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.

We are Family

"In addition to criminal and civil court cases, (John) Ferrero noted the Prosecutor’s Office also provides legal representation to townships, small school districts and various county departments, including the Engineer’s Office and the Coroner’s Office."

“We’ve got to protect our clients,” he said. “I can’t sleep at night thinking about that scenario (cuts). How did a proud county come to this? It’s a situation that’s going to be a nightmare” (The Independent, October 29, 2011).

Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero was a busy man last fall.

He was busy campaigning to raise the county sales tax.

He couldn't "sleep at night" thinking about how his office would run without a tax increase.

But Ferrero wasn't the only one in his office pitching an increase in the county sales tax.

"John L. Kurtzman, chief counsel for the Stark County Prosecutor’s Office, told (Tuscarawas Township) trustees that Sheriff Timothy Swanson will hire back deputies if the tax passes and that some would be assigned to road patrol."

"Kurtzman, like many other county officials, encouraged trustees to pass a resolution of support. He highlighted several points regarding the tax, including that 30 percent of it will be paid by visitors to the county. The tax issue will appear as Issue 29 on the ballot" (The Independent, October 12, 2011).

Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero, and his Chief Counsel, John Kurtzman, are both Massillonians.

They live in town with the rest of us.

And they were both campaigning for the passage of a county sales tax.

Which provides funding to the government office where they work.

John Ferrero was the former Massillon Law Director before becoming city prosecutor.

John Ferrero and John Kurtzman were also well known loyal aides de camp for our beloved former mayor for life, and chief architects of the Cicchinelli regime.

And in October last year they were pushing a tax.

For Stark County.

Because the Prosecutor's office where they work needed the money.

But they don't like all taxes.

Now, as John Ferrero and John Kurtzman live in Massillon, but work in Canton, they pay a 2% income tax to the City of Canton, where they work, and a 0% income tax to the City of Massillon, where they live.

Prosecutor Ferrero's sister in law, Massillon City Auditor Jayne Ferrero, was going to change all that.

Because she was a woman with a plan.

A plan to reduce Massillon's 100% income tax credit to 50%, meaning that if you worked in another city and paid their income tax, you would still have to pay something to Massillon, the city where you live.

In this case you would pay .9%, or half of Massillon's 1.8%.

Auditor Ferrero estimated her plan would raise $1.5 million dollars for cash strapped Massillon.

She could then pay the city's delinquent bills. Bills like dispatching, asphalt, gas for the police cruisers, and road salt for winter driving.

Auditor Jayne Ferrero probably couldn't "sleep at night" worrying about all the delinquent bills her beloved former mayor racked up on the city's proverbial credit card.

Her brother in law, Prosecutor John Ferrero, thought this to be a bad idea.

So bad, he and his Chief Counsel, John Kurtzman, came to the November 21st Massillon City Council meeting where the tax credit reduction plan was to be discussed.

And, according to numerous Massillon Review sources and faithful readers, they were opposed to the reduction of the tax credit.

And threatened to organize a repeal of the tax credit reduction if council passed it.

Because it was such a bad idea.

Perhaps it was a bad idea because Prosecutor Ferrero and Chief Counsel Kurtzman, who pay 0% (that's zero with a "z") income tax to the city of Massillon from their county wages, don't want to pay any Massillon income tax.

They did, however, want the rest of us to pay more sales tax to fund things like the Stark County Prosecutor's office, where they both work.

And ever since, coincidentally, Auditor Ferrero hasn't mentioned her once good idea.

And didn't even attend the November 21st council meeting to defend her plan.

Where former councilman David Hersher "forgot" he signed the ordinance to bring the tax credit reduction out of the finance committee and up for a vote, claiming he signed it as an accident, and then removing his signature, while claiming there were no 'Shenanigans.'

Oh, one thing we probably all can be sure of.

There will always be plenty of shenanigans.

There's Been a Change of Heart

Back when Frank Cicchinelli was still mayor, and Auditor Jayne Ferrero actually cared about the financial health of the city, in the days before she abdicated her civic responsibilities to properly oversee our dollars, and decided her priority should be to wreak havoc on city government in some bizarre attempt to assist her beloved former mayor achieve political vengeance on the backs of our police, firefighters, and essential city services, she was a woman with a plan.

She suggested that the City of Massillon reduce its tax credit for residents who live here in town, but work in another city.

Auditor Ferrero's plan was to reduce the city's tax credit to 50%.

