Mayor for Life

In 1973, Massillon's Mayor for Life, Frank Cicchinelli, was elected to Massillon City Council.

Thus began Frank Cicchinelli's 38 year uninterrupted run in Massillon City government, the last 24 years as Massillon's mayor.

The story goes that even as a young councilman in his early twenties, Frank Cicchinelli's life ambition was to be Mayor of Massillon. And he achieved that goal in 1987.

When he narrowly defeated former Councilman Tim Bryan four years ago, the mayor's supporters claimed that "Tim Bryan shouldn't have run. He should have waited four years. This is gonna be Frank's last term."

It wasn't.

Team Cicchinelli is now claiming that Kathy Catazaro-Perry should have stepped aside, and waited until 2015 to run for mayor, because they claim that this really will be the mayor's last term.

We know better. If he wins a seventh term, he will run for an eighth term.

Frank Cicchinelli will only leave the office of mayor for one of two reasons.

1.) He dies in office.

2.) He loses.

Frank Cicchinelli will not be leaving the mayor's office for any other reason.

Because in his mind, "Frank Cicchinelli," and "Mayor of Massillon" are synonymous terms.

The mayor's office is his office.

He is personally offended when someone runs for mayor, because they are running for "his" job.

He is consumed by conspiracy theories because any one who dares criticize his performance as Massillon's CEO is criticizing him personally.

He can longer separate himself personally from the job duties, or the policies.

They are all one entity.

And he isn't leaving unless he is forced to.

The term "Mayor for Life," does not merely symbolize an extremely long period of service.

It symbolizes a mind set. Frank Cicchinelli is mayor for as long as he draws breath.

It is his job. It belongs to him.

If a person disagrees with his policies, they are labeled as "Anti Massillon," or "Mayor Haters."

He can no longer separate himself from the office.

The job is no longer about helping the residents of Massillon.

It has degenerated into a political game of survival

His survival.

His identity.

His reason to get up in the morning.

It is Frank Cicchinelli who believes Frank Cicchinelli is Massillon's "Mayor for Life."

Our use of the term merely confirms what he already believes.