STARK "DEMS" DUKING IT OUT OVER SUCCESSOR TO ALLEN SCHULMAN?

UPDATED: 09:15 AM TO INCLUDE "CANTON" CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS

UPDATE:  11:15 AM (SPEAKING WITH BILLY SHERER, JR)

On December 17, 2018 Stark County's "Canton" portion of the Stark County Democratic Central Party (29 of them; see list below) will gather at the party's Oakwood Square (Plain Township) to pick a successor to Canton City Council president Allen Schulman who died in November.

The Stark County Political Report (SCPR, The Report) has learned that there could be an "old fashion, 'knock the down, and drag them out'" fight among Canton City precinct committee persons come the "on the 17th political showdown" between longterm Canton law director Joseph Martuccio and local Ironworkers union president and former Democratic Board of Elections member Billy Sherer, Jr.

Candidate Sherer has let it be known that he (presumably representing Stark County's organized labor movement) is no longer content to be in the background as "political worker bees" for the party which recently picked Sam Ferruccio, Jr. to be its chairman.

Ferruccio is a Democratic member of the Stark County Board of Elections (BOE) who replaced Billy Sherer, Sr in February, 2014 alongside:

• the immediate former Dems' chairman Phil Giavasis,
• who is the other Democratic BOE member.
• also who is the brother of Stark County Court of Common Pleas clerk of courts Louis Giavasis 
• who has been making noises about challenging "independent" (but a longtime former Democrat) mayor of Canton Thomas Bernabei if Bernabei chooses to stand for re-election in 2019

As the SCPR sees it, Sherer, Sr. was ousted from his 13 year, more or less, stint as the "labor" representative at the initiative of immediate previous chairman of the Dems Johnnie A. Maier, Jr (immediate previous to Randy Gonzalez who in collaboration with Maier, Jr engineered in February, 2014 the return of organized labor to the Dems side of the BOE in the person of Billy Sherer, Jr.

In the view of The Report, only the politically battle-hardened Johnnie A. Maier, Jr (learning political infighting for former long term, iron fisted Speaker of the Ohio House Vern Riffe could both been an author of setting Sherer, Sr. aside but when it became politically expedient to change direction did not miss a  heartbeat in moving the Executive Committee to appointing Sherer, Jr. onto the BOE.

Having written the SCPR for nearly 11 years, this blogger has the ability to dig deep into the archives of the upwards of 4,000, more or less, blogs of The Report and retrieve blog links and videos as a basis upon which to write blogs today.

To refresh Stark Countians on the unrivaled ability of organized Democrat to fight among themselves, readers owe to themselves to view this video (5 min, 11 sec) on the restoration of the solidly Democratic Sherer family to the BOE position.

In the background of this appointment was the still festing fight within the Stark County Democratic Party over a sheriff's position appointment on the untimely death of Sheriff-elect (2012) Mike McDonald regarding the appointment processes of George T. Maier (Johnnie's younger brother) over the politically unsophisticated Lou Darrow wherein Executive Committee member Larry Slagle challenges Chairman Gonzalez on whether or not the party picked sides in the Darrow/Maier face off.

As an aside, this blogger thinks the general public would be a lot more

accepting of the integrity of political parties if more party activists extended themselves beyond personal and individual political interest in which many party leaders use the party apparatus for personal enhancement rather than for the public good.

First, the video of the appointment of Sherer, Jr as a BOE member (5 min, 11 sec)



Second, a video which features the Slagle challenge. (8 min, 37 sec)



And, third, the SCPR's interview of the "we have overcome" them (the likes of Maier, Jr, et al) as a victory lap in having used organized labor's heft within Democratic politics to right what the Sherer's undoubtedly see as having been a political wrong perpetuated by Maier, Jr.  (3 min, 57 sec)



All the foregoing helps a reader of this blog to understand the possible showdown between Martuccio and Sherer.

