expenses?"

And So This is Christmas

There'll be parties for hosting
Marshmallows for toasting
And caroling out in the snow
There'll be scary ghost stories
And tales of the glories of
Christmases long, long ago

-Andy Williams, It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

Christmas is here in the city. The Holiday Parade has come and gone, the Thanksgiving turkey has been eaten, and by now everyone is tired of the left overs.

The good citizens of Massillon are shopping, decorating, and busily preparing for Christmas. We don't have time for civic life during the hectic Holiday Season.

And our Mayor for Life knows it.

People aren't paying attention to what council is doing around Christmas.

And Christmas seems like the perfect time for Santa Frank and his merry elves to take care of business without public backlash.

On December 21, 1995, Santa Frank's merry elves voted to give our Mayor for Life, themselves, the council president, law director, auditor, and city treasurer annual unvoted pay raises for life.

Santa Frank had just been elected to his third term as mayor for life, and needed a pay raise. Council passed, and he approved, a scheme to give himself an immediate 21% increase, and an unvoted raise every year after that.

Here is how this unvoted raise scheme works. Every year, the mayor, city council, city council president, law director, auditor, and treasurer receive an automatic, unvoted pay raise tied to the consumer price index. This ordinance is open ended, meaning it goes on forever. It is also uncapped, meaning there is no ceiling to how high the increase can be any given year.

It was Santa Frank's merry Christmas present to himself and his faithful council elves.

Christmas of 2002 brought the citizens of Massillon another Yuletide gift, the hijacking of our park income tax to subsidize the failing city golf course. The week before Christmas, Massillon City Council voted 7 - 2 to merge the Legends of Massillon golf course with the Parks and Recreation Department. The two Republicans on council, Jim Filhour and Claudette Istnick voted no. The yes votes included former councilman, and now Safety Service Director Mike Loudiana, Glenn Gamber, Ron Mang, and former councilman, now city treasurer, Paul Lambert.

Our Mayor for Life assured everyone this was merely a plan to "streamline city government" and was "not a big scheme to have the parks department cover the golf course's expenses" (The Repository, December 17, 2002).

Of course, it turned out to be a big scheme to use park dollars to subsidize the golf course.

And so, we turn to Christmas of 2010. What surprises could Santa Frank and his merry elves have for the people of Massillon this year?

How about an unbalanced city budget that deliberately shorts salaries for police and firefighters under the city's Christmas tree?

Lap Dog Paul wants the city's budget voted on at council's December 20th meeting.

"Councilman Paul Manson, chairman of the finance committee wants council to pass the budget when it comes up for a third reading on Dec. 20" (The Independent, November 5th, 2010).

The last budget wasn't passed until March. Why the rush?

Firstly, Santa Frank wants this odious business over as soon as possible, so it is not an issue when he is running for election to his seventh term and campaigning for the Democratic nomination in the May Primary.

Secondly, the December 20th council meeting is perfect, only days before Christmas, when once again, no one will be paying attention.

Will he have the votes? Of course he will!

Santa's elves always make sure that Santa's work gets done in time for Christmas Eve.

Shake Up at the Palace?

Word on the street is that our Mayor for Life's Safety-Service Director, Mike Loudiana, will be departing his position shortly. Loudiana was appointed Safety-Service Director in January 2005, and has served as the Mayor for Life's second in command for the past six years.


Word also has it that Massillon Police Chief Robert Williams will be retiring shortly from the Massillon Police Department, and then be appointed by our Mayor for Life as the new Safety-Service Director. Williams has served as Massillon Chief of Police for roughly the past six years.

We Have Much To Be Thankful For

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

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The Massillon Review would like to take a moment and thank those public servants who have made positive contributions to the civic life of the City of Massillon this year.

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We thank Fourth Ward Councilman Tony Townsend for his determination. He wanted to honor former council member, the late T. Roy Roberson, a trail blazing public servant, by naming a park after him. It seemed like a simple request, but has turned into an eight month odyssey. It would have been easier for Townsend to give up. He hasn't.

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We thank Third Ward Councilwoman Kathy Catazaro-Perry for her integrity. Even though she knows the mayor will marshall his rubber stamps to crush her ideas for reform, we are thankful she continues to try. She wanted a performance audit of the city's finances, to help run the city more efficiently. The mayor shot it down. She wanted to end the policy of annual unvoted pay raises for mayor, council, the auditor, treasurer, and law director. The mayor had his loyal enforcer, Council President Glenn Gamber, kill her proposal. Yet she continues to try.

