MASSILLON: IN "POLITICALLY INDUCED" FINANCIAL CRISIS - WHO PREVAILS IN CONTEST FOR POLITICAL POWER IN COUNCIL RACES?

As the SCPR sees it, the "hotbed" election night focus will be on the city of Masillon and its city council races in Wards 1, 2, 4 and 6.

At stake?

Perhaps who will control Massillon city government for the next two years.

It is rare indeed to see a Republican Party organization and key Stark County elected Republicans heavily engaged in a municipal election in Stark County as between Alliance, Canton and Massillon.

A sampling of campaign contributions to those Republicans in competitive races in Massillon is quite revealing:

SARITA CUNNINGHAM-HEDDERLY

• Votes for Women * ($1,000),
• * Votes for Women is a front group for the organized Stark County Republican Party, which like the Stark Dems and its Coalition of Women Voters, dons a political neutral sounding name but only endorses candidates of the Republican Party (Votes for Women) or Democratic Party (Coalition of Women Voters)

NANCY HALTER 

(All Republicans)

• ($2,000) Votes for Women
• ($40) Ward 5 councilman Donnie Peters
• ($20) Lee Brunckhart (2011 mayoral candidate
• ($50) Jane Timken (Stark County GOP official)
• ($50) Stark Co. Commissioner Richard Regula
• ($20) Common Pleas judge Kristin Farmer ($20)
• ($20) Domestic Relations judge Rosemary Hall
• ($20) Stark Co. Commissioner Janet Creighton
• ($20) former Stark Commissioner Jane Vignos
• ($100) Stark Co. Auditor Alan Harold
• ($25) Mayor Pat Fallot of Louisville
• ($40) Judge C. Roland Centrone - Massillon Municipa
• ($40) former Judge Rick Kettler - Massillon Municipal
• ($50) Judge Sheila Farmer - 5th District COA

ED LEWIS, IV

(All Republicans, except where noted)

• ($50) Councilman Steven Tharp, Jr of Brewster
• ($10) Judge Roland Centrone - Massillon Municipal Ct
• ($10) Judge Curtis Werren - Stark Ct of Common Pleas (
• ($40) Judge Rosemary Hall - Domestic Relations Ct
• ($10)  Megan Starrett, Democrat unopposed Ward 5
• ($20) state Representative Maryilyn Slaby

There is no discernable Republican presence in Canton and Alliance, but Massillon is quite a different matter.

And for the sake of competitive politics and the benefit that competition brings to the give and take of government, it has been refreshing to see the resurgence of Republican "urban" political engagement in at least one of Stark's three major cities.

It was a huge surprise when the Republicans took control of Massillon's council two years ago.

However, the takeover was not an accident.

The SCPR attributes the switch to the superb efforts of Ward 2 councilwoman Nancy Halter.

She went out and recruited attractive candidates to run in Ward 1:  Sarita Cunningham-Hedderly, (herself in Ward 2), Ed Lewis, IV in Ward 6 and Milan Chovan at-large.

And they all won!

Nobody had to be more shocked that the Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. (former Stark County Democratic Party chairman) and Stark Dems political director Shane Jackson.

Fresh off their victory of May, 2013 in ousting 24-year mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr. in the Democratic Party primary, they took their eye off the "political" ball and forgot that their Kathy Catazaro-Perry was destined for failure as mayor without majority support in council.

Now they are scrambling to recover.

The Maier and Jackson tandem (in the SCPR's assessment) have candidates loyal to them and "their" mayor in Ward 2 (Dave Irwin), Ward 4 (Shaddrick Stinson) and Ward 6 (Linda Litman).

Stinson seems to be the most likely of the three to make it to council.

The Report is told that Catzaro-Perry herself was out in Republican Jim Triner's stronghold (the area including and surrounding The Legends golf course) to campaign door-to-door for Stinson.

Recently a Stinson campaign representative sat down with Cicchinelli and tried to convince him that as councilperson he would not be a Maier/Jackson captive.

And, apparently, he succeeded.