Massillon has a 1.8% income tax. Currently, if you live in Massillon, and work in Canton, which has a 2% income tax, you pay 2% to Canton and nothing to Massillon, where you live.

Because Massillon has a 100% tax credit.

Which, according to one of our faithful readers, is unusual for a city.

For example;

If you are, say, hypothetically speaking, Auditor Jayne Ferrero's brother in law, Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero, you receive a salary of $115,703 dollars per year.

You pay $2,314 dollars of income tax to the City of Canton, where you work.

You pay $0 dollars (that's zero with a "z") in income tax to the City of Massillon, where you live.

Under Jayne Ferrero's plan, if you work in another city with an income tax, you would pay half the 1.8% to Massillon instead of paying nothing to Massillon, the city where you live.

Auditor Jayne Ferrero estimated her plan would generate about $1.5 million additional dollars for the cash strapped city coffers.

Money that could have been used to pay delinquent dispatching bills, buy road salt, or help the city avoid laying off police officers.

Jayne Ferrero thought her plan was a good idea.

Before she thought it was a bad idea.

Because, all of a sudden, Auditor Jayne Ferrero stopped talking about her tax credit reduction plan.

She grew silent.

And suddenly, miraculously, she never mentioned the idea again.

And she didn't even show up at the Massillon City Council meeting on November 21st when her plan was debated by city council.

She wasn't there to answer questions about what was originally her proposal.

She wasn't there to defend what was originally her idea.

She wasn't there to advocate for what was originally her plan.

Oddly enough, Ferrero was for the tax credit as late as the Friday before the Monday, November 21st council meeting.

"She (Kathy Catazaro-Perry) said she met Friday with Auditor Jayne Ferrero to further discuss the city’s finances ahead of taking office next year. According to Catazaro-Perry, Ferrero told her, “We really need that tax credit,” and so she (Catazaro-Perry) agreed to give her verbal approval so that it could at least be discussed. But then she was told that fellow Finance Committee member David Hersher removed his signature. (The Independent, November 22, 2011).

So, how did we end up with such 'shenanigans?'

What occurred to change Auditor Ferrero's mind?

And who, oh who, was responsible for Auditor Ferrero's change of heart?

Let Them Eat Cake

The City of Massillon is dead broke.

The Auditor, former Mayor Cicchinelli's Loyal Defender, Jayne Ferrero, is intentionally shorting the new mayor about three million dollars so Ferrero may pay off the old mayor's bills.

Right now.

Ferrero certainly never shorted the Extraordinary One's revenue when he was mayor.

But that was different.

Ferrero is, was, and will always be a Cicchinelli loyalist.

Ferrero happily hid Cicchinelli's past due bills in the city's sock drawer, letting him run the city on the proverbial city credit card, and waited until he was safely out of office before smacking the new mayor with this financial shortage of Ferrero's own making.

Jayne Ferrero is doing this purely out of political motivation.

She is creating a $3 million dollar hole in the city's budget in the hope that Catazaro-Perry will fail.

So that Catazaro-Perry has to make cuts so drastic that they literally decimate city government.

"She (Catazaro-Perry) is going to have to make cuts, make consolidations. She’s going to have to do some tough love.” (Jayne Ferrero, The Independent, January 20, 2012).

"Tough Love"

You can almost hear the glee in Ferrero's voice as she smugly throws the city into the financial abyss to satisfy the political agenda of her master.

There will be cuts.

There will be sacrifices.

And of course, if your are an elected official, there will be the annual, unvoted pay raise.

Yes, our Mayor, Auditor, Treasurer, Law Director, Council President, and council members will all be receiving a 3.5% pay raise this year.

Our elected officials will once more be asking the worker bees to sacrifice, while they get yet another pay raise. An annual, unvoted, automatic pay raise.

Now, to be fair, Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry opposed these automatic, unvoted, annual pay raises for elected officials when she was a member of council.

Mayor Cicchinelli's Loyal Enforcer, Council President Glenn Gamber, worked tirelessly to ensure that a repeal of the automatic pay raises never came up for a vote.

He asked for an informal 'show of hands' so that those favoring annual, unvoted, automatic pay raises did not have to go on record favoring annual, unvoted, automatic pay raises.

We certainly hope at least one of our new council members has the common sense and, quite honestly, the courage to bring up the issue of repealing the annual, unvoted, automatic pay raises.

