Final Thoughts on The Decision

According to multiple sources, Massillon City Hall insiders are generally predicting that Massillon's Mayor for Life, Frank Cicchinelli, will be calling it a career after a quarter century in the city's top job. Cicchinelli loves being mayor. Why would he leave?

Because he knows he can't be re-elected.

Massillon is broke. Cicchinelli only survived financially the last several years because of budget gimmickry and tricks. A one time "Civic Grant" from Ohio Edison saved the day as a result of city residents voting to approve Electric Aggregation last year. Raiding insurance money from the Parks and Recreation Department when the chapel at the old state hospital grounds was set on fire paid the bills the year before. The Parks and Recreation Department paid the insurance premiums, and Cicchinelli grabbed the settlement money. When former Parks and Recreation Board President Joe Luckring complained, Cicchinelli replaced him. Inheritance taxes from wealthy residents who passed on helped fill the budget gap from time to time, but smart financial planning isn't hoping rich people die. Deferring employee pension payments until the following year, which happens to be this year, was another budget gimmick. Unfortunately, it's now time to pay the piper.

The mayor is facing a one million dollar deficit for 2010. There are only five months left to come up with the cash, and Cicchinelli is out of tricks. City Council, which is loaded with the mayor's rubber stamps, is on a "Summer Vacation" schedule, and couldn't craft a budget solution if their lives depended on it. They are rubber stamps. They follow the mayor's lead. They don't create solutions. Blind loyalty is a double edged sword. The only member on council who appears to have a clue is Kathy Catazaro-Perry. She called for a performance audit of city government to root out waste and inefficiency, and to save the city some money. The mayor killed her idea because it was her idea. She doesn't rubber stamp for the big guy, and he doesn't like her as a result.

Massillon is broke and is saddled with debt. The Park system is a mess, because money from the .3% income tax passed by the voters to fund parks and recreation has been hijacked to subsidize the failing Legends of Massillon Golf Course. Cicchinelli approved spending $199,000 just this year to buy the restaurant at the golf course. It has no business plan. We spend Community Development Block Grant Money to pay the mortgage for a private hotel, the Hampton Inn. The City of Massillon has financially hit the wall, and the mayor can no longer pull a rabbit out of his hat.

We hope he stays. Next year's mayor's race would be spectacular entertainment if he stays and battles for a 7th four year term, Why quit after a mere 24 years on the job? Mayor for Life means mayor for life. We can't imagine he wants it to look like Eddie Elum, or Kathy Catazaro-Perry drove him from office. We believe he wants to stay and fight. After all, you don't get to be Mayor for Life by running from the battlefield. He wants to stay. If he leaves, it is only because he knows he has no more bullets in his gun, and no more tricks up his sleeve to stave off financial Armageddon. It won't be because he tired of the job. He will only leave if he realizes he absolutely can not be re-elected.

Final Prediction

Frank Cicchinelli retires after 38 consecutive years of holding elected office in Massillon. He is smart and he his savvy. He knows he absolutely can not be re-elected.