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We thank Massillon School board member Tom Seesan for his ethics. Seesan, who in the face of a nasty and personal campaign by some overzealous football boosters to force his resignation, stood tall, and refused to allow the 'friends of the program' to take over the Massillon Schools Athletic Department. The community owns the schools, not a small group of football boosters.

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We thank retired Judge Richard T. Kettler, and local historian Margy Vogt, for working to honor Massillon's veterans. Kettler is a retired Air Force pilot who served in Vietnam, and Margy Vogt is the keeper of Massillon's history. They are two community leaders who speak through actions, not words, and we wish to join the families of those Massillon serviceman who perished in war and thank Rick Kettler and Margy Vogt for making sure we never forget.

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We thank Massillon Clerk of Courts Johnnie Maier for his public service. It was Maier who quietly, without fanfare, made sure that Massillon could continue to maintain its tradition of a live Tiger mascot. More than this, Maier just does a good job. He always comes in under budget, and manages to return money to the city's coffers, to help those who did not manage as prudently as he did.

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Finally, we wish to thank the citizens of Massillon who make our community strong, despite the machinations of some politicians who do not always put the public first, as they should.

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Happy Thanksgiving from The Massillon Review.

Carpetbaggers even at Christmas

Our Mayor for Life did not participate in the annual Massillon Holiday Parade last Saturday. We assumed it was because he was hunkered down so deep in the mayoral bunker, hiding from the forces of evil, that this was just one more example of him not participating in community events of any kind, except Massillon Tiger football games.

We may have been wrong.

One of our faithful readers pointed out this crucial fact to us;

Santa Claus was in the parade.

Santa Claus is a carpetbagger.

We all know how our Mayor for Life drew a "line in the sand" when it came to carpetbaggers involving themselves in the civic affairs of the city of Massillon.

"He (Cicchinelli) said he would call out such "carpetbaggers..." There's going to be a line drawn in the sand, he said" (The Independent, July 31, 2010).

Our crack Massillon Review research team has determined that the North Pole is outside the corporate limits of the City of Massillon.

Santa Claus needs to go back where he came from.

With that red coat on, he looks like a McKinley fan anyway.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and the Massillon Review will be sharing our thanks and appreciation with our readers to those public servants who have made positive contributions to the civic life of the City of Massillon.

A Look into the Crystal Ball

"The Mayor thinks council members can't think for themselves," he said. "I want to honor someone who contributed to the ward. And I feel really bad for the mayor because every time someone comes up with something and is an independent thinker he thinks there has to be a conspiracy. The guy's got a serious case of paranoia."
- Fourth Ward Councilman Tony Townsend,
The Independent, November 20, 2010

It appears the mayor may have broken his pledge;

"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).

We believe that our Mayor for Life had no intention of helping Tony Townsend honor the late T. Roy Roberson. The Mayor's Loyal enforcer, Glenn Gamber, and his sidekick, the boy wonder, Councilman Larry Slagle worked vigorously to shift the proposal to rename Shriver Park to the "independent" parks and recreation board, which is dominated by the mayor for life's appointees.

Even with Cicchinelli's "pledge," his rubber stamps on the park board, Michelle Del-Rio Keller, and Timothy Muzi voted against the name change.

As everyone assumed they would.

This is yet one more example of the buck stopping any where and every where else in Massillon, except at the mayor's desk. It appears that our Mayor for Life doesn't want the park name changed.

Maybe he plans on selling the park, and wouldn't be able to after it was just renamed to honor the late T. Roy Roberson.

Maybe is opposed to the name change because it wasn't his idea.

Or maybe he really is as paranoid as people believe, and opposes the name change because he sees it as part of some grand conspiracy to end his lifetime tenure as Massillon's mayor.
(In a democracy, we call those elections)

No matter. He told the residents of Ward 4 he would help honor T. Roy Roberson, while his minions do the dirty work, and prevent the name change.

The end result is that the buck stops somewhere else. Again.

Council has the final say over whether to rename the park, or not.

Yes, this soon to be eight month long circus will finally come to a conclusion on December 6, when city council will make a final vote.

This is all part of Larry Slagle's critical and timely "park renaming policy." We need to thank Councilman Slagle for setting aside the minor issues of city government like budgets, insurance, and dams which are about to burst, and focusing like a laser on park names. Thank you Larry, your visionary leadership has been a saving grace to the community.

And here is how this ends.

On December 6th, five to six of the following members of city council (Paul Manson, David Hersher, David McCune, Donnie Peters, Larry Slagle, and Ron Mang) will vote against the name change.

They will spew some pablum about how while they wanted to honor T. Roy Roberson, they believe the park board should have final say on park names, and will defer to the judgment of the "independent" park board.