Cicchinelli declined a request that he put a Stinson sign in his yard, but the impression that The Report gets is that he will personally support him mostly because of his being a Democrat.

Cicchinelli tells the SCPR that he thinks "when all is said and done" Stinson will be his own man on council.

The Report does not agree with Cicchinelli.

Looking at Stinson's pre-general campaign finance report and Catazaro-Perry connected contributions ($150) and believing as host of Maier/Jackson loyalists must be hidden within the "contributions of $25 or less" (which by Ohio election law does not have to be attributed to specific names) and, of course, the mayor "hoofing it" for Stinson, it does not compute that - if elected - Stinson will forget "who brung him to the dance."

At one time, the SCPR thought that Republican Jim Triner might pull off an upset in this "most heavily Democratic Ward" in all of Massillon.

How's that?

Well, by The Report's assessment, it appeared that when the Catazaro/Maier/Jackson triumvirate turned on Quenessa Hampton when she did show them that she was an independent minded councilwoman (all of a sudden, her military status became an issue and she had to withdraw because of the Hatch Act prohibition on military holding "partisan" political office); interesting, no?) and her husband Edward decided to act as her surrogate in taking out petitions to run as a non-partisan that such was "the perfect 'political' storm" whereby a Republican might just win in the 4th.

All reports are that Edward Hampton is doing very little, if anything, in terms of campaign.  That he did not reach the threshold of $1,000 raised in campaign contributions and therefore was not required and did not file a pre-general campaign finance report seems to be validation of the reported campaign inactivity.

All-of-a-sudden, the 4th is now a Republican versus Democrat race in Massillon's most Democratic ward.

In the opinion of the SCPR, council president Tony Townsend who was formerly the elected 4th ward councilman was the least able of all of Massillon councilpersons that the SCPR has observed in the nearly six years of existence of The Report covering Massillon politics.

It appears to The Report that his close political friends Maier and Jackson finagled a way to persuade Republican Al Hennon to drop his race against Townsend for council president by inducing him to join the Catazaro-Perry administration as safety director.

There was no way Townsend was going to win citywide in Massillon had Hennon stayed in the race.

Apparently, he got elected in Ward 4 by being a Democrat in Massillon's most Democratic ward, no?

To sum it up, given the apparent fade of Edward Hampton as a viable factor, it would be a surprise equivalent to, if not exceeding, the 2011 Republican takeover of council if Triner were to win.

And if Triner loses, then the Republican's control of council evaporates.

It could be that Democrats like Paul Manson (at-large) or Michelle Del Rio-Keller might join those Republicans elected next Tuesday and form an bipartisan coalition and organize the 2014/25 council.

The new council, even if pro-Catazaro-Perryites Shaddrick Stinson, Dave Irwin and Linda Litman are elected, will, in the SCPR's analysis, tilt against the mayor on key votes.

So the "balance of political power" of council will not shift towards the Catazaro-Perry administration even if everything falls her way in the council races.

Sure to be elected Democrats Andrea Scassa (Ward 3, who the SCPR sees as being truly independent), Megan Starrett (Ward 5, a "John Ferrero Democrat"), Michelle Del Rio-Keller (at-large; a likely independent minded, if not somewhat "anti-Catazaro-Perry type) and Paul Manson (at-large, who probably has ties to the Cicchinelli forces in Massillon politics) constitute a bloc of councilpersons who will keep the administration "on pins and needles."

Moreover, the SCPR believes that chances are very good that Halter (Irwin) and Lewis (Litman) will survive the Maier/Jackson inspired challenges and will return to council.

One has to wonder whether or not Stark prosecutor is following through with his promise (reported in a prior SCPR blog) to Halter that he would be supporting her reelection bid.

If so, the support is of the "word-of-mouth" variety he is passing on to Ward 2 Democrats because there is nothing in Halter's campaign finance report to indicate monetary support.

As noted above, in the SCPR analysis of Ed Lewis' campaign finances, Ferrero political loyalist Megan Starrett has made a contribution to him which occurred on July 31st - and - he has reciprocated with a contribution to her campaign on August 24th.