An additional factor to be absorbed by readers of this blog is the history of Joe Martuccio becoming law director of Canton in succession to Tom Bernabei in 2000.  Martuccio was assistant law director for 12 years prior to getting the top job on Bernabei's 2000 retirement.

Former Stark County Democratic Party chairman fought Roy Gutierrez with Martuccio over who was going to become law director.

Many say that it was the position and action of Bernabei that was decisive in the selection to Martuccio.

Martuccio was likely seen by Bernabei and his allies on the  Stark County Central Committee as being "a lawyer's lawyer" whereas Gutierrez was likely seen as more a politico than a one who folks would want as the city's chief legal officer.

Undoubtedly, Martuccio was into the fray and worked hand-in-glove with Bernabei and central committee friends to turn things to Martuccio.

Martuccio recently retired as law director after serving 18 years thereby becoming Canton's longest serving law director.

This blogger talked extensively with Martuccio yesterday.

And, the take away is that Martuccio does not have "the fire and the belly" to get into a Darrow/Maier-esque fight over who is to replace Schulman.

This blogger knows Martuccio and the Sherers well (Senior better than Junior; Senior was a key advisor when this blogger ran for the 50th Ohio House District in 2004.

There is no doubt that Matuccio by personality and temperament would make an excellent successor to Schulman who, the SCPR thinks, has been the very best in terms of being citizen participation in government friendly as council president.

Billy Sherer, Jr. may also make a worthy successor to Schulman.

The SCPR simply does not know enough about Sherer, Jr. to evaluate whether or not he has the requisite diplomatic skills to prove to be a "worthy" successor to Schulman.

This blogger did contact Billy Sherer via telephone this morning.

Here is a summary of what Sherer had to say:

• He has the highest regard for Joe Martuccio, a sentiment expressed to The Report of Sherer by Martuccio,
• He decided to run in order to bring a fresh face into the formal structure of Canton City Council government,
• He has always been a background sort of person as a union guy who has supported Democratic Party candidates but that he thinks the time is ripe for him to front and center and actively participating in Canton government from the perch of being president of Council and thereby invigorate all the departments of Canton government as he gains insight and perspective on the functioning of the departments,
• He wants more of Canton's councilpersons to ramp up their involvement in Canton government and thereby help in the reconstruction of Canton government,
• He wants to push economic development issues as being a major impetus with Canton government with an emphasis on the Hall of Fame Village Project which he sees as ultimately getting built on a delayed timetable from that initially conveyed, and
• He wants to be a force for bringing divergent local Democratic power centers into communication so that the party can be more effective in serving the Canton community while minimizing preoccupation by some party leaders with self-centered interests.

Whether or not there is going to be a fight on the 17th remains an open question.

Martuccio says he will make a final decision by Tuesday December 11th.

The SCPR has been told by various sources that key Stark County Democratic persons had promised Martuccio that the presidency of council was his "for the taking" when it became apparent that Schulman's health was failing.

Sherer, Jr. did contact Martuccio person-to-person to tell Martuccio that he, Sherer, Jr., had been in the background of Democratic politics too long and hence the decision to contest, if necessary, whom would become Schulman successor.

Knowing Joe Martuccio as this blogger does, it is doubtful that Martuccio will make a fight of it with Sherer, Jr.

It could be, though, that there are central committee members who will take it on themselves to be dug-in proxies for Martuccio and carry the day for him.

But do not count on such a development.

Mayor Bernabei

• remember, he is a political "independent" who deprived Democrat William J. Healy, II of a third term as mayor,

when asked whether or not he would get involved in a fight if it materializes

laughed a hardy laugh!

Enough, said, no?

By the way, Bernabei has told the SCPR that he is getting very close to making a decision on whether or not he will run for a second term.

He says he is still on track to make a decision this month.

In the meantime he will sit back and observe from a distance, he says, the unfoldings of the Martuccio/Sherer match up.