The "independent" park board voted no. Coincidentally, it was the two members appointed by the mayor who voted no.

Frank can still tell the residents of Ward 4 he was for the name change.

Frank can blame city council.

Council can blame the park board.

The mayor appoints three out of the five park board members.

The mayor's appointees voted no.

And the buck stops somewhere else, as it always, and we mean ALWAYS, does.

And Tony Townsend's proposal loses. As we always knew it would.

Not because it was a bad idea, but because it was his idea.

Because our Mayor for Life needed to flex his muscles, and show rogue council members like Townsend, who don't rubber stamp like they should, who runs the city.

And this is one more example why Frank Cicchinelli is indeed Massillon's Mayor for Life.

He is just better at playing the game of politics.

The Pledge

For the past seven months or so, Massillon's Fourth Ward Council Representative, Tony Townsend, has been trying to get Massillon City Council to rename Shriver Park to T. Roy Roberson Park at Old Massillon Field. T. Roy Roberson was a former Ward Four Councilman, now deceased, considered by many to be a trail blazing politician within Massillon.

The park for which the name change is proposed is within Ward Four. The current Ward Four member of council supports the name change. It is apparent that a large number of Ward Four residents support the name change as well.

"People of the community respect him (Roberson). He's loved by many" (Tony Townsend, The Independent, June 18, 2010).

And it looked for a while that Massillon City Council would support the name change.

Until the Mayor's Loyal Enforcer, Council President Glenn Gamber, and his trusty sidekick, Councilman Larry Slagle, took action. Gamber relied on parliamentary procedure, and Slagle on good old-fashioned coercion to prevent a vote from even being taken.

www.massillonreview.blogspot.com/2010/08/all-kings-horse-and-all-kings-men.html

They wanted to unload this issue on the "independent" parks and recreation board. Unfortunately, the "independent" parks and recreation board has a majority of its members, three out of five, appointed by our Mayor for Life. The other two are appointed by the Massillon City School Board. One can certainly question just how "independent" this board is.

Shriver Park was then later "discovered" on a list of parks that the city was researching. Researching to determine if these parks could be sold off. Of course, it would be tough to sell off a park if you just changed the name to honor a deceased community leader.

Our mayor seemed to be in a pickle. He didn't want the name of the park changed, but he really didn't want to come out and publicly oppose the name change either. After all, you don't get to be mayor for life by upsetting an entire council ward.

He was finally cornered at a Ward Four Town Hall meeting. He quickly jumped on the band wagon.

"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 by urging his Parks and Recreation Board appointees to vote in favor of it"

Well, the mayor had a nice chat with his park board appointees.

"Cicchinelli claims he did speek with his appointees about the name change" (The Independent, November 20, 2010).

And then they voted no.

At a Parks Board meeting last week, Our Mayor for Life's appointees, Timothy Muzi and Michelle Del-Rio Keller voted against Councilman Townsend's plan to rename the park in honor of T. Roy Roberson. School Board appointee Moe Rickett voted for for the name change. Mayoral appointee Ron Pribich, and School Board Appointee Jeff Thornberry were not in attendance.

It is not relevant if Pribich and Thornberry were in attendance, as the mayor appoints the majority on the board. Pribich is a long term associate of our Mayor for Life and we doubt he would have voted opposite of how the mayor's other appointees voted.

Yes, we were absolutely stunned, stunned we say, to see the mayor's appointees voting against the name change, especially after the mayor's "pledge."

Cicchinelli, however, did make one insightful comment;

"I've been accused of appointing rubber stamps" (Frank Cicchinelli, The Independent, November 20, 2010).

And your point?

Bah Humbug

Massillon's Mayor for Life, Frank Cicchinelli is not really a ruler who likes likes to mingle with his subjects. He doesn't really involve himself in the community activities of Massillon. He doesn't talk to the folks on the streets, or participate in the various civic events throughout the city.

Unless you are at a Massillon Tiger football game, you are unlikely to spot our leader out in the community he leads. Heck, the Mayor for Life even stopped participating in the Massillon Tiger Football Kick-Off Rally, held annually in Duncan Plaza, just feet from his office.

Christmas should be different. It is the time of the year when men set aside their differences and peace and good will should take hold throughout the kingdom.

One of the most anticipated events of the Christmas season is the Massillon Christmas parade. It is viewed by the community as the symbolic start of Christmas in Tiger Town.

One would think that the city's mayor, the symbolic leader of the community, would participate.

One would be wrong.

The Mayor for Life was a no show for the annual holiday parade yesterday.