Also notable on Starrett is the fact that Frank Cicchinelli contributed to her campaign.

Interesting, no?

Here is a look at the Irwin and Litman "list of contributors" campaign finance reports.  They make it abundantly clear that these folks are linked-at-the-hip to the Maier/Jackson Massillon political machine.

Sarita Cunningham-Hedderly may even survive in Ward 1 in her race against former safety-service director Mike Loudiana (a Cicchinelli man).

While the Massillon races will be among Stark County's most interesting to watch, the results will not change the "political - balance of power - in Massillon.

The city will continue to struggle with its financial problems (currently placed "in fiscal emergency" by the state of Ohio Auditor) which are, in the judgment of the SCPR, a consequence of the political turmoil that has plagued Massillon city council for some years now.

Look for that turmoil to continue no matter what the outcome of next Tuesday's election.

REPUBLICAN THERESA MATTOX WITHDRAWS IN MASSILLON. ANY EFFECT IN THE OUTCOME OF MASSILLON CITY COUNCIL RACES?

Earlier this week the Stark County Political Report learned that Theresa Mattox had announced that she was withdrawing as the Republican candidate in Ward 5 of Massillon City Council.

This development falls on the heels of Democrat Quinessa Hampton having first withdrawn as a candidate for election to the Ward 4 seat she was appointed to in February and recently resigning from council as a consequence of her having (at least from the military's perspective) conflict in being a member of the military and holding a partisan labeled political office.

The fact of Maddox's withdrawal was published yesterday on the Stark County Board of Elections website.

Of course, the pre-eminent question is what effect, if any, will Mattox's withdrawal have on the final numbers from the upcoming November election in terms of who controls council as between the Republicans and Democrats.

The answer?  No effect in and of itself because, as explained below, any hope that the Republicans could retain this ward was for Donnie Peters, Jr. to have sought reelection.

Because Mattox withdrew so late in the election cycle for the reason of her family's planned move out of Massillon into Perry Township, the SCPR is told that the Republicans are not likely to name a replacement candidate to oppose Democrat Megan Starrett who is politically aligned with Stark County prosecutor, Massillon resident and former Massillon prosecutor John D. Ferrero, Jr.

The Report's source says that Mattox will very likely still be a resident of Massillon's fifth ward through election day, but the thinking among Massllon's Republican leadership (and, obvious, that of Mattox herself) is that "the right thing" to do was for her to withdraw.

As indicated above, the SCPR does not think that Mattox was going to win in Ward 5 had she remained a candidate.

It appears that she and the Party's leadership made the same calculation.  So in doing the "high-minded" thing, the Republicans salvage the good will of Massillon voters out of what had to be for the Massillon GOP a disappointment in squaring up with the realization that the Party was not going to be able to hold onto the seat currently held by Party maverick Donnie Peters, Jr.

The real loss for the Republicans occurred when Peters decided not to seek reelection.

Moreover, the SCPR thinks that a major reason he decided against running for another term is that he saw "the handwriting on the wall" in going up against John Ferrero's choice.

Nonetheless, the Ward 5 loss does make the chances of the Republicans holding onto majority status a bit dicey.

For them to do so, they will have to retain Ward 1 (Sarita Cunningham-Hedderly), Ward 2 (Nancy Halter), unseat the Democrats in Ward 4 (Jim Triner), retain Ward 6 (Ed Lewis, IV) coupled with Milan Chovan's sure win (only three candidates running for three seats) in his at-large race.

The real trouble spots for Republican chances are in Ward 1 and Ward 4.

Ward 1 because of the name recognition of Mike Loudiana (a Cicchinelli administration service director and a former councilman).

Ward 4 because this ward is the very most Democratic ward in all the city.

However, The Report is told that in the latest redistricting some Democratic areas were shaved off the ward and placed in Wards 2 and 3 and therefore the GOP thinks that it can win a very narrow election margin win in the ward when one factors in that The Legends part of the ward is predominantly Republican.

