MASSILLON MAYOR KATHY CATAZARO-PERRY
A couple of reasons as spelled out in the periodic update of the List.
First, the Canton Local Board of Education is showing signs of significant improvement in terms of its relationship with the Canton (South) Local School District citizenry (e.g. Public Speaks) due to the work of board members Christine Scarpino (Bio LINK, elected 2013) and Chris Cole (video LINK, elected 2015).
The Report is told by a well placed Canton Local political figure that Scarpino and Cole are the vanguard of new board leadership that will with the replacement of Dave Brothers and/or Scott Hamilton in the election of 2017 completely transform the tone and culture of the Canton Local Schools.
Undeserving in his individual capacity as a board member, long time member and current president Dave Brothers is the beneficiary as getting his face removed from the SCPR "Bottom 10 List" on the basis of reform work (See these SCPR blog LINK) being done by Scarpino and Cole.
Second, it is up in the air as to whether or not Mayor Kathy Catazaro-Perry can lead Massillon out of a financial crisis that the SCPR thinks she generated in the first place.
Key to that happening is whether or not Massillon passes a .2 per cent income tax increase on March 16th.
If the issue fails, the SCPR thinks infighting between Mayor Kathy and a majority of council will resume with a vengeance and put Massillon right back into the throes of being unable to even minimally serve the needs of its citizens with basic government services.
It appears that "at last" the mayor is on board wholeheartedly in working with a number political figures she does not particularly like to get the tax issue passed.
But she is also showing signs of governance instability that may result in her heading once again in the other direction (LINK to blog on her #7 listing from the last SCPR update in September, 2015) on the List towards being #1.
Showing signs of governance instability?
Indeed!
It came as a surprise when word came down recently that Ken Koher would not be staying on as income tax manager and budget director and that Larry Marcus would not be continuing on as economic development director.
The Report is told by a Massillon official in a position to know that Ken Koher was asked to step down.
Another source shared with the SCPR that Koher had to be seeing the handwriting on wall inasmuch as he was not invited to Mayor Kathy's annual holiday bash.
Why wasn't he invited?
Supposedly because Catazaro-Perry prop and benefactor and many think de facto mayor of Massillon Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. is said to have made it known that if Ken Koher was invited to Mayor Kathy's party, he was not attending.
Hmm?
Isn't that interesting. The fiscally ultraconservative Koher must have had a falling out with Massillon mathematical wiz, no?
Mathematical wiz?
At least that what the SCPR thinks of Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. because on general election night 2015 by his computation his surrogate being re-elected mayor with 40% of the vote was an "ass-kicking."
So while Mayor Kathy has been on a track of more adult like behavior of late, the question is will it last?
Accordingly, the SCPR cautiously promotes the mayor from being #7 to being #8.
March 15, 2016 is a date for Massillonians to mark on their calendars.
If the tax issue passes, in time Mayor Kathy could be coming off the SCPR "Bottom 10 List" because it may be a situation that she can abide having a workable relationship with a majority of Massillon City Council.
If not, look for Massillon to be in the financial mess soup again and "all Hell breaking out" between the mayor
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