Not surprising, because he doesn't show for a most community events these days.

This was Christmas. We expected more.

It was nice to see Lee Brunckhart, Republican candidate for mayor in the parade.

It was also nice to see Third Ward Council Representative, and likely Democratic challenger to our mayor in the May primary, Kathy Catazaro-Perry in the parade.

Catazaro-Perry is always so upbeat and personable at public events. What a contrast to our dour, brooding Mayor for Life.

We would like to thank both Lee and Kathy for sharing in the Christmas spirit.

As for our Mayor for Life...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlyauuY4wec
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A Palace Coup?

According to a very reliable Massillon Review source, there is plotting and intrigue within the Kingdom of Massillon. It is suspected that a palace coup is brewing to replace our beloved Mayor for Life with a different standard bearer for the 2011 elections.

It is rumored that some of the city insiders who have benefited under our Mayor for Life's quarter century of rule, as well as some former aides de camp, do not believe our mayor can be elected to a seventh term. They believe he is fairly unpopular, and point to his last election where he almost lost to former councilman Tim Bryan, who really did not campaign.

Apparently, these folks wish to keep their influence around city hall, and are concerned that Kathy Catazaro-Perry would mop the floor with the mayor in next year's Democratic primary.

They have allegedly turned their sights on current Safety-Service Director Mike Loudiana. They believe Loudiana is electable, having served a number of terms as councilman at large, and that Loudiana does not carry the baggage our Mayor for Life does.

We at the Massillon Review vehemently oppose this alleged treachery within the ranks. Mayor for Life means just that, mayor for life. We want to see the mayor run for an unprecedented seventh term. The entertainment value alone is priceless. Besides, he should have the opportunity to defend his record during a public campaign.

We want to see him defend the mess at the golf course, the deplorable condition of our parks, his string of unbalanced budgets, spending tax dollars on the mortgage at a private hotel, spending a million dollars on an arena that was never built, attempting to bail out the city by annexing the Tuslaw schools, and authorizing annual unvoted pay raises for himself.

After all this, we struggle to see why his pals wish to kick him out.

Stand strong mayor! Don't give up!

The Massillon Review stands with you!

Breaking News

According to a well placed Massillon Review source, there is dissension within Team Cicchinelli, and treachery brewing in the ranks.

Stay tuned for more details!

The Great Debate Rages On

Massillon City Council spent most of Monday night fixated on the big issue that has dominated city government these past months.

Do we rename a park.

As a matter of fact, council held a hearing. Citizens testified for and against Ward 4 Councilman Tony Townsend's plan to rename Shriver Park in honor of deceased former council member T. Roy Roberson.

No, council didn't take a vote yet. A big issue like this shouldn't just be hurried through council after only a mere SEVEN MONTHS of discussion. (Townsend introduced his proposal in May).

Council will wait to take a vote until December. Our esteemed city council certainly has its priorities in order. December will make it EIGHT MONTHS of debate and discussion over a proposal to name a park. Job well done!

We would like to thank the mayor's loyal enforcer, Council President Glenn Gamber, and his trusty assistant, Councilman at Large Larry Slagle, for taking a simple issue and turning it into an eight month debacle. These fine public servants certainly go a long way in restoring the public's faith in their elected government.

City Council certainly has its priorities in order. Eight months debating the name of a park.

In other rubber stamp business, the Mayor for Life's budget was given its first reading before city council. We imagine the debate over the city's spending plan lasted well into the night as council members debated the shortfalls in police and fire salary, skyrocketing insurance costs, and Mayor Cicchinelli's request that council finds more revenue. They must have burned the midnight oil discussing city finances.

"Council gave first reading to the proposed budget for 2011, which calls for $16 million for the general fund and $37.4 million for all funds, but did not discuss it" (The Independent, November 16, 2010).

They "did not discuss it?"

Mayoral lap dog and faithful rubber stamp Paul Manson did not lead council through a vigorous discussion of city finances? We are truly shocked.

Hurry Up

The 2010 Massillon City budget was passed in March of 2010. Our Mayor for Life's lap dog, Council Finance Chairman Paul Manson, wants the 2011 budget voted on before the end of this year.

"I want to take a vote by the end of the year" (Paul Manson, The Independent, November 5, 2010).

Why is Manson in such a hurry?

The issues are complex. The budget, as submitted by the mayor, is unbalanced. There is not enough money for police and fire salaries, and according to the mayor;

"The need for additional revenue is not going to go away" (The Independent, November 9, 2010).

So why the rush? Why does the budget have to be wrapped up by the end of the year?

Because 2011 is an election year and our Mayor for Life is likely to face an aggressive challenge in the Democratic Primary in the spring.

