SHOWDOWN TIME: CATAZARO-PERRY VERSUS CICCHINELLI OVER TUSLAW SCHOOLS ANNEXATION?

There appear to be three votes (Catazaro-Perry, Peters and McCune) to stop Massillon Mayor Francis H. Ciccinelli, Jr. from making another raid on a Stark County school district for the income tax revenue the certified and uncertified staff would bring to the City of Massillon treasury.

But are there two more?

Perhaps.

Councilman-at-Large Larry Slagle appears to the SCPR to be poised to side with the trio listed above because he sees nothing positive of the Bit O' eden part of the process.

Even if he votes with Catazaro-Perry et al, a fourth is still needed.

Where in world will he find that person?

Likely from Townsend and/or Anderson.  Both are aligned with the Maier/Elum/Jackson wing of the Massillon Democratic Party and the SCPR who, of course, will be prime supporters of Catazaro-Perry when she takes on Cicchinelli in the May, 2011 Democratic primary.

"When she takes on?"

Yes, yes and yes.  She hasn't announced, but who doubts that she will run.

The Report had a conversation with a source who is relatively close to Elum and to the question of:  who is going to run against Cicchinelli: Catazaro-Perry or Elum?   The answer:  "Kathy Catazaro-Perry without a doubt."

While it may be pretty clear that Catazaro-Perry is going to take on Cicchinelli, the Tuslaw annexation issue may or may not be a pre-election skirmish.

Her words to Matt Rink of The Independent (Massillon mayor details plan to annex Tuslaw schools) on Monday indicate to the SCPR that she is moving very cautiously on the matter, to wit:

“It looks like a money grab to me,” said Councilwoman Kathy Catazaro-Perry, who asked the mayor to show council the cost of the annexation versus the revenue it would produce.

She knows that Massillon sorely needs new sources of revenue.  And if she is successful in defeating Cicchinelli next year, it will fall to her to have to balance the Massillon budget.  If the Tuslaw annexation fails because she leads the fight against it, will she live to regret the decision come budget balancing time in 2012?

So The Report believes that Catazaro-Perry, though anxious to take Cicchinelli on at every opportunity, may think about it several times before choosing the Tuslaw annexation as being in her interest to do so.

Should she decide to makeTuslaw a pitched political battle, she may well win it.  Councilpersons who are back and forth in the Catazaro-Perry/Cicchinelli sparring (the swing group) have reason (the "Bit O' eden factor) to opt to side with her.

These are the folks who will decide the question, if it materializes.

Which direction Catazaro-Perry goes on the Tuslaw annexation matter could say a lot about the tone and scope of what appears to be a an inevitable Catazaro-Perry/Cicchinelli match up.