But the Republicans are not getting a free ride in Wards 2 and 6.

As reported earlier this week by the SCPR, the Johnnie Maier, Jr. faction of the Massillon Democratic Party are targeting Halter and Lewis in the 2nd and the 6th.

The Report thinks that Halter and Lewis are the strength of council's Republican caucus.  A Maier, Jr success against either or both could severely disrupt the Republican resurgence realized in the 2011 election. They surprised everybody in taking a 5 to 4 majority in council.  Overall, Massillon is a very Democratic city.

The Report is told that Cunningham-Hedderly, Halter and Lewis are running in concert based on some legislative successes they had (as a grouping) during the 2012-2013 Massillon City Council.

One of this Republican-grouping-touted successes is one on which Lewis ran when he unseated Democratic incumbent David McCune in the 2011 election; namely, getting Massillon out of the solid waste collection business.

He made good on his promise on October 15, 2012 when council voted unanimously (with a little foot dragging from Democratic councilmen Slagle and Manson) to get the city out of garbage collection.

Because of the trio-Republicans' leadership (but spearheaded by Lewis), The Report is told, Masillonians (individual citizens/families) will be saving $2 million collectively on their solid waste disposal bill over the five year lifespan of the contract.

Moreover, the private hauler (Kimble) purchased Massillon's equipment for $214,000.

The Kimble deal affects some 4,600 Massillonians.

The Report hears that the Republicans are claiming that they have benefited even more Massillon citizens to the advantage of their pocketbooks because Republic Waste Services which also has customers in Massillon has decided to price match Kimble.

A second premise of the Cunningham-Hedderly, Halter and Lewis campaign is their successful stand against allowing Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. protege and Democratic mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry from raising revenue for the cash-strapped Massillon city government by tinkering with the credit that Massillon residents get for income taxes paid in the villages/cities where they work.

The point of the opposition is that the voters of Massillon would not be heard on the matter if the mayor had her way. The tax increase would have amounted to council "imposing" the increase on Massillon residents working out of town.

Even if the Republicans do not maintain their majority on council, they are likely to maintain a plurality.

The SCPR figures that the GOP will be successful in at least four of the council races; not counting the council presidency contest, which yours truly thinks former Massillon City Schools superintendent Al Hennon will win handlily.

The Cicchinelli wing of the Massillon Democratic Party may win in Ward 1 with Mike Loudiana.  If he does win, he likely has an ally (as in being close to Cicchinelli) in at-large Democratic councilman Paul Manson.

The Report does not see Ward 3 councilwoman and Democrat Andrea Scassa and sure-to-be-elected Democrat council-at-large candidate Michelle Del Reo-Keller being consistently aligned with neither the Cicchinelli group, the Republicans, the Catazaro-Perry (of the Maier Democratic faction) nor the Ferrero wing (sure-to-be-elected Megan Starrett).

Assuming the Republicans do not maintain a majority, the breakdown will likely be:

• Four Republicans (Halter, Lewis, Triner and Chovan),
• Two non-committeds (Scassa and Del Rio Keller), 
• Two, more or less, aligned with the Cicchinelli camp (Loudiana and Manson),
• One (Starrett) with the John D. Ferrero, Jr Massillon political interests

Even though the Maier, Jr. camp is pursuing three seats (Ward 4 [Stinson - the Democratic appointee to succeed Hampton]), Ward 2 [Irwin] and Ward 6 [Litman]), it seems likely that Maier et al will come up empty.

But we shall see.

Unless the Republicans pull off what appears to be another political miracle a la 2011, there will be a shake up in the make up of and leadership of  Massillon City Council but not because Theresa Mattox has withdrawn her candidacy.

Nevertheless, as during the current term, the project make of council indicates that the councilpersons will have a positive "let's work together" relationship.

But that could all change if the Maier, Jr. faction prevails in Wards 2, 4 and 6.

And that could happen.

If it does, the SCPR thinks you can forget the relative harmony that currently exists among Massillon council members.