We say courage, because we are confident Glenn Gamber will be once more leading the fight to keep his annual, unvoted, automatic pay raise.

Some of our elected officials have stated they will be returning the pay raise.

According to the Independent newspaper, this includes;

Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry
Councilman Donnie Peters
Councilwoman Nancy Halter
Councilman Ed Lewis

Paul Manson is on the fence.

We haven't read where Auditor Ferrero is returning her raise.

While she wants others to have their jobs cut, and expects the new mayor to show "tough love," it appears Ferrero is taking her own raise, as she has yet to publicly state other wise.

And she deserves it, too.

Shocking city finances into chaos so that her political master will be well satisfied is indeed hard work, and deserves a certain level of compensation.

So, as Ferrero smugly quips about others bearing the brunt of her reckless financial oversight, she is afforded a pay raise.

We know, we know, the "dollars will be there."

At least for Jayne Ferrero.

And as for the peasants?

Let them eat cake.

Sadly Predictable

The first job of Massillon City Auditor Jayne Ferrero, first, last, and foremost, was to cover the rear end of our former Mayor for Life, Frank Cicchinelli. This dogged loyalty to Frank Cicchinelli earned her the moniker of the Mayor's Loyal Defender.

And it affected her judgment as auditor.

She basically allowed Frank Cicchinelli to run the city on a credit card.

She didn't pay the bills.

She could have, which would have forced Cicchinelli to make tough decisions about spending.

She chose not to.

And as department heads were told to hold their bills, and not submit them until the next mayor took over, Jayne Ferrero said nothing.

To the casual observer, it appeared Ferrero's more important priority was to allow Frank Cicchinelli to skate out of office with clean hands and no responsibility for the mess he created.

Remember how the "dollars would be there?"

And the dollars weren't there.

And would never be there.

And the Auditor said nothing.

Even though she knew the dollars wouldn't be there.

As Jayne Ferrero was part of a team effort to conceal the true size of the city's financial black hole.

Because she wouldn't pay the bills.

As long as Frank Cicchinelli was mayor.

But, times have indeed changed.

And we have a new mayor.

And now, after four years as auditor, Jayne Ferrero is ready for some shock therapy to city government.

She wants to pay all the delinquent bills, and all of the debt created by the Cicchinelli administration, all at once.

Right now.

Not to make payments. Not to be part of a larger effort to craft a sensible plan to recover the city's finances over time.

But to leave the new mayor, Kathy Catazaro-Perry, a $5 million dollar budget hole in her first month in office.

Would Ferrero have done this had Frank Cicchinelli still been mayor?

Absolutely not.

Jayne Ferrero was a loyal foot soldier in General Cicchinelli's army.

And it appears that she and her staff continue to exercise Cicchinelli's political vendettas through her plan to certify as little money as possible for the new administration.

Ferrero has, unilaterally, shorted Massillon city government close to $3 million dollars.

Because, all of a sudden, she has decided to pay the bills.

Frank's bills.

Sadly, her behavior was predictable.

The plan, all along, at least since the May primary, was to drop this debt squarely on Kathy Catazaro-Perry's head, because Kathy Catazaro-Perry did the unforgivable.

She defeated Frank Cicchinelli in a democratically contested election.

And that was not acceptable to Jayne Ferrero.

And, according to Ferrero in today's Independent, "She’s (Catazaro-Perry) going to have to do some tough love.”

It's a shame she never asked Frank Cicchinelli to exercise some "tough love."

But, this too, was sadly predictable.

Jayne Ferrero is creating a city budget crisis all by herself.

To create the self-fulfilling prophecy of Team Cicchinelli.

That things would collapse in Massillon without Frank at the helm.

And to harm Catazaro-Perry politically, to put the "blood on her hands" of having to butcher city services.

Let's not be fooled.

Ferrero's ill advised move to unilaterally gut city government and wash away the sins of her beloved former mayor are not financial decisions.

They are political decisions.

Which, to anyone who even casually follows city government, realizes are politically motivated.

And were, of course, sadly predictable.

I've Got That Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart

Word on the street is that the last act of Massillon's former First Lady, Joy Cicchinelli, was to call the Massillon Schools Superintendent and a Massillon School Board member to whine and complain that then Mayor elect, and now Mayor, Kathy Catazaro-Perry, was involved in a trophy ceremony for the Lady Tigers basketball team.