He can't be running for re-election with the debate over his unbalanced budget still raging on.

The rubber stamps know that they have to put the budget to bed before the New Year, otherwise the mayor's budget, which according to an editorial in last Friday's Independent, has more holes than the plot of a bad 1950's science fiction movie, will be a campaign issue.

Our Mayor for Life will be busy enough defending his debt ravaged golf course, his hijacking of park funds to prop up the golf course, spending $199,000 to buy a restaurant at the golf course, a restaurant which a high ranking city employee admitted had no business plan, spending tax dollars to pay the mortgage for a private hotel, signing off on legislation granting himself annual unvoted pay raises, spending a million dollars on an arena that was never built, and ignoring a dam which is about to burst.

He doesn't have time to talk about his unbalanced budget.

Council needs to hurry up.

The Great Debate

Tonight, our esteemed city council will be once more debating the most critical issue to dominate the council agenda this year.

Will they be discussing the mayor's hopelessly unbalanced budget?

Nope.

How about the city's skyrocketing insurance costs?

Nope.

Will there be discussion about how to stop the dam at Reservoir Park from bursting, literally, which "was given a first class hazard rating during the inspection, meaning that it poses a risk of "probable loss of human life" (The Independent, October 30, 2010)?

Nope. This issue is bigger.

Should the City of Massillon rename Shriver Park?

This debate has been raging for months.

Fourth Ward Councilman Tony Townsend wanted to rename the park to honor the late T. Roy Roberson, a trail blazing Massillon politician from the Fourth Ward.

Seemed like a simple proposition. If a member of council wanted to change the name, they would vote in the affirmative. If they didn't want to change the name, they would vote in opposition. Council then could move on to the serious issues that dominate our city government.

Well, not so simple in Massillon.

It is believed that our Mayor for Life didn't want the name change. Shriver Park was on a list of parks that was being investigated to determine if it was legal to sell the park. Can't rename a park after a deceased community leader and then auction it off to the highest bidder. It just looks bad.

The problem for our Mayor for Life and his merry band of rubber stamps was that the name change was a popular move in the city's fourth ward, so nobody wanted to vote no on the record. The goal became one of avoiding a vote at all costs.

The Mayor's loyal enforcer, Council President Glenn Gamber, with the assistance of Larry Slagle, councilman at large, went to work to prevent a vote. Using parliamentary slight of hand, they successfully unloaded the issue on to the 'independent' parks and recreation board, knowing the proposed name change would never see the light of day, as the mayor personally appoints three out of the five members to the 'independent' parks board.

No name change. No public vote. Mission Accomplished.

Unfortunately for our Mayor for Life, the issue did not die. Councilman Townsend was most persistent in demanding a vote.

It looked like our Mayor for Life had a change of heart, when he held one of his annual town hall style meetings... in the fourth ward.

"Am I opposed to it? Heck no" (Frank Cicchinelli, The Independent, August 31, 2010).

Of course, our mayor was unusually silent about his 'support' as the "Great Debate" raged around him for the prior three months. His silence ended, and his 'true feelings of support' were made known, coincidentally, when political pressure forced him to take a stand. You don't get to be mayor for life if you alienate an entire council ward of voters.

Council would then have to undo this mess. That fell upon the sharp legal mind of Councilman Larry Slagle. Slagle has not focused on researching or correcting any substantive issues in his three years on city council, but dealing with the crucial machinations of renaming a park seem to bring forth his time, talent, and efforts.

Councilman Larry Slagle wants to use "current policy as a rubric for establishing guidelines for council" (The Independent, October 12, 2010) in order to create a critical and apparently much needed policy to handle the complex world of renaming parks.

Wow. Time well spent.

Let us intervene and save Massillon City Council months and months of debate, hand wringing, and behind the scenes maneuvering in case there is another proposal to rename a park.

Take a vote. If the majority of council votes to change the name, then the name is changed.

Now get back to work. There are real issues, critical issues facing our city during difficult times.

Once the great park debate is settled, we assume city council will get back to working on other important issues facing Massillon government, like voting to set up a 'Winter Vacation Schedule' for city council.

Honoring All Who Served

The Dollars Will Be There

Someone ain't tellin' us the truth.

Back in July, Massillon's Mayor for Life doled out 4% pay raises to the various unionized employees of the City of Massillon. The police, fire, streets, parks, and solid waste department, and other bargaining unit employees will collectively be enjoying $500,000 dollars worth of pay raises.

Massillon Auditor Jayne Ferrero believed this would put a strain on the city's already unbalanced budget. The mayor said don't worry, the "dollars will be there."

