Financial Oversight? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Oversight!

Monday night, Canton Councilman Greg Hawk called a special meeting of the Finance Committee to discuss Canton's budget at the half way mark for 2010. Members of Canton City Council, and representatives from the Canton Mayor's office, and Canton Auditor's office participated. They wanted to review revenues and spending, and make sure they were on track to make it through the end of the year. They had a wide ranging, open discussion, and while Canton's finances are tight, everyone appears to be working together to keep spending in line. It looked like prudent financial oversight from council, the mayor's office, and the auditor's office.

We could do that in Massillon, right?

Nope.

First of all, Finance Committee Chairman Paul Manson won't call a meeting to discuss Massillon City finances unless our Mayor for Life tells him to. Secondly, our Mayor for Life doesn't want an open discussion of Massillon's finances, as he is probably gearing up to run for yet another term as Massillon's mayor for life. The City is one million dollars short this year, and one and a half million dollars short for 2011. To close that gap, revenue has to be raised, or services have to be cut. Those are unpopular options. Publicly, the Mayor's asserts that the money will be there, and that the rest of city government shouldn't worry about it. Fortunately for the mayor, the rest of city government isn't worrying, nor do they have the will to act on their own, especially as city council is enjoying its well earned Summer Vacation.

The Mayor doesn't want the finances examined publicly, which is why he is opposed to a performance audit. Cicchinelli is looking for yet another in a long line of budget gimmicks to buy him another year of fiscal solvency. Whether it is raiding insurance money from the Parks Department, or not making pension fund payments until the next year, which we did last year, so we actually owe last year and this year. What the heck, lets pay last year, this year, and next year, next year.

Cicchinelli is hoping for another miracle. His luck is amazing. He usually gets his miracle. Perhaps a wealthy Massillonian will pass on before the end of the year, and the city's share of the inheritance tax can help plug the hole. Perhaps he'll merge the street department with the parks department because parks are often near streets, and isn't that really why we passed a park tax, so Street Superintendent Mike Stevens can rack up overtime when it snows while not actually plowing any snow? Cicchinelli is a political magician. Stand back while he pulls a councilman out of his hat. We can't wait to see how he maneuvers out of this budget mess. What we do know is that this process won't be a public process, and there will be no budget review meetings by Paul Manson's Finance Committee.