RAMOS TO GET PERRY TRUSTEE APPOINTMENT?

The Stark County Political Report hears from an interesting source that David Ramos, Secretary of the Perry Township Zoning Commission is likely to be the selection of remaining Perry Township Democrat trustees Craig Chessler and Lee Laubacher when they choose a successor to resigned Republican Trustee Anna Capaldi.

There appears to be a lot of "cat and mouse" politicking going on in Perry these days.

As pointed out in the SCPR's previous blog on this topic, there is a history in Perry in which trustee infighting resulted in the defeat of long time trustee Jim Holmes and relative newcomer (at the time) Lee Laubacher.

The Report's source says (which seems credible) that it unlikely that Holmes (the logical choice) will get the nod because residual political bad blood taints the relationships among Holmes, Chessler and Laubacher.

Moreover, yours truly hears that Chuck Riegler is a remote likelihood because he has incurred the ire of Chessler and Laubacher in being a chronic complainer as a regular at township meetinga about various township policies and practices and by being a thorn in the side of Capaldi in pushing for her resignation on the suspicion that she has not been living in Perry for the past year.

It could be that Reigler's pressure was the factor more than any other resulted in Capaldi's resignation at the Perry trustees' first meeting of this new year.

Another reason that neither Homes nor Riegler nor Varner (for that matter, in addition to being a Republican) have much a a chance to get selected is thought to be that Chessler wants them in the race when he has to be up for re-election is that they all will be motivated to run against him and the appointed trustee and thereby dilute the vote so that he is highly likely to be re-elected.

Sounds plausible to the SCPR.

The Report's source indicates that Trustee Chessler's (who works for Canton Law Director Joe Martuccio) consuming passion is to become a Canton Municipal Court or Stark Common Pleas Court judge.  It appears he missed his opportunity via the appointment process when Democrat Ted Strickland was governor of Ohio.

The word from the source is that Stark County Democratic Party Chairman Randy Gonzalez (a Chessler political friend and confidant) let him down in failing to help him land a judicial appointment.

To the Report, this was never, ever going to happen given the context of the only appointment that came up during Strickland's time as governor which went to Taryn Heath.  Heath had run two very competitive campaigns for a Stark County judgeship prior to getting the Strickland appointment.

There continues to be a number of Stark County Democrats well ahead (e.g. Chessler's boss Martuccio and Stark Prosecutor John Ferrero, for just a couple) of Chessler in the quest to secure a judicial appointment, even if a Democrat was governor, which, of course, with Republican John Kasich in place is not the case.

So if he wants a judgeship, he will have to roll up his sleeves and run for one.

The SCPR's source says that Chessler and Laubacher have already reached an understanding that current Perry Township Zoning Commission secretary David Ramos will be their appointee.

Could be.

There is little doubt with the SCPR that political machinations galore are underway in pantherland!

EITHER FORMER TRUSTEE JIM HOLMES OR 2011 NEW ENTRY CHARLES RIEGLER SHOULD BE CAPALDI'S REPLACEMENT. BUT WILL POLITICS ALLOW THAT?

The word went out yesterday that Perry trustee aspirants to replace Republican Trustee Anna Capaldi, who surprised all at Tuesday night's trustee meeting in announcing her resignation, is 4:30 p.m. on January 10, 2011.

Two of the applicants will be former trustee Jim Holmes and newbie wannabe Charles Riegler.   Both confirmed to the SCPR that they will be submitting their applications.

But do either have "a snowball's chance in Hell" of getting appointed?

If you look at their credentials, they should be at the top of the list.

Both are Democrats as are sitting and appointing trustees Lee Laubacher and Craig Chessler.

For this reason alone, it would seem that consummate Republican Crisiva Varner (political sidekick of former Stark GOP executive director Travis Secrest) can forget applying although she came in ahead of Reigler but behind Holmes in the Holmes, Reigler and Varner effort to unseat Laubacher this past November.

It is hard to believe that office holding Democrats anywhere in Stark County would abide appointing a Republican after the Stark County Democratic Central Committee was pretty much forced by the underlying circumstances to appoint Republican Alex Zumbar Stark County treasurer and thereby likely lose the office for years if not decades.

Holmes (currently an elected member of the Stark County Educational Service Center, a body which yours truly's spouse is president of) by virtue of having been trustee for 28 years until his defeat by Laubacher in 2007 appears to be the logical choice to succeed Capaldi.

However, this is where the political/electoral history between Holmes and Laubacher gets dicey.

Laubacher was originally elected as trustee in 2001 along with Chessler was bounced in 2005 by Capaldi, necessitating his run against Holmes in 2007 if he were to get back in office.

If Holmes was to be selected to replace Capaldi, he would then be in an election cycle (if he wins in November, 2012) alongside Craig Chessler (two seats elected) and thereby avoid future face offs with Laubacher.

Of course, the same situation would attain, if Chessler and Laubacher appoint Riegler.

While he does not have experience as an elected official, he has been a lifelong educator and a member/official of some of the most powerful unions in Ohio and the nation in the guise of the Ohio Education Association (OEA) and the National Education Association (NEA).

Should Trustees Chessler and Laubacher decide not to appoint either Holmes or Reigler or, alternately, neither; then the SCPR believes that either or both, as the case may be, will be candidates once again in November, 2012.

It is possible that Chessler and Laubacher cannot agree on whom to appoint.

In that case, there would possibly be a way back into the hunt for Republican Crisiva Varner.

For as The Report understands the process, the choice would then fall to a Stark County Probate Court Judge Dixie Park.

Judge Park's political ID?

Republican.

Hmm!