MAIER PINS HOPE OF "EQUIVALENCY AS A 'PRINCIPLE OF LAW'" ON REMAINING STARK CO. SHERIFF?

UPDATED AT 09:30 AM

SUMMARY OF MAIER'S LEGAL ARGUMENTS

The doctrine of equivalents is a legal rule in most of the world's patent systems that allows a court to hold a party liable for patent infringement even though the infringing device or process does not fall within the literal scope of a patent claim, but nevertheless is equivalent to the claimed invention. (Source:  Wikipedia)

It appears to the SCPR that George Maier's legal counsel (paid for by Stark County taxpayers contracted at $20,000) is using "the legal doctrine of equivalents" to keep George as Stark County sheriff. (LINK to brief filed May 6th)

Counsel does not specifically articulate equivalency as his argument but it is - in the judgment of The Report - the essence of his advocacy.

Put another way would be to say that Maier does not meet requirements of Ohio Revised Code Section (ORC) 311.01(B)(8) and (B)(9) [LINK to statute] as a matter of law (de jure) but does as a matter of fact (de facto).

Put still another way (a very unlawyer-esque one) would be to say that counsel is throwing a lot of stuff at the seven justices of the Ohio Supreme Court and hoping against hope that enough of it sticks to result in Maier remaining as sheriff of Stark County.

BACKGROUND OF HOW THE QUESTION OF WHO IS TO BE STARK COUNTY SHERIFF GOT TO THE OHIO SUPREME COURT

As readers of the SCPR know, Democrat Mike McDonald (now deceased) won an election in November, 2012 over Republican Larry Dordea to become sheriff-elect in a relatively close election in which Stark Countians were nearly divided 52%/47% as to whom should be the county sheriff.

It was known before the election that McDonald was suffering from esophageal cancer and there was ample speculation that he would not be able to serve if elected.

One SCPR source points to a speech that McDonald made to the Massillon Fraternal Order of Police during the campaign in which McDonald himself made comments which fueled the conjecture.

Some of those who were skeptical about the survival of McDonald to actually be able to serve as sheriff drifted into political cynicism and started murmuring that McDonald's health condition was being hidden by the Stark County's Democratic Party's leadership.

Really.  Why?

So that if an unfortunate and regrettable scenario in which an elected but unable to serve situation should materialize, then the Stark County Democratic Party Central Committee would be commanded as a matter of Ohio law (ORC 305.02) to name his replacement.

Well, as we now know, the situation did materialize.

The Stark County Democratic Party leadership has emphatically denied that any of them had any knowledge whatsoever that McDonald's ability to serve was in question in the run up to November 6, 2013.

To the SCPR, the denials fall in the category of:  who believes that?

Whether or not any of the Stark County Democratic Party leaders knew, there is no question that the materialization (i.e. McDonald's letter of resignation on January 3, 2013) deprived the mass of Stark County voters in the election of their say as to who would be Stark County's next sheriff.

On February 5, 2013 some 177 voting Stark County Democratic Central Committee members gathered at the Mayfield Senior Center and voted 92 (George T. Maier), 84 (Lou Darrow) and 1 (Larry Dordea) in naming Maier sheriff.

Key Stark County Party Democratic leaders (official and unofficial) played major roles in the selection process.

The SCPR evaluates that they were five in number, to wit:

• Randy Gonzalez, Stark County Democratic Party chairman; a Maier supporter,
• Tim Swanson, retired Stark County sheriff; a Darrow supporter,
• John Ferrero, Stark County prosecutor and former Stark County Democratic Party chairman; a Darrow supporter,
• William J. Healy, II, mayor of Canton, a Stark County Democratic Party precinct committee person; a Maier supporter, and
• Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., Massillon clerk of courts, a former Stark County Democratic Party chairman, currently a Stark Dems executive vice president; obviously, a brother George supporter

It is interesting to the SCPR of how in our democratic-republic:

• 171,129 Stark County voters (which, of course, included Democrats, Republicans and political independents)

got reduced to:

• 177 Democratic precinct committee persons

got further reduced to:

• 4 Stark County Democratic Party leaders as centralizing figures of political influence

penultimately reduced to:

• 7 Ohio Supreme Court justices none of whom are from Stark County and who sit in Columbus, Ohio

and, perhaps, ultimately to the persons:

• 3 in number (reference:  from 171,129 Stark Countians) Gonzalez, Johnnie A. Maier, Jr, and William J. Healy, II, 
• Note: Gonzalez as Jackson Township fiscal officer, Maier as Massillon clerk of courts and Healy as mayor of Canton collectively do not represent even one-half of the entire population of Stark County; approximately 378,000)

who (if the Supreme Court goes Maier's way) will have, in essence, selected Stark County's next sheriff.

But that is where we are folks!

America's democratic-republic at its finest, no?

BACK TO THE MAIER ARGUMENTS

In order to remain what the SCPR sees as essentially being the choice of three key Stark County Democratic Party leaders (Gonzalez, Healy and Johnnie A. Maier, Jr), George T. Maier needs to be praying to the Almighty that enough of the stuff being thrown at the Ohio Supreme Court by his legal counsel sticks.

Well, exactly what is that "stuff?"

How about:

• serving two days (January 12 and 13, 2013) as a Harrison County (about an hour's drive from Massillon) deputy sheriff appointee at the hand of law enforcement friend
• while he was Massillon's safety/service director
• constituted "full-time" law enforcement employment (as required by ORC 311.01(B)(8)(a) or (b) within three/four years going back from February 6, 2013,
• serving as a political appointee by the Strickland administration as assistant director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS - also director for a few days at the end of the administration)
• (probably at the behest of brother Johnnie, Jr - who had/has close relationship with the former governor as being the first Stark County Democratic Party chairman who endorsed Strickland in the 2006 Democratic Primary),
• Note:  being a ODPS official is NOT listed in ORC 311.01 as qualifying as full-time law enforcement employment,
• attaining ORC 311.01 required law enforcement supervisory experience by bootstrapping himself into supervision in having served as a political appointee in the ODPS which, as pointed out above, is not listed in 311.01 as being a qualifying office,
• meeting the two year post-secondary (high school) educational requirement of the statute by virtue of an estimate by Stark State College officials that his prior law enforcement work experience as a state highway patrolman and municipal policeman would be the "equivalent" of 67 credit hours (60 hours being the standard for two years of post-secondary) at Stark State,
• Note:  Maier's brief does not mention
• that Stark State at a maximum grants 30 hours of equivalency hours as Stark State hours

At the beginning of Swanson's Quo Warranto action, Maier sought to have the suit dismissed on the basis of Swanson not being a qualified person to bring the proceeding.

