Show me the money!

Mayor Cicchinelli claimed at Monday night's council meeting that if his city council loyalists would spend tax dollars earmarked by the voter approved parks tax on a restaurant buyout at the golf course, the Mayor would generously forgive $565,000 that the park board owes the city.

Excuse me?

Massillon would love to know just how the parks board owes the city $565,000.

The city has milked the parks and recreation department for years. Now the Mayor thinks he should get over a half million dollars back?

Back in 2008, four juvenile delinquents set fire to the chapel at the former Massillon State Hospital Grounds. The building, unfortunately, was destroyed. The property had been purchased by the parks department. The parks department paid the insurance premiums on the building. The insurance carrier paid out the claim for $490,000. As the parks department owned the building, and paid the insurance premiums, it would seem logical that the insurance money would go back to the park's coffers. Nope. Not with Frank Cicchinelli as Mayor for Life.

Frank took the money from the parks department. Former (note the word former) Chairman of the "independent" parks and recreation board, Joe Luckring, dared to write the Mayor a letter. Luckring had the audacity to ask the Mayor to give the parks department the money that rightly belonged to the parks department. The Mayor had a very clever solution. He replaced Joe Luckring on the parks board. Remember, the Parks and Recreation Board is a five member board. According to state law, the Mayor makes three appointments, which must be approved by city council, and the Massillon School Board makes two appointments.

Mayor Cicchinelli replaced him with Ron Pribich, the ultimate insider and Cicchinelli loyalist. City council was so offended by this appointment, that even they voted it down 6-3. This was the first parks appointee council ever voted down. Guess what? Pribich got to stay. Apparently, Massillon had their own ordinance stating that the Mayor didn't need council's approval after all. Even though it was state law, and even though council had been voting on these appointees in the past, it didn't matter. We must admit, you don't get to be Mayor for Life by being stupid.

By the way, for those keeping score at home, don't worry, council members Manson, Hersher, and McCune voted for Ron Pribich. They always rubber stamp for the boss.

Before this swindle was the scam at the Agathon. The city sold the Agathon site, which was owned by the parks department. The city was supposed to pay the parks board back $100,000 per year, for 10 years. Guess what? They didn't. They made three payments and kept the rest.

The taxpayers of Massillon are waiting to find out how the parks and recreation board owes the City $565,000. Knowing our Mayor's creativity, you just know this one is gonna be good!