Streamlining City Government

In November, 2002, the City of Massillon finalized a general obligation bond on the Legends of Massillon Golf Course for $7,281,000 and change. This included the old debt from the original 18 hole course, and the new debt from the ill-fated 9 hole expansion. They then created one really big pile of debt, which would not be paid off until 2032. Our Mayor for Life knew the City's general fund could not absorb the monstrous annual payments on this mountain of debt. It was then that he saw the light. It was time to "streamline city government."

At the December 2, 2002, Massillon City Council meeting, our Mayor for life said he wanted to merge the golf course with the parks and recreation department to make city government more efficient. Of course, this proposal had nothing to do with unloading the golf course's substantial debt on to the parks system. And we believe him because he said it wasn't so. Cicchinelli claimed that his proposal was "not a big scheme to have the parks department cover the golf course's expenses" (The Repository, 12/17/2002).

At the December 16th, 2002, Massillon City Council meeting , The Repository reported that Democratic Councilman Tim Bryan, who was against the merger before he was for it, "contended the move was another way to drain parks department funds to bolster the struggling golf course." Bryan was the one Democrat who figured this out, but he voted for it anyways. In fact, all the Democrats on council voted for the Mayor's plan to "streamline city government."

Council member Gloria Autrey, another Democrat, who was Chair of the Parks Committee, actually believed no money from the parks and recreation department would be used to subsidize the golf course. She believed the Mayor. She was fooled. It was.

The two Republicans on City Council, Claudette Istnick, and James Filhour, had the good common sense to see this "streamlining of city government" for what it was, a "big scheme to have the parks department cover the golf course's expenses."

And this is why our parks are a mess. And this is why we spend over twice what Jackson Township spends on its parks. And this is why with what would seem to be plenty of money, we have to charge our children to play baseball. And this is why Parks Director Kenn Kaminski scares us with stories of park vandals.

No, the Emperor was not wearing fine silken robes that day in December. Only the two Republicans were smart enough to see that he was naked.