Maier lost that argument but doing what any lawyer would do, Maier's attorney tries once again as part of his throwing in any and everything including the kitchen sink tries again on the standing issue in his brief.

Then he gets into the politics of the situation.

Isn't that interesting?

Kind of like "the pot calling the kettle black," no?

George, Johnnie and William were not being political?

In reality, the political factor is irrelevant.  But it can serve as diversionary "stuff."

As the SCPR sees it, Maier's counsel was merely attempting to muddy the water and thereby get the court off focusing on the literal requirements of ORC Sections 311.01(B)(8) & (9).

And, to boot, what logic!

Ohio law provides that politicians (i.e. central committee members) select a sheriff when a vacancy occurs and therefore the Ohio Supreme Court should not entertain a Quo Warranto because politics played into selection process?

And, there is the "the party" determined that Maier (and Darrow and Dordea) are qualified.

Whew!

Who would dispute a political party determining the qualifications of candidates for sheriff?

SCPR sarcasm, of course.

How did the Stark Dems qualify the candidates by the criteria of ORC 311.01?

Chairman Gonzalez asked two "select" attorneys (one in the hire of Gonzalez on a Writ of Prohibition filed by candidate Darrow against the chairman) present at the February 5  meeting what they thought as to the qualifications of the candidates.

As if orchestrated by the chairman, the answer, of course:  "qualified."

To him, their opinions were binding.

How convenient.

Other attorneys present at the meeting differed (one of who happens to be the Stark County prosecutor), but, of course, they were ignored by party officials.

To the SCPR, "the party qualification" talk by Maier's attorney was just more of the "stuff" being thrown at the court.

Another diversion from the real role of the court.

The evidence submitted by the Maier camp is replete with George Maier's impressive array of his law enforcement experience going all the way back to when he served as a Hartville police officer and a Tuscarawas Township police officer.

And this, again, is "stuff."

Nobody that the SCPR knows argues that George T. Maier is not de facto thoroughly trained and experienced in law enforcement.

But the generalized training and experience are not the issues addressed by ORC 311. Someone like Swanson needed to bring forth the qualification factor to be adjudicated.

The statute has some very specific requirements that anyone including Maier must meet in order to qualify under the law of Ohio to be sheriff.

Is the rule of law to prevail or is the opinion of political men and women to prevail?

That is the question.

In addition to the Maier brief, the Buckeye Sheriffs' Association (BSSA) a non-profit, law enforcement interest lobbying organization) weighed in with the SCPR deems to be "an almost laughable" - friend of the court - brief.  (LINK)

Laughable?

So the SCPR thinks.

How so?

Well, the BSSA took the position that its lobbying the Ohio General Assembly to enact ORC 311.01 and that therefore the Ohio Supreme Court should look to it as to the determiner of legislative intent and more particularly whether or not the OBSA thought George Maier to be qualified.

Legislative intent?

One goes to the Legislature for legislative history, no?

Not to the Buckeye State Sheriffs' Association, right?

In its brief, the BSSA references the Maier brief (though it had not yet been filed with the court) which indicates that the BSSA was working hand-in-glove with Maier and his legal team.

Talk about injecting politics into the matter?

One might ask who is Maier's political contact within the BSSA, no?

Just some more of the "stuff" being thrown around?

To the SCPR, it's pretty clear that though George T. Maier appears to be de facto qualified to be Stark County sheriff; yours truly doubts that he is  de jure qualifed.

And his deficiency de jure is underscored by the content of the Maier brief.

While he was at it [i.e. throwing what the SCPR thinks is largely irrelevant "stuff" in to his argument, why didn't Maier legal eagle go out and get affidavits from deputies serving under Maier as to how well they think of him?

For the SCPR hears that the rank-and-file at the department think well of George.

Maier also had an offer by the Group 175 folks of Canton's Vassar Park Neighborhood (who are impressed with his effort to get deputies up to strength so as to be able to open up all 501 beds at the Stark County jail) to circulate petitions to gather signatures of Stark Countians who want the Ohio Supreme Court to rule in his favor?

Why not give them the go ahead and throw that "stuff" in to the mix before the court?

Stuff is stuff, isn't it?

WILL THE RULE OF LAW PREVAIL?

What will be interesting to see is whether or not Stark County's chief law enforcer will be held to the de jure standards of the law.

Of course, we will not know such until the Ohio Supreme Court hands down its decision.

The SCPR is not saying that if Maier is successful in having the Quo Warranto denied that such in and of itself indicates he has not de jure qualified.

To know that, one will have to analyze the court's reasoning.

Then and only then will we know whether or not the court found enough in the evidence presented and the arguments made to ensure that the rule of law prevailed.

For now, The Report sees very little in the Maier/BSSA briefs that get anywhere near making the case that George T. Maier literally meets the requirements of ORC 311.01(B)(8) and (9).

Even so, Maier may win with what the SCPR sees at throwing "stuff" and hoping enough of it sticks with the court to give him a victory.

The Report in past blogs has trotted out Craig T. Conley's saying:

The Supreme Court does not have to be right, it just has to be the Supreme Court.

Therein lies the major hope of George T. Maier's quest to remain Stark County sheriff.

ON THE BALLOT OR NOT, THERE WERE SOME "REAL" LOSERS IN YESTERDAY'S ELECTION, NO?

UPDATE AT 09:20 AM

------------------------------------------------------

SUBTOPICS

LOSERS

CANTON

THE BIGGEST LOSER IN YESTERDAY'S ELECTION:
CANTON MAYOR WILLIAM J. HEALY, II

• COLE LOSS
• PORTER LOSS
• GROUP 175

CLOSE BEHIND, MARY CIRELLI

NEXT, PLUMBERS & PIPEFITTERS BUSINESS AGENT DAVE KIRVEN

MASSILLON

A BIG LOSER:    MASSILLON'S JOHNNIE A. MAIER, JR.

• AULT LOSS

FINALLY, MASSILLON MAYOR KATHY CATZAZRO-PERRY

• CITY REVENUES PICTURE

WINNERS

• BILL SMUCKLER
• GREG HAWK
• FRANK MORRIS
• KIM PEREZ
• MEGAN STARRETT

-------------------------------------------------------

THE HEALY LOSSES

The person who had the most to lose in Stark County's 2013 primary election yesterday was Canton mayor William  J. Healy, II.

And he came through in flying colors.

By the Stark County Political Report's calculation, on future Canton City Council key votes (meaning on issues that Healy thinks he must win on), as a consequence of Joe Cole's defeat in Ward 9 and Greg Hawk's win in Ward 1, he is likely going to lose at least by a 7 to 5 vote.