The alleged ceremony was on a Friday night, December 30th, about one day before Catazaro-Perry officially took control of the debt riddled mess we know as Massillon city government, the giant "vat of red ink" that our former mayor left for her.

Joy's particular gripe this time was that Catazaro-Perry shouldn't have been involved in the ceremony because Joy's husband, Frank, was still the mayor for another day or so.

And every minute counts.

Of course, neither Cicchinelli was reported to be in attendance that night, as the event was not a football game.

This last temper tantrum for the former First Lady is symbolic of her well known petty behavior.

We wonder if Catazaro-Perry's husband has been calling the city auditor to complain about all the debt that was dumped on his wife.

We doubt it.

Hopefully, we have seen the last of these types of petty antics with the change in administrations.

How's That Workin' Out For Ya?

From yesterday's Independent newspaper;

The "Today in History" section reminded us that 10 years ago, The Massillon Arena's general manager, Mike Foss, stated that a Continental Elite Hockey League franchise would be coming to Massillon to play hockey starting with the next season.

The Continental Elite Hockey League was an Independent Junior League, not affiliated with USA Hockey, and comprised of teams of 16-20 year old junior hockey players.

Nothing fills up a proposed 6,500 seat arena like teenagers playing hockey.

Let's check in on the Continental Elite Hockey League today.

Well, we can't.

Unfortunately, the Continental Elite Hockey League went out of business in 2004.

The Continental Elite Hockey League was about as successful as the Massillon Arena project itself, which was never built, despite our fair city spending a million dollars of state funds on site preparation.

"(Frank) Cicchinelli still wasn't concerned because construction trailers and equipment have been removed from the site. He remains optimistic The Arena will be built." (The Repository, May 14, 2003).

Yeah.

Right.

As Dr. Phil would say, "How's that workin' out for ya?"

We would like to thank the Independent for providing us with this little journey down memory lane.

Happy New Year!

We now have a new mayor and a new city council.

The Massillon Review wishes Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry, and new Massillon City Council Members Sarita Cunningham, Nancy Halter, Andrea Scassa, Ed Lewis, and Milan Chovin nothing but success as you begin the hard work ahead.

And, unfortunately, there is much hard work ahead.

Best Wishes from the entire staff at the Massillon Review!

Happy New Year!

30 Minutes

New Year's Eve revellers?

Nope.

These are a few of the vendors Massillon has not paid in the past year.

They are waiting outside City Hall for the clock to strike midnight.

Rumor has it that Auditor Ferrero told them they would be paid, "the minute we have a new mayor."

3 Hours

Team Cicchinelli is celebrating New Year's Eve at Club Legends tonight, although the mood must be described as somber.

Hampton Inn owner, and Cicchinelli contributor, John Helline is lamenting the fact that it really wasn't his fault the city has to pay his mortgage, it was Osama Bin Laden's fault;

"Helline said the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the economic downturn that followed have harmed the travel industry" (The Independent, April 20, 2011).

Shh... Shh...

Our Mayor for 180 minutes is giving a speech;

"And I would still be your mayor if it wasn't for;

The Tiger Football Booster Club. They should have supported me stronger.

The people of Tuslaw. I was just annexing your schools. Why so angry?

Carpetbaggers. They are just anti-Cicchinelli.

The Independent newspaper. Even though they endorsed me for mayor, they actually have a secret anti-Cicchinelli agenda.

The golfers. Your overzealous behavior forced me to expand the course.

My employees.

My cousin.

The anti-Cicchinelli voters.

The people in this room.

Everyone, but me. I did everything right. It's all your fault."

(Spontaneous applause)

Six Hours

Our Extraordinary Mayor for Six Hours, King Francis the Time Limited, Lord Sovereign for 360 more minutes, has left City Hall.

Loyal Cicchinelli supporters were in tears as their Dear Leader and his motorcade left City Hall for the final time.

The crowd is massive, but well behaved.

Fortunately, Fire Chief Burgasser did not have to call in the National Guard to maintain order.

We understand the motorcade will be stopping at Menches for a quick burger, and then over to the West Side for one final oil change at Louie Brio's Express Lube.

The First Lady is taking her husband's departure quite hard, as she has been feverishly posting throughout cyberspace in one more last ditch effort to attack her husband's successor.

What will become of us as power transfers from a god fearing, native born Massillonian, to an anti-Massillon, anti-Cicchinelli, anti-administration carpetbagger with the last name of "Perry."

Only time will tell if our Fair City survives.