"We'll be able to pay for these increases," Cicchinelli said. "I'm not concerned about it. We will be there. I feel confident the dollars will be there to make it through this year and we'll have the dollars to make it through next year" (The Independent, July 6, 2010).

Auditor Ferrero didn't agree with our mayor's "Don't Worry, Be Happy" approach to the city's finances. She wanted city council to consider putting a police and fire levy on the November ballot.

"We need to be looking at revenue streams" (Auditor Jayne Ferrero, The Independent, July 13, 2010).

Our mayor for life said no. Things are fine;

"Cicchinelli is opposed to a levy... He also opposes increasing the income tax during poor economic times" (The Independent, July 13, 2010).

That was July's Frank Cicchinelli.

November's Frank Cicchinelli is singing a different tune;

"The city needs money, Mayor Frank Cicchinelli told Massillon City Council on Monday as he unveiled the 2011 budget" (The Independent, November 9, 2010).

"The need for additional revenue is not going to go away," Cicchinelli said, urging council to help find new money for the city" (The Independent, November 9, 2010).

Wait a minute.

What happened to "we'll have the dollars to make it through next year." Where is the Frank Cicchinelli who told Auditor Ferrero that we don't need no stinkin' levy as he quickly threw her idea to raise additional revenue under the bus?

Was July's Frank Cicchinelli lying? Perhaps it was the work of his evil twin.

Of course, the buck always stops somewhere else in Massillon. According to our Mayor for Life, it is the job of city council to "help find new money for the city."

Perhaps city council will ignore the mayor's pleas for new revenues and rely on the wisdom of July's Frank Cicchinelli, who told us "the dollars will be there."

Priorities

Our Mayor for Life has once more submitted a budget to Massillon City Council that is unbalanced. Cicchinelli shorted the amount necessary to pay police and fire salaries so that his revenue equalled his expenditures;

"Mayor Frank Cicchinelli's 2011 budget leaves short salary line items for the general fund's biggest recipients - the Massillon Police and Fire Departments - even though employees in both safety forces are guaranteed 4 percent pay raises in the new year" (The Independent, November 6, 2010).

While the city was struggling financially, while the city was facing a million dollar budget shortfall, Frank Cicchinelli gave 4% pay raises to the unionized workers of the City of Massillon;

"We'll be able to pay for these increases," Cicchinelli said. I'm not concerned about it. We will be there. I feel confident the dollars will be there to make it through this year and we'll have the dollars to make it through next year" (The Independent, July 6, 2010).

If we have the dollars to pay for these increases, then why does his budget short police and fire salaries?

Simple answer. We don't "have the dollars" to pay for these increases. We never did.

And our Mayor for Life knows it.

So why did he lie? It's about priorities.

We believe our mayor gave the police, fire, street workers, and everyone else in city government who belongs to a union 4% pay raises in 2011 while the city struggles financially, and while the citizens of Massillon struggle financially, because these employee unions endorse candidates, and Cicchinelli is running for re-election in 2011.

When former councilman Tim Bryan nearly beat Cicchinelli for mayor in the Democratic primary in 2007, Cicchinelli was having problems with some of the unions.

He won't be having problems this time.

He refocused his priorities. Winning his seventh term as mayor trumps financial responsibility every time.

A Stand Up Guy

Before each regular season ending Massillon-McKinley game, the Rotary Club of the host team's city invites the visiting team's Rotary Club for a joint Rotary Club luncheon. This year, Massillon's Rotary hosted Canton's Rotary. Our Mayor for Life made some remarks. In commenting about how he vigorously opposed a visit to Massillon by former President Bill Clinton, Cicchinelli claimed he stood up to the politicians.

Cicchinelli opposed the presidential visit because his massive, room filling ego was bruised. Cicchinelli repeatedly made comment to being left out of the loop on the visit.

"Cicchinelli repeatedly said he was upset to learn about the event in his Sunday newspaper. He even suggested people in his own party intentionally left him out of the loop" (The Independent, October 26, 2010).

Cicchinelli stood up to the politicians? We find it laughable that Massillon's consummate, longest serving politician can claim to stand up to the politicians.

Frank Cicchinelli has run for political office in Massillon 13 times, seven times for city council, and six times for mayor. He is running for his 14th term in office next year. He ceased being a public servant a long, long time ago. He is a politician, one who has served continuously as America has been lead by eight different presidential administrations, from Nixon through Obama. It's time the citizens of Massillon, and perhaps even our city council, stood up to him.