Or, as a leading Canton politician told the SCPR last night, at the very least he is going to have to compromise with council to council's liking.

Of course, everyone who understands Hizzhonor, he is a "my way or the highway" type of guy and so there are likely to be some ugly, nasty fights between him and council with the dawn of 2014 and a new make up of council.

While Healy tried to make it appear that he was okay with either Cole or Frank Morris, III (the incumbent Democrat councilman) in the 9th ward in making equal campaign contributions to both; the truth of the matter is that he was an out-and-out Cole supporter and Cole's loss is understood by political cognoscenti to also be a Healy loss.

One of the big fights in Canton politics in 2014 is going to be the fight initiated this year by Citizen Bruce Nordman from Ward 9's Vassar Park and his Group 175's effort to force the city to get the Canton police force up to 175 officer strength.

Healy is against this move because of city's dire financial condition.  He has intimated to Nordman et al that he might be open to going up to 165 in 2014.

That was before the Cole/Morris results.

And, make no mistake about it, Vassar Park's Group 175 was a key to Morris' smashing victory yesterday and one can see Healy backpedaling already and scrambling to find the money (about $1.3 million per year) to bring the CPD up to 175 officers strong.

One more thing on the Cole/Morris race.

A humongous loser from an investment standpoint were the Stark County trade unions who contributed to the Cole campaign.

In the end (including monies raised after the last reporting date:  04/17/2013) these unions likely will be shown to put more than $10,000 in to the Cole campaign coffers.

You talk about a bad investment?

Wow!

Didn't Kiiven and union pals come out looking like they flushed a big wad of hard working union members' money right down the toilet?

And the word is that Kirven is working feverishly signing up precinct committee members in his quest to take over the Stark County Democratic Party with the precinct committeepersons elections of 2014.

As readers of the SCPR know, yours truly thinks Randy Gonzalez is an ineffective party chairman (e.g. can't get meaningful opposition to Stark's statehouse Republicans [Oelslager, Schuring and Hagan]).  But, at least, he not throwing thousands of dollars into hopeless causes.

SMUCKLER BECOMES MAJORITY LEADER?

There are other changes in Canton government as a result of yesterday's election results.

Long time Canton political and government figure Bill Smuckler will be returning as a councilman at large.

And he is not just "any councilman-at-large!"

He is a Healy political nemesis.  Smuckler bested Healy in the 2003 Canton Democratic Primary to earn the right to face off against Republican Janet Weir Creighton in that year's general election.

That election was the beginning of a Healy/Smuckler hate/love political affair that has persisted ever since.

Love?

Yes.  Smuckler did rely on Healy for help of sorts in his losing effort to become a Stark County commissioner last year in his battle against Republican Regula.

But the SCPR sees the relationship more like "political hate" or at least "intense political competition."  And such is to become very evident in 2014 as Smuckler takes control of Canton City Council in either a de facto sense or a de jure (perhaps as majority leader replacing Healy ally David Dougherty - Ward 6) sense of control.

It had to be galling to Healy that Smuckler garnered the "most votes ever for Smuckler in a Democratic primary" in becoming one of three Democrats qualifying for November's general election (which is tantamount to election even if some non-party/independents file).

HAWK BECOMES FINANCE CHAIR, ONCE AGAIN?

Another negative fallout for Healy is the reelection of Ward 1 Councilman Greg Hawk.  Should we now be looking to Hawk's return as the finance committee chairman with Cole's (the current chairman) defeat?

Hawk has been nursing a grudge against Healy and his council allies for having removed him as finance chairman after the 2011 elections.

If Hawk returns as the chair, Healy's life will be dramatically affected in a way not to the mayor's liking.

Remember also that Hawk was one of six councilpersons who pushed legislation to significantly increase the pay of cadet Canton police which effort was shunted aside by Cole at the mayor's request.

We should be looking for that issue to resurface in 2014, no?

One final note.

There is speculation that Jimmy Babock (councilman-at-large) will be going to work for his old boss (at the Stark County auditor's office) Kim Perez with Perez's victory in the Canton treasurer's race yesterday.

There is further conjecture that the defeated Joseph Cole would be in line to replace Babcock on council.

Hmm?

Let's see.  Cole got hoodwinked into not running for reelection for councilman-at-large by Mary Cirelli. Instead he files for Ward 9.  He loses big time.  In the meantime he introduces legislation to eliminate council-at-large positions in Canon.

So is this an opportunity for Joe Cole to show once again what a huge political hypocrite he is?

Such would not surprise the SCPR.

JOHNNIE A. MAIER, JR. (AND, OF COURSE, SHANE JACKSON) & CATAZARO-PERRY LOSE IN MASSILLON

In Massillon's Ward 5, former Stark County Democratic Party chairman (also Massillon clerk of courts) Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. was "all-in" in the Ault/Geragherty/Starrett Ward 5 Massillon City Council race.

Now held by Republican Donnie Peters, Jr., who is not seeking reelection, this ward is Massillon's "most Democratic ward" and therefore very likely to fall back into the hands of the Dems this fall.

The Healy equivalent in Massillon is Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

He is a guy who is a power politician who looks at politics as black and white (translated:  "for Maier or against Maier") and desperately seeks to absolutely control everything he puts his hand to.

His political power perch in Massillon is in the form of Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry.

He handpicked her to take on the-then 24-year mayor Frank Cicchinelli in the Democratic Primary of 2011 and succeeded in spades in putting his person in charge of Massillon's executive branch of government.

But with her election, a "Houston Massillon - we've got a problem" surfaced immediately.

It became obvious early on that KCP was not going to get along with a Massillon City Council controlled 5 to 4 by Republicans.

While it may seem to be a Republican/Democrat problem, it is not.

It is Catazaro-Perry being high-handed (go figure, no? - her political patron is Johnnie A. Maier, Jr) vis-a-vis council which is the bane of her existence.

Solution?

Elect KCP friendly councilpersons to Massillon City Council, no?

Enter Catazaro-Perry self-styled political gurus Maier and his acolyte Shane Jackson (political director of the Stark County Democratic Party).

One such person was supposed to have been Joseph Ault in Ward 5; a November election Democratic "plum for the picking," no?

Maier and friends pumped impressive money into Ault's campaign effort.

It seemed reasonable to think that with help from Massillon's political elite duo, Ault could be the beginning of finding an end of the mayor's frustration with council.

But it will not be Ault!

Lo and Behold!  Maier and Jackson fail in their effort to help Catazaro-Perry.

Chalk Ward 5 up to being a winner for Stark County prosecutor John Dee Ferrero, Jr. (a man who has deep political roots in Massillon as having been Tigerland's law director).

Megan Starrett is on Ferrero's prosecutorial staff.

