JACKSON'S ENTRY INTO PERRY TOWNSHIP TRUSTEE SWEEPSTAKES CHANGES EVERYTHING?

UPDATE:  11:30 AM


See that part of the original blog that deals with the now Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry.


ORIGINAL BLOG

“They just seemed to come out of the woodwork,” so said Perry Trustee Leebacher when asked by Massillon Independent reporter Matt Rink (Jackson among applicants for Perry trustee post, January 11, 2011).

But Gayle Jackson is not just any "they."  By the SCPR's estimate, she is part of a vast Stark County political machine with tentacles (officeholders and machine-connected appointees) headed by Massillon Clerk of Courts Johnnie A. Maier, Jr who was recently elected to a new term.  Of course, Johnnnie's chief clerk of courts deputy is Gayle's son Shane.

Though not related by blood, the Maiers and Jacksons certainly are political first cousins.  Included in the extended political cousin relationship would be Stark County Democratic Party Chairman Randy Gonzalez, Stark County Recorder Rick Campbell (an actual relative - a son-in-law - married to Plain Township Administrator Lisa Jackson Campbell and who has Randy's son Kody on the payroll as his chief deputy), Plain Township Trustee Louis Giavasis (also Stark County Clerk of Courts Nancy Reinbold's [who the SCPR deems to be a Jackson/Maier political relative] car title czar), his brother Phil who is Canton Muny clerk of courts, newly elected Massillon Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry, and, of course, a number of others. 

In 2001, likely before she mainstreamed into the Jackson/Maier Stark County political cabal, Catazaro-Perry ran for Perry trustee.  A source tells the SCPR that Trustees Chessler and Laubacher were so worried about her knocking one of them off that they went out and recruited a person with the same name in order to cause and split of the vote to the benefit of Chessler and Laubacher being re-elected.

Most importantly in terms of relevance to the trustee selection process, the SCPR believes that Trustee Craig Chessler qualifies to be part - at least in the sense of an "wannabe - of the Jackson/Maier political machine.

When Maier is asked to introduce Jackson at a Stark County Democratic Party political event, he waxes eloquently about how Jackson is the greatest Stark County commissioner ever.

On the surface it might appear that Jackson is one of eighteen applicants and she along with the others has about a 5% chance of being selected as the trustee to succeed Republican Anna Capaldi.

Not on your life!

It's more like 95% chance for Gayle with the remaining 5% being divided among the other 17 applicants.

Jackson was a Perry trustee from 1990 through 1992.  She defeated Democrat and former Stark County Commissioner Norm Sponseller (last served 1985) and incumber Republican Commissioner Tom 

 Rice.  

She remained as commissioner until 2007 when through Maier's close association with the Strickland administration, he apparently obtained a political appointment for Jackson to the Ohio Lottery Commission which, of course, she was bounced from when Republican John Kasich took over as governor.

Jackson's entry into Stark County politics runs parallel to that of Maier.  

If memory serves correctly from Maier accounts, Jackson was the only Stark County elected official who supported his effort to succeed Republican Charles "Red" Ash as state representative (the 49th district) in the reconstituted (because of decennial redistricting) in November, 1990.

So goes the Jackson/Maier connection that remains to this day an unbreakable political bond.

An interesting sidenote is a Jackson/Maier attempt to place son Shane into the slot she vacated when she left Perry Township government at the end of 1992.  While Shane is the political director of the Stark County Political Party, he is no politician himself.

Note that Chessler and Jim Miller were elected trustee for that term and that the other current selecting trustee (then defeated in his try) is none other than Lee Laubacher.  To thicken the plot, current applicant Jim Holmes was already a sitting trustee.

To add further to the political intrigue in Perry, catch this.  Jim Miller stepped down as trustee mid-term and current trustee applicant Vickie Motts was selected by then trustees Chessler and Holmes.

However, in the election of November, 1997 she was defeated by guess who? 

You've got it - Lee Laubacher (being as he had less votes than Chessler).  So in 1998 you have Chessler, Laubacher and Holmes as Perry Township trustees.

(Note:  see 2001 race result published above in which Motts lost once again).

Hmm?

To put icing on the Perry Political Cake, another applicant for the current trustee appointment (Vernon Bedell - see 2001 race results above), also has run before.

In prior blogs The Report has discussed the applications of former candidates for Perry trustee; namely, Crisiva Varner and Chuck Reigler.

Is there any wonder that everyday citizens get nauseated with local government and the political retreads who just won't go away?