The Buck Stops Somewhere Else, Again

It seems like when a teenager picks up a paper route to earn some spending money, Massillon's Mayor for Life is there to take credit for the job that was created. However, whenever something bad happens, it is someone else's fault.

City is short on making budget? Auditor better recommend spending cuts. Aqua Ohio wants a higher water rate? That's city council's job. Let's send the new guy in to negotiate with a multi-million dollar corporation. Golf Course expansion turns out to be a bad idea? Don't blame the mayor, that was the fault of "golf enthusiasts" who "just got a little overzealous" (Mayor Cicchinelli, Massillon City Council Minutes, August 20, 2007). City loses lawsuit and owes $12,000 for not providing public records to an attorney? Call Law Director Perry Stergios.

Stark County Judge Taryn Heath ruled that the City of Massillon owes Attorney Paul Cushion $12,000 of our hard earned taxes because the mayor, law director, and auditor did not provide Attorney Cushion with the public records he lawfully requested. Hey, its only 12,000 bucks. That's a drop in the bucket compared to the million dollars the city is short in making its 2010 budget. Of course, when contacted by the press, the mayor offered a detailed explanation on why his office did not properly turn over public records that were lawfully requested, right?

"When contacted Friday, Cicchinelli deferred all comments to Stergios" (The Independent, July 3, 2010).

That's the Law Director's Problem.