Our crack Massillon Review Photojournalism Team has exclusive photos from the Cicchinelli motorcade as it headed West down Lincoln Way as Frank Cicchinelli starts the transition from Mayor for Life to humble citizen.

You can see the mayor's motorcade in this picture;

And grief stricken, native born, pro-Cicchinelli citizens in this picture.

"There is no doubt the parks and recreation department is getting more criticism this year (than in the past)," he said. "I think the reason is two things. One there will also be anti- (Mayor Frank) Cicchinelli people. If he says the sky is blue they will think it is green and, two, there are people who are continually looking for something to pick on."

- Parks Czar Kenn Kaminski explaining that the parks aren't in horrible condition despite visual evidence to the contrary. It is only that critics of the parks system are "Anti-Cicchinelli" (The Independent, May 10, 2010).

10 Hours

"It (The Hampton Inn) was a good expenditure of tax dollars and the city is better off for it" (Frank Cicchinelli, The Independent, May 8, 2009).

A flurry of last minute activity from Massillon's Extraordinary Mayor for 10 hours has been going on all day at City Hall.

The mayor is huddled with his staff making sure they spent the city's last dollar.

The First Lady is hurriedly posting on the Independent comment site.

Final overtime is being approved for the departing mayor's department heads.

Unpaid bills are being boxed, and labeled with "To Kathy, From Frank."

And Lincolnway is starting to fill up as native born Massillonians, Cicchinelli supporters all, have come to pay their respects as their Extraordinary Leader leaves City Hall for the last time as mayor.

The crowd of Pro-Cicchinelli supporters is expected to be so large and so overwhelming that we hear Fire Chief Burgasser is contemplating calling in the National Guard to help maintain order in downtown Massillon.

"With all due respect, I'd like to have one week's notice," Burgasser said. "I think that (Police) Chief (Robert) Williams would agree. We need to have time to call in the National Guard..." (Fire Chief Tom Burgasser, The Independent, March 26, 2011).

14 Hours

"Cicchinelli also said outsiders should not dabble in city politics. He said he will call out such "carpetbaggers" for involving themselves in the mayor's race or other citywide races. "There's going to be a line drawn in the sand", he said..." (The Independent, July 31, 2010).

It is pandemodium in Perry Township this New Years Eve morning as native born sons and daughters of Perry take to the streets in celebration of one of their own selected to run the City of Massillon.

Perryites are triumphantly marching across the township, from Richville to Perry Heights.

What couldn't be done on the gridiron was done at the ballot box.

Perry defeated Massillon.

Frank Cicchinelli tried to warn us god fearing native born Massillonians that Kathy Catazaro-Perry was not one of us.

We didn't listen.

As one Cicchinelli loyalist poignantly pointed out;

"Why does she go to St. Joan of Arc church? Is it really Massillon first with her?"

Not only does Catazaro-Perry attend church in the pagan wasteland known as Perry Township, she graduated from Perry High School.

And she grew up on a farm in Richville.

You can't get any more Perry than that.

And at midnight tonight she takes over Tigertown

The celebrations here in Perry are expected to go deep into the night.

It is indeed an extraordinary scene here in Perry Township...

The shouts of "We are - Per-ry" are deafening.

Mayor for Less than a Day

Today is the last day in power for Massillon's Extraordinary Mayor for 18 hours, King Francis the Pink Slipped, Lord Sovereign of Cypress Drive.

We envision him at City Hall right now, plotting his return to power, as smoke billows from the office shredder.

He must be leaving with mixed emotions.

Yes, he absolutely bankrupted the city in his final 8 months as sovereign, leaving the incoming mayor so broke we doubt she can make the city's first payroll, doing his level best to set her up for failure while sewing the seeds for his own comeback.

But he is leaving, and this must be extraordinarily difficult for a man who truly believed this was his city, in the literal possessive sense of the word 'his.'

"...he (Frank Cicchinelli), is an extraordinary mayor."
(Outgoing Safety-Service Director Mike Loudiana)

Yes, Extraordinary.

And to commemorate his Extraordinary reign as sovereign, the hard working staff at the Massillon Review is planning the mother of all celebrations, our first annual 'Extraordinary New Years Eve Bash.'

The Massillon Review offices are festooned with streamers and balloons, the Dom Perignon is on ice, and the pork and sauerkraut is slow cooking in our wood fired oven.

We will be offering periodic live updates throughout the day as the City of Massillon transitions to new leadership.