In Massillon there are three factions in the Democratic Party:  the Maier faction, the Cicchinelli faction and the Ferrero faction.

While Ferrero may have won the Ward 5 battle, he lost on the city's attempt to get an increase in the income tax.  And he lost big time.

Catazaro-Perry has battled Ferrero and his chief counsel John Kurtzman (also a man with deep, deep Massillon ties and history) over her desire:

• to have Massillon deal with its financial short fall with a reduction in the credit that Massilonians living in other income taxing jurisdictions get against their Massillon income tax, and
• to add fees (e.g. assess citizens for street lighting fees thereby eliminating such as a Massillon general fund expense),

as the way for Massillon to cope with its revenue woes.

Ferrero and Kurtzman make relatively big bucks as the honchos in the county prosecutor's office and by virtue of the office being in the city of Canton they pay Canton's 2% tax which because of the Massillon credit means they pay no tax (given Massillon's 1.8% tax) to Massillon.

Had the Massillon tax issue passed they would have paid an "itsy-bitsy" amount to Massillon because the new tax rate would have increased to 2.1%.

But it didn't and so Ferrero, Kurtzman and their cohort (Starrett) will pay no income tax to Massillon.

Catazaro-Perry may take some delight in the tax issue failing inasmuch as she "quietly" opposed it.

For her to do so is more than a bit perverse.

Because she now faces having to administer a city that will via council action be implementing huge cuts in city services.

Think she isn't going the face a lot of heat from a public who wants it both ways:  city services as usual, but do not ask for more revenues.

In view of the lopsided citizen rejection of more revenues for Massillon government, how could she possibly continue her push her "not by a vote of the people" drive for enhanced revenues?

She may not see it this way, but the SCPR thinks that the resounding vote of the people against more taxes was an emphatic loss by her on the issue of whether or not there are to be additional revenues for Massillon government.

If she chooses to persist on her quest, should she decide for reelection in 2015; she will see her position come back to haunt her.

While Maier came up a loser in the Ault/Geragherty/Starrett race, all may not be lost.

In Ward 2 there was a face off between Irwin and Bobby Martin in the Democratic Primary.

And Irwin won.

There is no direct evidence that Irwin (a Stark County recorder employee) is a Maier man, there is plenty to indirect evidence.

Irwin works for Stark County recorder Rick Campbell who is married to Plain Township administrator Lisa Campbell who is the daughter of former Stark County commissioner and Johnnie A. Maier, Jr protege Gayle Jackson (son Shane is Maier's chief deputy in the Massillon clerk of courts).

So there may be hope that Maier can help out Herhonor in getting some support from council?

Probably not.

The SCPR figures that Republican Nancy Halter will win again in the 2nd in November.

So in the long run, Maier likely strikes out totally in his foray into Massillon City Council politics.

Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. a political loser twice on council?

And there could be more.

Still to be analyzed is his involvement in Ward 4 and in Ward 6.

IT'S TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, THE PARTY IS OVER FOR MARY CIRELLI?

The win by Kim Perez in the Canton treasurer's race (in terms of long time Canton politician Mary Cirelli coming in third) was a BIG surprise to yours truly.

Although yours truly did say on Ron Ponder's Points to Ponder on Monday that the SCPR would not be surprised to see Perez win; that Mary Cirelli comes in third was not part of The Report's thinking.

Mary has a history of doing well in three person races.

So her third place finish is indication that she is done in Canton politics.

Inasmuch as Mayor Healy was a big Perez supporter, he gets a little bit of being a winner with Perez's election.

More importantly, he will not have to deal with (at least, in an official capacity) Mary Cirelli any longer.

She will be off council in January, 2014.

Cirelli, while having fun with Cole in the filing deadline saga with him as to whether she was running for reelection to council or for Canton treasurer, made had huge political blunder (in hindsight) on her own.

She should have stayed in the council race.  Certainly, one would think, that she could have come in at least third, if not second, in a three person race, no?

Apparently, the voters knew that Mary was unsuited to be treasurer.  Prior to running for treasurer, she had never be THE person in charge.  She always been either one of twelve councilpersons, one of three commissioners or one of ninety-nine state representatives.

In such contexts she could ask questions galore and thereby served in a "for the public benefit" prized role.  And, she could not make screwy decisions for the body politic in these settings.

However, a Canton city treasurer, she would have been the  "elected" by the people and only accountable to the people at reelection time chief executive.

Hmm?

Like her or not on a personal basis, who thinks that Mary Cirelli is chief executive material?

But do not count her out from trying a council comeback in 2015.

Probably the person who - on the merits - should have been elected is Kelly Zachary.  And she did make a very credible showing.  And this on top of a respectable showing against Republican Alex Zumbar in the Stark County treasurer race of 2012.

Perhaps the Stark County Democratic Party leadership should be finding a place for Ms. Zachary on next year's ballot?

SCPR CONCLUSION ON THE BIGGEST LOSER IN THE 2013 STARK COUNTY PRIMARY ELECTION

The bottom line of this SCPR analysis is that - all-in-all -Mayor William J. Healy, II stands as the biggest loser in yesterday's primary election!

This election could be the beginning of the end of William J. Healy, II as a viable Stark County political figure!

PRIMARY ELECTION DAY

POLITICAL BULDING BLOCS: WILL MASSILLON'S WARDS REMAIN REPUBLICAN 2014-2015?

UPDATED/REVISED 09:38 PM

A huge surprise coming out of the Massillon city elections of 2011 was the attainment by Massillon Republicans of a majority of Massillon City Council's 10 (counting the normally non voting council president) seats.

The current make up?

Seemingly, it is a tie:  5 to 5.  But not really.

The president of council only votes when the remaining nine councilpersons are tied, which, of course, means for such to occur a council person or three would have to be absent or abstain from the voting on a particular matter.

Hence the Republicans had a 5 to 4 marjority on council beginning with the new session of council on January 1, 2012.

Contrasting that with the 2010-2011 line up, quite a contrast, no?  Eight (8) Democrats, one (1) Republican.

And the SCPR is told that the Republicans is told that the turnaround from the Dems to the GOP was done without any meaningful help from Chairman Jeff Matthews and the Stark County Republican Party.

The question now going into the 2013 election cycle (for the 2014-2015 council make up) is:  whether or not Massillon City Council will remain in the control of the Republicans?

The SCPR thinks not.

Although in political predisposition Wards 1, 2 and 3 are said to be Republican in orientation, The Report thinks that the GOP has a difficult time holding on Ward 1 and it is highly likely that Democrat Andrea Scassa will continue to represent Ward 3 (perhaps, going way back, the most Republican ward in the entire city).  Only if someone files as a non-partisan or independent candidate by the filing deadline in August, will Scassa face any opposition whatsoever.  The SCPR does not look for that to happen.

