It's How You See Yourself

The elected officials of the City of Massillon; the mayor, auditor, law director, treasurer, council president, and members of council receive an annual, unvoted pay raise every year.

 This practice started in 1995, when city council passed, and our former mayor for life signed, an ordinance granting these elected officials an automatic, unvoted pay raise every year.

This year, while our elected officials plan on freezing the pay and cutting the benefits for the city's worker bees, those in charge are taking a 3.55% pay hike for themselves.

The city is swimming in a "vat of red ink," created by former Mayor Frank Cicchinelli, and exacerbated by his loyal foot soldier, Auditor Marie Antoinette Ferrero.

But the "dollars are there" for city elected officials to get a raise.

Back in 2009, when now mayor, but then Councilwoman, Kathy Catazaro-Perry, proposed repealing the automatic, unvoted, pay raise for life ordinance, she ran into fierce opposition.

Including opposition from Fifth Ward Republican Donnie Peters.

 Council President Glenn Gamber, former Mayor Cicchinelli's Loyal Enforcer, would not even permit the city council to vote on repealing the pay raises.

 Gamber asked for an informal 'show of hands,' so that those who wanted to keep their pay raises wouldn't have to make an uncomfortable public vote on the record.

 " (Paul) Manson and members Ron Mang, Donnie Peters, David McCune, David Hersher and Larry Slagle said they will not vote to repeal the ordinance" (The Independent, October 27, 2009).
But they deserve money.

Just ask Donnie Peters.

2009's Donnie Peters.

"Peters said council is underpaid and that he wants to keep the (pay raise) ordinance in place “When (another council member) comes in in a few years when things are better and says we should start getting our raises back, he’s going to be the bad guy,” Peters noted. “They’ve already taken the politics out of it. It’s done. I can’t see rescinding the ordinance” (The Independent, October 27, 2009).

"They've already taken the politics out of it. It's done."

Let's hold that thought.

And check in with Donnie Peters V2.0.

“I’m going to try to repeal it (the pay raise ordinance),” said Peters, the ranking Republican and Council president pro tem. “Everyone says it doesn’t make it (pay-raise issue) political. Well, make it political” (The Independent, January 27, 2012).

"Well, make it political."

So much for ""They've already taken the politics out of it. It's done."

Apparently, it's not "done."

Apparently, It's time to "make it political."

From the councilman who was for the pay raise, before he was against it.

Why the change of heart for Councilman Donnie Peters?

Perhaps it's all about how he sees himself.