And we say goodbye to Massillon's former Mayor for Life.


"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).

An Extraordinary New Year's Eve

Follow the Massillon Review all New Year's Eve
as we bring  you updates from Massillon's first mayoral transition in a quarter of a century, and follow the last hours of our soon to be departed Supreme Leader.

Coverage starts at 6:00AM tomorrow morning.

Covering Your Tracks

One of our faithful readers sent us this picture yesterday.

It is the picture of an "Allshred Services" truck, parked outside the mayor's administrative offices at Massillon City Hall.

According to the Allshred Services website;

"When you use the document destruction services of Allshred Services, you can trust that your confidential documents are completely destroyed, unreadable and unreconstructable using our unique double shred process."

Well, that is sure to good to know.

Our faithful reader then wondered if, "Cicchinelli got approval from the city records commission before he started shredding public records?"

Well, if it is a commission he appointed, we assume approval would not be much of an issue.

We also assume the shredding bill is the one bill our city auditor plans on paying before the end of the year.

According to one city hall insider, and faithful reader, things were a bit stressful at City Hall yesterday. Our Mayor for One More Day lost it, and was quite angry with Community Development Director Aane Aaby for agreeing to stay for a month to assist the new mayor.

Apparently Aaby didn't get the memo.

Make things as bad as possible for the mayor-elect.


One More Day.

"Cicchinelli still wasn't concerned because construction trailers and equipment have been removed from the site. He remains optimistic The Arena will be built" (The Repository, May 14, 2003).

More Shenanigans

"Now, we are in a position where we haven’t paid police and fire dispatching. We haven’t paid income tax refunds. We haven’t paid the Massillon schools the money we owe them. We haven’t paid Tuscarawas Township the money we owe them. We haven’t paid the police and fire pension funds, and we haven’t paid our vendors, including local business people who create jobs and pay taxes in our city. (Kathy Catazaro-Perry, Mayor Elect, The Independent, December 13, 2011).

Yesterday we learned we haven't paid for road salt.

Today, we learn from one of our faithful readers that we haven't paid for the asphalt on our roads, and the gasoline for our city vehicles.

Asphalt.

The substance that is used to pave our roads and fill potholes so that our cars don't need alligned on a weekly basis.

Asphalt.

Apparantly, we have haven't paid for the asphalt we used way back last Summer.

And we haven't paid our bills for gasoline.

Gasoline.

The liquid you put in a police car or fire truck so that police officers and firemen can get to your house and stop a crime or save your life.

Gasoline.

So let's recap;

We do NOT pay the bills for;

Police and Fire Dispatching
Income Tax refunds
The Massillon Schools
Tuscarawas Township
Police and Fire Pension Funds
Local business people
Road Salt
Asphalt
Gasoline

We DO pay the bills for;

The mortgage at the 59 Duncan Place Senior Center
(the owner collects the rents, we pay the mortgage)
The mortgage for the Hampton Inn
(the owner collects the room rents, we pay the mortgage)
The debt at the Golf Course
The restaurant at the Golf Course
Overtime for the Extraordinary Mayor for Two Days' department leaders

Something is seriously wrong with our priorities.

And we must once again call 'Shenanigans.'


Just two more days.

"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 they promised the citizens that the city would not subsidize this golf course" (Parks and Recreation Board minutes, November 14, 2002).

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

Not Worth Their Salt

According to one of our faithful readers and City Hall sources, there is one more bill our city has not paid.

Salt.

Road salt.

You know, salt, that stuff they spread on ice covered roads so our cars won't slide off the road, and  careen into a guardrail or another vehicle.

Salt.

And why would we need salt as we head into another Ohio January?

Apparently, there is some salt on hand.

One of our crack Massillon Review investigative team members saw the street department spreading it very thickly last Friday night.

Except that there was no snow or ice Friday night.

The salt spreader was wide open and the salt was being dumped on roads that didn't need it.

It was almost as if they wanted to use it up.

And since we didn't pay for the last batch...

Nothing would get the new mayor in trouble more than if there was a big blizzard in early January and there wasn't enough salt for the roads.

We can hear it now, "we had plenty of salt when Frank was mayor."

It would be an extraordinary disaster.

Although we guess not everyone would be sad.

We know, we know, the Auditor has a plan to pay the salt bill.

Push it into next year.

Just like everything else.

Three more days...

Beware of 'overzealous golfers.'