The Report believes that former councilman (Democrat, at-large) Mike Loudiana (also, former Cicchinelli service/safety director) will end up as Ward 1 councilman.

Current GOP Councilwoman Sarita Cunningham has done nothing in the view of yours truly to distinguish herself.  The only question about Loudiana is whether or not Loudiana's health will hold up in what is likely to be a highly contested race.

In The Report's estimate Republican Nancy Halter survives in the 2nd ward.  Yours truly thinks she is the real leader of the Massillon GOP contingent on council due to her prior service on council in the late 1990s and because of her demonstrated legislative leadership on council during her current term.

The second ward is the one in which Frank Cicchinelli got his start in some three decades or so ago.

Halter likely will face a stiff test in November from the victor of Tuesday's Democratic Primary between Dave Irwin:

• a employee of the Stark Co. Recorder's office
• run by Rick Campbell, who is married to Shane Jackson's sister Lisa,
• Shane is:
• a staunch Johnnie A. Maier, Jr man; 
• political director of the Stark County Democratic Party,
• he's Maier chief deputy clerk of courts] 
• Lisa Jackson Campbell
• also happens to be Plain Township administrator, and
• he daughter of former Democratic Stark County commissioner Gayle Jackson,
• Gayle Jackson
• was an appointee of former Democratic governor Ted Strickland to a regional Ohio Lottery post probably as a consequence of a lobbying effort of Johnnie A. Maier, Jr (a former Stark County Democratic Party chairman and currently Massillon's clerk of courts)

• and Bobby Martin who is close to Loudiana and therefore likely supportive of former mayor Frank Cicchinelli.

In an overall sense, while the contests may seem to be a Republican versus Democrat scenario, the real battle is between:

• the forces of former mayor Frank Cicchinelli (defeated by the captive Johnnie A. Maier, Jr protege Kathy Catazaro-Perry in the 2011 Democratic Primary)
• and the Maier forces, 
• and to, a lesser extent those loyal to Massillonian (former Massillon law director and former Stark County Democratic Party chairman) John D. Ferrero, Jr.

Even with the Republicans in control of council, they have nobody to rally behind in terms of Massillon's executive function.

The GOP's candidate (Lee Brunckhart) against Catazaro-Perry in November, 2011 proved to be a political sacrificial lamb.

In the fourth ward, Councilwoman Hampton is in the same situation as Andrea Scassa.  Only if a non-partisan or independent files, will she have any opposition.  Ward 4 is a base Democratic area of Massillon.

However, the Republicans have convinced Republican Jim Triner to take the Democrats on in Ward 4.  Although The Report is told that he had to be nudged into do so.

By all political rights Wards 5 and 6 should be served by Democrats.

However, of late, Republicans have surfaced as the elected representatives.

In Ward 5 (which folks say is Massillon's most Democratic ward), Donnie Peters, Jr., who many think is a RINO (Republican In Name Only) is currently councilman. However, he is not running for reelection.

This ward presents an opportunity for the Democrats to gain another seat on Massillon City Council.

The Democratic candidates are:

This ward will be a test of political strength between the Maier and Ferrero forces.

Ault is politically married to Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., to wit:

Megan Starrett has to be an ally of John Dee Ferrero, Jr inasmuch as she is a Stark County prosecutor.

She did not file a campaign finance report for the primary, but if she survives the primary, expect the Ferrero branch of the Massillon Democratic Party to open the wallets big time for her in the general election.

Terry Geragherty appears to be unaligned and therefore is unlikely to surface in Massillon Democratic politics as the party's nominee.

This race will be a barometer of the influence that Maier and Ferrero have in Massillon ward politics especially since the 5th is the heart of sole of Democratic politics in Tigerland.

It does not appear that either Ault or Starrett wil have an easy time of it in November's general election.

Republican Theresa Mattox (a sister of Repository reporter Todd Porter) is a formidable political force in Massillon politics.  The SCPR is told by a politically astute Massillon elected official that she is likely responsible for the passage of a Massillon school levy.

In Ward 6 November general election, it is likely to be a head-to-head between Democrat Linda Litman and Republican incumbent councilman Ed Lewis, IV.

Litman appears to be an organized labor candidate for council.  And, if elected, she likely would be aCatzaro-Perry supporter given the heavy union support she received in her 2011 Democratic Primary election victory over Frank Cicchinelli.

Unless Republican Ed Lewis, IV makes a monumental goof between now and the general election, he should retain his place on counci as the sixth ward representative.

While the SCPR thinks that Councilwoman Nancy Halter is the "real" leader of the Republicans on council, Ed Lewis appears to be their most articulate spokesperson and from looking at who is contributing to his campaign seems to be "a star on the horizon" in terms of potential future as a Stark County-based GOP standard bearer.

Luminary contributors include:

• Jane Timken, vice-chairman of the Stark GOP and co-chair of the Romney presidential effort in Stark County,
• Stark County Commissioner Janet Weir Creighton,
• Stark County Auditor Alan Harold,
• Plain Township trustee Scott Halls,
• Sarah M Brown (a former Alliance councilwoman) who is the wife of retired judge Charles Brown and was once chairman of the Stark County Republican Party,

(Pre-primary report as reconstructed by the SCPR in a spreadsheet format):

All that remains in the SCPR analysis of the ramifications of Tuesday's Massillon City Council election are the at-large seats.

There are only three candidates (barring someone filing as non-partisan/independent):

• Paul Manson, a long time Democrat on council,
• Milan Chovan, a Republican vying for a second term, and
• Michelle Del Rio-Keller, a Democrat who is a member of the Masllion Parks and Recreation Board (appointed by Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry) and who is said to lunch with the mayor weekly and therefore has to be taken as and out-and-out Catazaro-Perry supporter.

The SCPR thinks that the likely Republican victors, from a May 6, 2013 vantage point are Halter, Lewis and Al Hennon (a former Massillon City Schools superintendent), the latter of which is running for the largely procedure-only (voting only in the case of tie votes on council) president of council.

If such is the case, then the Republican control of council will have been short-lived.

But the R &D thing is not the main thing.

The main thing is whether or not the winning 2013 general election candidates are pro or anti Catazaro-Perry.

From that perspective, little change is in the offing in the make up of Massillon City Council.

The SCPR projection of how the 2013/14 Massillon City Council will shake out come January 1, 2014.

RESPONSES TO MORRIS VOLUNTEER "COLD CALLS" INDICATE "A NUMBERS EDGE" FOR THE INCUMBENT 9TH WARD COUNCILMAN?