A King's Ransom

It's time for our Mayor for Life's annual shell game, passing the city's operating budget. In most cities, the mayor would submit a budget to city council, and the city council would spend time discussing the budget, asking the mayor and his department heads specific questions about specific budget expenditures, and having real life budget hearings. Our neighbors to the east, in Canton, actually do this. Canton city council actually spends time debating the budget. They actually question the mayor. And get this. The mayor actually responds to their questions without sniping at council members for having the audacity to question him. Canton Mayor Healy doesn't refer to members of council who question city expenditures as "Anti-Canton," and "mayor haters."

Our Mayor for Life has intimidated members of Massillon City Council for so long, that they no longer dare question his budget. He submits an unbalanced budget. And the rubber stamps approve it, with little discussion or debate. Yes, it is getting tougher for our Mayor for Life to pull this off every year. Last year, his budget passed on a razor thin 5 - 4 vote. Many have speculated that the only reason our Mayor for Life got council member Donnie Peters' critical deciding vote was because the city street paving schedule was changed, and the city agreed to pave Tremont, something Peters has complained about for years.

Part of the reason the city's budget process is so dysfunctional, is that the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Massillon City Council is Paul Manson. Paul Manson is the penultimate rubber stamp and loyal to the end lap dog for Mayor Frank Cicchinelli. If Cicchinelli wanted the city's water supply poisoned with arsenic, we believe Manson would probably vote to support it. Paul Manson has been there for the mayor on every vote. Manson voted to pass last year's unbalanced budget, voted to approve a "storm water utility fee," and continuously votes to spend tax dollars to pay the mortgage of the privately owned Hampton Inn Hotel.

Manson does not question the budget the mayor submits to council. Sure, it is not balanced, but Lap Dog Paul does not care. Lap Dog Paul doesn't bother holding budget hearings. Budget hearings would be inconvenient to our thin skinned mayor who might be forced to answer questions from council members who may actually question his spending. We certainly can't have that.

By law, a city must pass a balanced budget. To make the math work, so that city expenditures do not exceed revenue, the mayor does not budget for things like police and fire over time. He knows there will be police and fire over time, he just doesn't budget for it. And Lap Dog Paul doesn't question it.

"Mayor Cicchinelli's 2011 budget leaves short salary line items for the general fund's biggest recipients - the Massillon Police and Fire Departments" (The Independent, 11/06/2010).

Our Mayor for Life ignores these built in budget shortfalls. The problem then goes away until the city's "Annual Summer Financial Crisis," when Auditor Jayne Ferrero has an epiphany and realizes the city's budget is short. The Mayor quickly passes the buck, and decries that it is the job of the auditor to find the money. The auditor cheerfully goes along with this charade, and happily takes responsibility, saving the mayor from taking blame for submitting an unbalanced budget in the first place. This is how it works every year.

www.massillonreview.blogspot.com/2010/05/summertime.html

www.massillonreview.blogspot.com/2010/06/surprise.html

City Council passed the mayor's unbalanced 2011 budget in March this year. Lap Dog Paul wants the 2012 budget passed a whole lot earlier. Lap Dog Paul wants it voted on in December.

"I want to take a vote by the end of the year" (Paul Manson, The Independent, 11/05/10).

Lap Dog Paul is in a hurry. But Why?

Spaghetti Dinner TONIGHT

Don't forget. The Committee to re-elect Massillon Mayor for Life Frank Cicchinelli to a seventh term as mayor for life will be holding a spaghetti dinner tonight to raise funds for our mayor.

The spaghetti dinner will be held at the Massillon Eagles beginning at 5:30PM. Spaghetti, salad, roll, and dessert will be provided for the $10 cost. Doors open at 5:30PM.

If you need more ticket information, just call 330-832-3373, or 330-844-2596.

Please, only native Massillonians need attend. Our mayor for life has drawn "a line in the sand," against carpetbaggers interfering in Massillon politics. If you are indeed a carpetbagger, Frank will not be taking your money, other wise he would be an appalling hypocrite.

The Taxman Strikes Again

Massillon's taxman, Councilman David Hersher, strikes again. Whenever citizens of Massillon see Taxman Hersher, they reflexively grab their wallets, as they know yet another tax is on the way.

At Monday's council meeting, Taxman Hersher successfully pushed through a new tax. This new tax, called a "storm water utility fee" passed on a 5-4 vote.

Loyal mayoral rubber stamps David Hersher, David McCune, Ron Mang, Paul Manson, and Larry Slagle voted to saddle Massillon home owners with yet another tax.