"He said it was a mistake to build the additional nine holes urged by possibly overzealous golfers" (Mayor Frank Cicchinelli discussing the Legends of Massillon golf course at a city council meeting, The Repository, August 21, 2007).

The Final Countdown

Massillon's Extraordinary Mayor for Five Days, King Francis the Evicted, has done his level best to make Kathy Catazaro's transition into the mayor's office as extraordinarily difficult as possible.

His insider dealing and development debacles have bankrupted the city, while his city hall minions are spending their final days looking to cash out at the taxpayers' expense one last time through obscene levels of unneeded overtime and vacation scams. So much for the public good.

His Loyal Defender has stopped paying bills a long time ago so that Team Cicchinelli can ride out of Dodge with clean hands and the self satisfying knowledge that they are dumping an unconscionable mess on the incoming mayor.

But, as it is said, All Good things must come to an end.

And so will the Cicchinelli era in Massillon City government conclude.

Finally.

While even we acknowledge that there may have been well intentioned moments in the Cicchinelli regime, the truth is that our Dear Leader's plan to deal with budget shortfall after budget shortfall was to ignore them.

And the truth is that his well touted development accomplishments were nothing more than castles built on sand, propped up with taxpayer dollars. When the music finally stopped, we were stuck with the bills.

While hotel developers, real estate moguls, financiers, merchants of debt, and out of town scammers prospered, the taxpayers were taken to the cleaners.

Even a simple voter passed income tax increase to fix and maintain our parks was perverted and hijacked as part of a golf course expansion/housing scheme.

The city is broke.

To state that the next mayor is inheriting a monstrous financial black hole is a gross understatement.

But the current mayor is leaving.

And, contrary to the belief of some, he will not becoming back.

Because as Mayor Elect Catazaro-Perry's team, led by Budget Director Ken Koher, an extremely respected financial professional, peels through the city's books, like layers on an onion, and exposes the past shenanigans of city government to the disinfecting light of the sun, our extraordinary soon to be former mayor will be politically unable to come back.

It is over.

And the citizens of Massillon only have to ride this train for five more days.

No, cleaning up the mess will not be easy, nor will it be pleasant.

But it needs to be done.

And it starts in less than a week.


"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).

A Visit with Santa

Can you hear it?

The sound of bells and minions on the roof.

It can only mean one thing.

The arrival of Santa Frank to the Massillon Review.

Welcome, Santa.

"Massillon Review?"

"Santa thought this was the Chamber of Commerce meeting."

"Where's (Chamber of Commerce President Bob) Sanderson? Bob used to work for Santa as North Pole Economic Development Director. He was Santa's right hand elf on the Arena project. Santa just wanted to know if Bob has sold any more hockey tickets this year (Ho, Ho, Ho)."

"Seriously though, Even though Santa lost the North Pole election, Santa isn't bitter. Santa even got a new sleigh this year. Now, Santa knows the North Pole budget is almost 2 million dollars short, but the Auditor Elf doesn't pay the bills anyway. She just pushes them into next year. They will be Kathy Catazaro-Perry's problem. That's what she gets for taking Santa's job (Ho, Ho, Ho)."

"Santa wants to let everyone know that the transition to the new North Pole mayor is going great. Santa is having his elves at the workshop cause as much mischief as possible before Santa has to leave. Santa sent out a memo asking his department head elves not to talk to the mayor-elect on city time. Santa refused to provide suitable office space for the mayor elect, and Santa even tried to get everyone to resign in mass before the new mayor took over. The elves are going full bore to jack up their overtime before the end of the year, and Santa's secretaries are busily working to scam the taxpayers out of money they don't deserve. Santa will leave the North Pole coffers as empty as possible so that he may teach the bad little boys and girls of Massillon what happens when you cross Santa (Ho, Ho, Ho)."

"Now, some of Santa's Elves, seeing the hand writing on the wall, knowing that Santa is leaving the workshop soon, are starting to spill Santa's secrets, like that Santa had the North Pole Engineer lie about the condition of Santa Claus Lane so that it would be resurfaced before Santa left office. Santa deserves a nice road after all he has done for the ungrateful boys and girls of Massillon (Ho, Ho, Ho)."

"Santa wants all the boys and girls to know that Mrs. Claus is doing great. She continues to write letters and comments under multiple different names, spewing hate and discontent throughout the North Pole. Mrs. Claus has made it her personal mission to attack the incoming mayor every day. She enjoys this a whole lot more than baking cookies (Ho, Ho, Ho)."