Frank Morris is no stranger to close Democratic Primary elections.

In 2009, with 689 votes cast, he lost by a mere seven (7) votes to the late Joe Carbenia.

Then on August 10, 2009 Carbenia passed away.

One would have thought that the Stark Dems would have selected Morris to be his successor inasmuch the May 5, 2009 primary election was a virtual tie.

But no, it turns out, it is likely that there was some resentment among Stark County Democratic Party officials that Morris challenged Carbenia in the first place.

And beyond the Stark Dems factor,  the nominee (Brian Horner) had connections to the Carbenia family through his wife (a cousin).  It appears that the family may have weighed in with the Dems as to the family's preference.  (LINK to prior SCPR blog which goes into more detail)

So between the two factors, it was a "no go" for Morris in 2009 and he had to wait until 2011 (Horner having decided he wanted no part of Canton politics) to take office, ironically, running - get this , "unopposed" in the 2011 Democratic Primary.

There were 562 votes in that primary election.

Going back even further to the 2007 election, we find that there were 759 votes cast in the Democratic Primary.

 

So it seems as if we can expect anywhere from 550 to 750 or so votes in next Tuesday's hotly contested race between fellow Democrats Morris and Joe Cole (a councilman-at-large who got hoodwinked by Mary Cirelli into giving up his at-large seat [see this LINK to a prior SCPR blog which details the hilarious account of how Cirelli did Cole in]).

On Wednesday the SCPR learned that Ward 9 resident and voter Mark Bowman was engaged in a big time calling program on behalf of Morris.  By election day on Tuesday he says he projects that he will have made 865 calls.

What is interesting about the calls is the information he shared with the SCPR as to the nature, content and responses he is getting to his "cold" calls made to likely Democratic voters, to wit:

• the calls' entree are that they are tailored to remind Ward 9 voters that Tuesday's primary election is at hand and that the caller is asking for voters to help reelect Frank Morris as the ward,s councilman on the basis of the good job Frank has done for the ward over the past couple of years,
• out of every 100 calls, he is getting voice mail responses for about 45 to 60 of the calls and he simply leaves messages promoting Frank Morris,
• of the 45 or so calls per 100 in which voters engage Bowman, he gets some 10 to 15 who favor Morris whereas an average of 2 to 4 favor Cole,
• by the time election day rolls around he will have reached in pre-determined limit of 865 calls, and
• that is is cautiously optimistic that Ward 9 voters will reelection Frank Morris as the ward's councilman,

To the SCPR, the disparity between those who are pro-Morris as compared to those who are pro-Cole is validation of The Report's earlier projection (based on a number of non-quantified factors) that Frank Morris is very likely to win over challenger Cole.

One does have to be a little hesitant about making such a projection given that Cole has already raised over $11,000 and The Report understands that he had another fundraiser Wednesday evening.  (LINK to a SCPR blog detailing the campaign finance reports submitted by the candidates by the reporting deadline of April 25th).

In a relationship that nobody can figure out, Stark County's trade unions have pumped some $8,000 into the Cole campaign and it is likely that after Wednesday's event it will be $10,000 or so.

Plumber and Pipefitters business agent Dave Kirven denied previously to the SCRP in an email that the unions were going to put $10,000 into the Cole campaign.

Hmm?

The campaign finance reports tell a different story.

And, of course, Frank Morris hasn't exactly been "chopped liver" in his raising of money.  He's at $6,360 as of the April 25th report.

Normally, if a candidate puts $1,000 into a Canton council race, that is a big deal.

But the Morris/Cole match up is not just any race.

It, coupled with the Greg Hawk/Tim Porter (Mayor Healy has put $500 into Porter's campaign) first ward race, is about which power bloc in council will control going forward into 2014.

Depending on how Wards 9 and 1 go, this election cycle's results could mean a 7 to 5 majority for the victorious bloc.

Voting blocs on council?

Yes.  On certain key issues that come along, to wit:   traffic cameras, merging parks and recreation, a $1 million tax abatement for a proposed hotel, giving $175,000 to the Canton Chamber of Comerce, et cetera.

As the SCPR sees council, for lack of a better descriptor, there is the anti-Healy-bloc and the pro-Healy-bloc.

The anti-Healy folks (more or less):

• Frank Morris,  III, Ward 9,
• John Mariol, II, Ward 7,
• Edmond Mack, Ward 8,
• Kevin Fisher, Ward 5,
• Greg Hawk, Ward 1,
• Mary Cirelli, at-large,

The pro-Healy folks (more or less):

• Jimmy Babcock, at-large,
• Joe Cole, at-large,
• David Dougherty, Ward 6,
• Jim Griffin, Ward 3,
• Chris Smith, Ward 4,
• Tom West, Ward 2

Coming on council for sure (in the opinion of the SCPR) are former Councilman Bill Smucker and Roland Burns, II (as at-larges) who are likely to replace Mary Cirelli (who is running for Canton treasurer) and add one to the "anti-Healy-bloc."

This scenario would give the anti-Healys a 7 to 5 margin.

However, if Cole were to defeat Morris and Tim Porter were to take out Greg Hawk, the margin swings 7 to 5 in favor of the pro-Healys.

Of course, in case a reader does not already know, Healy is Canton mayor William J. Healy, II.

Healy has proven to be one of the most polarizing mayors in Canton's history (at least, in the modern era) pretty much because is consumed with a quest to political power (either "in your face style," or through finesse or manipulation) so that he can enforce his basic way of administration which is to say "my way or the highway!"

Until Cole opened his mouth at the council meetings of April 22nd (calling the votes [including Morris'] against giving $175,000 to the Chamber deplorable) and disparaging some Vassar Park (located in Ward 9) residents (i.e. calling them right wing Tea Party types, charlatans, and snake oil salesmen), it appeared that with all the money the unions pumped into the Cole campaign, that Morris could be in trouble.

And it could be that he is,

But the SCPR is skeptical.

The Report believes that Cole has so discredited himself that all of the money in the world is not going to help him retain a seat on council.

But we shall see come Tuesday, May 7, 2013!

The important question is how are those 550 to 750 Ward 9 residents going to react to the unprecedented barrage of politiking (probably involving total expenditures of $20,000) going on in their ward?

Total expenditures nearing $20,000.

Hmm?

Such should tell anyone that the stakes in the outcome of this particular election could not be higher!

WILL CATAZARO-PERRY'S "QUIET" OPPOSITION SINK MASSILLON'S FIRST TAX INCREASE IN 35 YEARS?

"In the best of times" let alone "the worst of times" it is difficult for people to vote a tax increase on themselves.