Council members Kathy Catazaro-Perry, Gary Anderson, Tony Townsend, and Donnie Peters felt your taxes were high enough, and did not support Taxman Hersher's proposal. Councilman Peters has been on a bit of an independent streak lately. Let's see how long it lasts.

Taxman Hersher's new tax will be added to our sewer bills. $1 more per month for residents, and $2 per month for businesses. We are confident that the money raised through Taxman Hersher's tax will be exclusively used for "storm water utility" projects, and won't be siphoned off for unrelated projects. We imagine there will be quite a few "storm water utility" projects at the Legends of Massillon golf course.

Hats off to Taxman Hersher. He once again successfully raised your taxes. When you see him, be sure to thank him.

Vindictive, Sociopathic Control Freak

Young Andrew Oser, grandson of developer Carl Oser, is thinking about throwing his hat in the ring for the opportunity to topple the King of Massillon, Mayor Frank Cicchinelli. This could really get interesting. While Cicchinelli is fairly unpopular at this point, Grandpa Carl may actually be less popular than Frank.

Young Andrew, while interviewing with the Independent, referred to our beloved Mayor for Life as a "Vindictive, Sociopathic Control Freak." We certainly won't argue with the vindictive part. Frank Cicchinelli's grudge against Carl Oser is so long, and runs so deep, that if Oser proposed to open a charity that gave away free food to the needy, Frank would have his stooges on the zoning board turn it down.

Heck, let's not forget that it was our Mayor for Life who appointed Kevin Smith, convicted Drug Lord, to the Zoning Board of Appeals. We are sure he was a good fit for city government, and it wasn't his status as a "friend of the program" football booster, or his poker playing prowess that earned him his appointment.

Young Andrew probably shouldn't have made that comment in his first interview with the newspaper. Young Andrew will not be viewed by anyone in the community as a serious alternative to the Mayor for Life. Young Andrew will be seen as merely a puppet for his extremely unpopular grandfather.

We don't know if Frank Cicchinelli is "sociopathic," but he certainly is paranoid. And in this instance stupid. Frank has already released the dogs of war on Young Andrew, dredging up nasty things from Young Andrew's past. We expected better from our Mayor for Life.

Not better behavior, but better political sense. The only person in Massillon who would be a weaker opponent than Young Andrew is Carl himself. Cicchinelli should be paying Young Andrew compliments, and encouraging his youthful zest for public service.

And praying heavily that Andrew Oser is actually his opponent next year.

Kaminski Has a Choice to Make

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) the dam at Reservoir Park is a "first class hazard," and poses a risk of "probable loss of human life."

Gee, this seems like a problem. It appears the city only knew about this for the past decade.

"In 2000, repair plans and a hydrologic and hydraulic study was submitted to the ODNR, but it was never resubmitted to the agency after it made comments to the plans and study" (The Independent, October 30, 2010).

According to Park Czar Kenn Kaminski, "the work was put on the back burner by previous department directors" (The Independent, October 30, 2010).

Those damn "previous directors." How neglectful they were. What was Kenn Kaminski to do? It was these "previous directors" who put needed repairs "on the back burner."

The ODNR also made some helpful recommendations to Kenn Kaminski and the Parks Department to help alleviate some of the problems with the dam. These recommendations are so technical, and so complicated, we can clearly see why they were above and beyond what Director Kaminski could be expected to handle;

These complicated and technical recommendations were printed in the Independent, and include;

"Remove brush from the upstream slope shoreline and around the spillway sidewalls. Seed all disturbed areas to provide to proper grass cover."

"Repair erosion gullies on the downstream slope."

"Repair the rodent burrows on the upstream slope."

"Remove or grind down the tree stubs on the embankment."

"Remove planters on the downstream slope."

Wait a minute. We needed the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to tell us to remove brush, plant grass, remove tree stumps, and fill in rodent burrows?

We really couldn't see this for our selves? Really? We had to be told to plant grass to stop erosion?

Listen up. The park employees need to get their collective asses off the golf course and into the parks, and by god, if Kenn Kaminski isn't smart enough to know to clear brush and plant grass without a report from the State of Ohio, he needs to resign immediately.

The parks are a mess, and someone needs to take responsibility. We all know that the someone needing to take responsibility will never be our Mayor for Life. We realize the buck always stops somewhere else in Massillon.

Kenn Kaminski has one of two choices to make.

1.) Come clean, and admit the parks are a mess because park tax money has been hijacked to subsidize the golf course by our mayor and his faithful rubber stamps.

2.) Quit, because if you have to be told by a state agency to plant grass and clear brush, you are in way over your head, and are a clear and present danger to the community.

The choice is yours. Don't EVEN try and pawn this mess off on "park vandals."