"Time to check Santa's naughty and nice list before Santa heads over to Louie Brio's Express Lube for a quick oil change on the sleigh (Ho, Ho, Ho)."

"Let's see who gets coal and who gets a present tonight."

"Auditor Jayne Ferrero. Jayne is Santa's favorite elf and Santa's Loyal Defender. Jayne stopped paying the North Pole's bills a long time ago. She is pushing the city's bills and debts into 2012 so that Santa may leave the workshop with clean hands and no responsibility for the mess he's made. This horrific mess will be dropped right on Kathy Catazaro's head and without Jayne Ferrero's help, Santa would not have been able to set up Catazaro-Perry and pin the financial collapse on her. Not only will she have next year's bills next year, she will have this year's bills next year. Santa doubts Catazaro-Perry will have enough money to even pay the elves their first paycheck in January. Santa will be laughing his jolly ass off as he heads into retirement and plots his comeback. Jayne Ferrero gets any present she wants (Ho, Ho, Ho)."

"The Boy Wonder, Larry Slagle. Larry Slagle will continue to fight Santa's battles on Santa's behalf as a member of the North Pole City Council. Larry opposed the new mayor's plan to hire a budget director. Larry's explanation for his decision was that he voted NO because Kathy Catazaro-Perry would have voted NO if the budget director was Santa's idea. He didn't vote NO because he thought it was a bad idea. Way to go, Larry, putting your loyalty to Santa over the good of the city. Now, everyone knows that Santa would never have proposed hiring a financial professional to go through the North Pole's books. Santa's finances are Santa's business. The Boy Wonder gets a big present this year for putting his loyalty ahead of his common sense. Again. (Ho, Ho, Ho)."

"Taxman David Hersher. While Santa appreciates David's loyalty for the four years he has been on council, faithfully rubber stamping Santa's proposals, as wacky as some of them were, and loyally fronting Santa's tax increases, David voted against Santa and with Kathy Catazaro-Perry at his last ever North Pole council meeting. David angered Santa by voting for the budget director. Shame on him. Does he want Kathy to succeed, or what? David gets a lump of coal, because as we all know, if you disagree with Santa even once, you have an enemy for life (Ho, Ho, Ho)."

"Lee Brunckhart and Meagan Todaro Kircherner. These are Santa's Republican elves and surrogates. Once Santa lost the North Pole Democratic primary, Santa adopted these Republican elves, and they were happy to do Santa'a bidding. Lee Brunckhart's inspired defense of the ill-fated $200,000 dollar tax payer purchased restaurant at the debt ridden Legends of Massillon golf course was inspiring. Santa doesn't even know how he Lee did it with a straight face. Unfortunately, riding on Santa's coattails didn't work out, and they both got crushed, and Santa means crushed, even though the other Republicans faired extremely well in the North Pole elections. Santa will be bringing them a present, and a little advice. Elected office is probably not in your futures (Ho, Ho, Ho)."

"Kathy Catazaro-Perry. Kathy gets the biggest lump of coal possible. She gets to be Mayor of the North Pole. Santa has put the North Pole in horrific debt. Santa's alleged North Pole economic development successes have been a series of insider deals propped up with taxpayer dollars. And when the North Pole economy soured, these risky deals soured, and the taxpayers got stuck with the bills. Santa's budgeting process is so hap hazard and convoluted, people are left thinking Enron did the accounting. And the plan to deal with the monstrous budget shortfall was to push the bills into next year, dumping them right on Kathy's lap. And even as mayor, the Auditor and Law Director are still faithful to Santa. And every proposal Kathy makes to fix things will be automatically and aggressively opposed. If the Budget Director idea was Santa's idea, do you really think Larry Slagle would have opposed it? No, Larry would have told Santa what a great idea it was. Do you think Paul Manson would have voted no if it were Santa's idea? Absolutely not. Santa created the city's financial mess, but will be blaming Kathy Catazaro-Perry for the damage. Santa thinks Kathy's screwed, and that will be Santa's gift to himself. (Ho, Ho, Ha, Ha)."

"The bad little boys and girls of Massillon, who kicked Santa out of office are all getting coal this year. They crossed Santa. What they don't realize is this is Santa's town. And Santa plans on coming back."

"So hang your stockings, and say your prayers, 'cuz Santa Frank rides tonight (Ho, Ho, Ho)!"