While it might not exactly be the worst of times in Massillon when one goes back through the total history of the city, these days have to be on the top ten list in terms of the financial crisis the city faces if the Save Massillon Committee's bipartisan effort to raise Tigerland's income tax rate by 0.3% (to 2.1%).

For if the issue does not pass, the SCPR is told, Massillonians will face massive cuts in city services.

What makes this particular effort herculean is the "quiet" opposition of Mayor Catazaro-Perry.

Save Massillon Committee member Nancy Halter when asked by The Report as to whether or not Catazaro-Perry's "quiet" opposition will prove to be a fatal blow to the prospect of the issue passing, she said "that it doesn't help."

In an impressive show of unity, eight of Massillon's nine councilpersons are committee members and are aggressively campaigning for the issue.

Only council president Tony Townsend (up until Glenn Gamber's recent resignation, Ward 4 councilman) who is deemed to be the mayor's staunchest ally on council, is standing down on supporting the issue.

But it is very unlikely that he is going to be on council come January 1, 2014 when the benefits or negatives of the voters' May 7th decision Issue 3 takes hold.

Of all the council races, the SCPR is already calling Townsend's November match-up with former Massillon superintendent of schools Al Hennon for Hennon.

Though Townsend only votes in council in the case of a tie, we already know that with Townsend's almost certain exit from the scene, Catazaro-Perry will be even more isolated from council than she has been.

Looking over the entire field of council candidates both in this coming Tuesday's primary as well as the November face-off between Republicans and Democrats and their likely posture vis-a-vis the mayor, it is looking like her final two years is going to be rough sailing indeed.

The ironical thing about the mayor's "quiet" opposition is that if the tax issue passes, it will make life livable in the executive sweets of the mayor's office.  A failure of the tax, the SCPR believes, will make being mayor of Massillon "one Hell of an experience."

If a full-blown "worst of times" materializes, Mayor Catazaro-Perry only has herself to blame. Her obstinate holding onto raising revenue via a reduction in the credit that out-of-town-working Massillonians (as exemplified by tax credit reduction opponent Stark County prosecutor John Ferrero, Jr) get on their Massillon income taxes, and her insistence that Massillon generate through raising street lighting fees are the two big specifics of her willfulness.

The Report is told that council had high hopes for Mayor Kathy when she took office in that she was saying that she wanted to make her administration the most transparent that Massillon has ever had especially in terms of its relationship with council.

Well, the word is that the Catazaro-Perry administration is viewed as being even more closed-mouth than the Frank Cicchinelli administration was. 

As an example, The Report is told that council only knew about the flap over the Massillon Civil Service Commission Board and Massillon police officer Thomas Rogers and its denial to him of a promotion to sergeant (over Mike Maier, son of former service/safety director George Maier and nephew of Catazaro-Perry political patron Johnnie A. Maier, Jr) only became known to council through the blog on the topic done by yours truly (LINK).

It will interesting to watch council and the mayor after Tuesday's election no matter how the tax issue fares.  The SCPR thinks that the mayor's "quiet" opposition will prove very costly for her going forward no matter what the fate of the tax issue turns out to be.

Only council's devotion to the well-being of the citizenry of Massillon is likely to provide any cover whatsoever to what will certainly be a lingering ire on the part of council towards the mayor and her political handlers (Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. and Shane Jackson).

The SCPR cannot tell which way the vote on the tax is likely to go.

Obviously, the Save Massillon folks are hopeful and optimistic but they are likely interacting to receptive Massillonians.

In The Reports contacts with former administration figures, the feedback is decidedly more negative.

The big plus for the Save Massillon Committee effort is that voters most certainly understand that no tax increases over an approximate 35 year span (except for 0.3% increase earmarked for the Massillon parks) is not going to cut it no matter how frugal a city is.

However, there is the problem of explaining to voters such things as the over expansion of Legends golf course, council's ill advised decision to help finance the Hampton Inn and a number of other unwise votes by previous councils.

It could be that the near unanimous unity of council in coming to together (5 Republicans [Chovan, Cunningham-Hedderly, Halter, Peters and Lewis] and 3 Democrats [Manson, Scassa and Hampton] will "save the day" for Massillon.

The committee has raised as of April 19th nearly $4,000.

It is noteworthy that nearly all, if not all, of the Massillon officeholding contributors are from offices "independent" of the executive branch (offices controlled by the mayor's office) of Massillon city government.

One would think that the "quietly" opposing Catazaro-Perry would give a "wink and a nod" to her appointees to go ahead a support the levy.  After all, they in terms of having access to enough revenues to effectively run their departments with have a huge stake in the outcome of the levy effort.

But, as the SCPR has written many times over the past one and one-half years, inasmuch as the Catazaro-Perry administration clearly appears to in a de facto way to be run by Johnnie A. Maier, Jr and given what the SCPR believes to be Maier's model of brooking no dissent from his way of doing things; it is not surprising see the absence of executive department employees as contributors to the Save Massillon Committee campaign.

How "quiet" is the Catazaro-Perry opposition?

Here is a list of the contributors (reconstructed from original campaign finance reports):

SCPR ELECTION SPECIAL: PORTER UPSETS WARD 1 COUNCILMAN GREG HAWK & CHANGES BALANCE OF POWER IN CANTON CITY COUNCIL?

UPDATE

Bill Smuckler (a long time former councilman who is running for councilman-at-large unopposed this election cycle) in a telephone conversation today tells the SCPR that Greg Hawk is in fact walking the neighborhood visiting with constituents.

Smuckler says he knows because he recently participated in a neighborhood walk with Hawk which lasted a couple of hours.

ORIGINAL BLOG

The SCPR has been hearing a  "buzz" flowing through political-junkie-land of late that the race to watch in Canton is not so much the Cole/Morris match up in Ward 9 but rather the Hawk/Porter face-off in Ward 1 located in Canton's near west/center side.

The word is that incumbent Councilman Greg Hawk (D - Ward 1, LINK to Facebook page for Ward 1) has grown complaisant and is perhaps shrugging this race off as just another in a series of efforts by Democratic Canton Mayor William J. Healy to unseat him.

For the most part Hawk has had no problem whatsoever in meeting the Healy challenge in the Democratic primaries of 2009 and 2011.

Hawk was first elected in November, 2001 and has been a fixture in Canton City Council ever since which as of December 31st will be 12 years.

Of course that was in the days that Harper was a Republican.

The SCPR is being told his Democratic opponent Tim Porter (LINK to Facebook page) that Hawk is not doing door-to-door but rather is sending a former Obama worker out to knock on doors on his behalf.  Porter also says that Hawk does show up for community events but stands off to himself and doesn't mix with Ward 1 constituents.

Porter says that he has been going door-to-door at a feverish pace and thinks he has a very good chance of knocking Hawk off.

Both are members of the Summit United Neighborhood Association but Porter (who is an official in the organization) claims that Hawk is not all that involved.

Hawk's resume indicates his involvement as being:

• Administrative Representative to Summit Neighborhood Housing Coalition,
• Member, Summit United Neighborhood Enrichment Team

If Porter is correct on his political assessments of Hawk, then the SCPR can see that the recipe is in place for a pretty stunning political upset in city of Canton politics.

You can factor William J. Healy - the second - in as being a primary sponsor of the Porter effort.  Porter winning equals his ridding himself of nemesis Hawk (especially the case when Hawk was finance committee chairman) from the Canton political scene.

Hawk feels that Healy was instrumental (through David Dougherty) in his being removed as finance committee chair when the 2012 - 2013 council organized.

And, if Porter pulls off an upset, you can bet that Healy will bill himself as the political Wizard of Oz who made it possible and will often and repeatedly remind Porter in one way or another that BUT FOR William J. Healy II, Tim Porter would not be on Canton City Council.

A consummately manipulative politician is who the mayor is.

Porter says he is a political novice but that he is getting helpful advice from Stark County Democratic chairman Randy Gonzalez.

Gonzalez (of Jackson Township [fiscal officer]) seems to be significantly involved in the Canton council races.  He is on record of having contributed to the Frank Morris campaign in Ward 9.

To the SCPR, the shifting and variant political alliances in Canton politics is intriguing.  In this regard, Porter says he is supporting Joe Cole in Ward 9.

He sees Frank Morris (D - Ward 9), Edmund Mack (D - Ward 8), John Mariol (D - Ward 7) and Kevin Fisher (D - Ward 5), a group that the SCPR has tabbed as being "the four young turks" of city council, as opposing  much of the agenda developed by the Healy administration in concert with Majority Leader David Dougherty (D - Ward 6) and Councilman Tom West (D - Ward 2).  They do so, he says, merely for the sake of opposition and creating political mayhem and thereby get in the way of Canton making progress in solving its many, many problems.

Porter cites Dougherty and Jimmy Babcock (D, at-large) as the councilpersons he respects most.

Just looking at the Porter/Hawk campaign finance reports gives credence to the notion that should Porter be elected, given human nature being what it is, he going to remember that Councilmen Mariol ($600) and Mack ($140) supported Hawk while Mayor Healy supported him.

Porter denies that such will be the case. He says that he is for what's in the best interest of people of Canton and Ward 1 and that such will be the standard he invokes in determining how to vote as issues come before council.

The SCPR passed several issues by him in our discussion yesterday and The Report's take is that he agrees with very little that

• "the four young turks," 
• Mary Cirelli (who is leaving council), 
• and Greg Hawk

have stood together on in seeming opposition to Healy administration proposals on key issues.

Porter singled out Cirelli and Hawk as targeting Councilman Thomas West (D - Ward 2) with "no" votes for any of his legislative proposals.

And that opposition remains very much in tact as the 2013 council races come to a conclusion.

As late as this past Monday night's council meeting, the administration was forced to put off a vote on the third reading of $1 million dollar or so tax abatement for a planned Canton sited hotel because it appears that a majority (likely 7 to 6 with President Schulman breaking a tie) are not satisfied that the developers of the hotel will be hiring union workers to do the construction work.

While the SCPR does not see a Porter victory in Ward 1 as bringing Healy the majority on council that he undoubtedly quests for; it would likely bring him a 6 to 6 tie (assuming Morris holds on in the 9th).

The SCPR thinks Porter will line up more with Healy loyalists Babcock, Dougherty, Griffin, Smith, and West than he is to vote without awareness that there are two distinct camps on council.

For Healy to get his "on key issues majority," Cole would have to take Morris out in the 9th inasmuch as certain to be new class of 2014 members council-at-large candidates Bill Smuckler and Roland Burns will likely line up with the "four young turks."

All of which, of course, retains Council President Allen Schulman in an all too familiar role in terms of being the "break the tie" man on council.

Porter has a lot of regard for Schulman as does, seemingly, both of the political continental divide-esque blocs of council.

From a Canton public interest standpoint, it might be a good thing that the mayor does not get a majority.  The SCPR sees Healy as a whimsical type who flits from idea to idea with little thought for how this or that policy/program fits into an well-thought out overall plan that will bring Canton out of its financial/economic doldrums.

For a different mayor who has a more wholesome, integrated policy and practice outlook (let's say a Warren Price); one would want a council working more closely and coordinatedly with the administration.

But William J. Healy, II is the mayor of Canton and political power is the name of the game with him.  Accordingly, he does need to be "check[ed] and balance]d."

And though Canton council has all Democratic councilpersons, the Will Rogers quote:  "I belong to no organized political party, I'm a Democrat" is in full play in Canton politics.

Between Ward 1 and Ward 9, the 2013 election is a battle for control of Canton City Council not between Democrats and Republicans but between political Democratic blood brothers and sisters.

With Joe Cole antagonizing the Vassar Park folks (see yesterday's blog - LINK), it is hard to see him being victorious in Ward 9.   In a telling synopsis by former Councilman Brian Horner  (a Cole supporter) in a SCPR chit-chat with him yesterday, he impliedly conceded that Cole is likely to lose next Tuesday in saying that "it will be closer than folks think."

Up until recently the Ward 1 race has been flying under the political radar.

But no more.

The Stark County Political Report has a feeling that this race has all the makings of going down in the annals of Canton as being one of the most stunning of political upsets in all of Canton politics.

Probably less than 500 Ward 1 voters could determine the course of Canton government and politics over the next two years.

And the ramifications go beyond just Canton.

For the Hall of Fame city is Stark County's seat of government and SCPR believes that to a very large degree "how goes Canton - so goes Stark County."

While the contending parties debate/decide:

• how to get more police on the streets of Canton,
• whether or not to fund $175,000 to the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce,
• the matter of having traffic cameras at key downtown Canton intersections,
• how much and how quick the city will demolish neighborhood eyesores,
• who gets tax abatements and for how much,
• what to do with its parks and recreation infrastructure, and, indeed
• what the rules of council itself will be going forward,

the real contest in the 2013 election is which of the contending groups will control the "balance of power" on Canton City Council.

It could swing 7 to 5 either way.

However, the SCPR thinks it could well end up as a mirror image of the 6 to 6 stand-off that currently plagues council.

Whatever unfolds next Tuesday, it is looking more and more like the Ward 1 contest could end up being the 2013 election headliner.

Challenger Tim Porter defeats incumbent Greg Hawk in Ward 1 stunner?