OH! HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN FROM "BACK IN THE DAY?"

Circa 2006, 2007, & 2008, former Stark County state representative Johnnie A. Maier, Jr was "at the top" of his political game.

During his stint as Stark Dems chairman (2003 through 2009), the Dems managed to capture every Stark County-wide (non-judicial) elected office.

He must have had a premonition that "all Hell was going to break loose" as he resigned as party chairman and left his successor and prime member of his personal political loyalty group; namely, Randy Gonzalez, to "pick up the pieces" as what local civic activist Craig T. Conley termed as being Zeiglergate broke loose on April 1, 2009.

Since then:

• Zeigler resigned/retired in an agreement with Stark County commissioners on October 19, 2011, 
• In 2012 Republican Richard Regula (in a major political surprise defeated by Democrat Todd Bosley in 2006) reclaimed his commissionership in replacing Democrat Pete Ferguson (elected in 2008 but who decided not to seek reelection)
• In 2010, Republican Janet Creighton easily defeated Maier/Gonzalez political confidant Steven Meeks (appointed by the Dems in 2007 to replace Tom Harmon [resigned in 2009]),
• In 2010, Bosley
• who along with Harmon [appointed by the Dems to replace Strickland administration appointee [lottery commission] and therefore former commissioner Gayle Jackson [2007],
• voted in December, 2008 to "impose" a 1/2 cent sales tax on Stark Coutians,
• and, therefore, apparently concluding that he could not win reelection as commissioner instead ran for state representative, the 50th District, a suffered a massive political defeat
• In 2010, Democrat Stark County auditor who was apparently thought by Stark County voters to be too politically close to Zeigler and did not do enough to raise alarms that "all may not be well" in the Stark County treasury headed by Zeigler, lost in convincing fashion to Republican Alan Harold,

So there you have "a thumbnail sketch" of how the Stark County political empire that Johnnie A. Maier, Jr had worked so hard to create had come crashing down.

Maier got his start back in 1988 when he had the good fortune "be in the right place, at the right time."  Stalwart Republican icon "Red" Ash (the, at the time, 49th House District, which became the 56th and then the 50th) had run into legal troubles and Maier was there "to pick up the pieces."

Over his years of chairman and a Massillon clerk of courts, Maier worked equally hard - if not more so - to develop a cult-like following of his personal political aspirations, to wit:

He had come home (Massillon area) from "the high reaches" of Columbus where he fraternized with the all-powerful Vern Riffe, Jr. (Speaker of the House 1975 - 1995) and learned "the art of cultivating and mastering" political power.

Many think Riffe used political power for the public good whereas there are those who think that student Johnnie, Jr applies it to his personal interests.

One of the devices of governance that the Republicans used in 1992 to wrest power from te Democrats was to support voter passage of term limits in Ohio.

Under the term limits legislation, representatives were limited to eight (8) consecutive years in office.

Accordingly, Maier, Jr had to find a more secure and nesting place and in a show of what was to come from this disciple of Vern Riffe, he put a political power move on fellow Democrat Edward L. Radel, Jr and ousted him as clerk of Massillon Municipal Court earlier in 1999.

Maier went on to defeat Republican Richard Reichel by an overwhelming majority in 1999 general election.

All of the foregoing is to demonstrate that Maier is now "on life support" to salvage what remains of his Stark County based political empire.

And that, folks, is his "all-out, all consuming" effort to get his brother George (who he likely got Ted Strickland to appoint as assistant director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety) elected as Stark County sheriff.

A victim of the Maier obsession with getting his brother elected may be "top-gun" prosecutor Chryssa Hartnett.

Chryssa works for Stark County prosecutor John Ferrero (who along with former sheriff Tim Swanson have worked against George becoming sheriff, appointed and/or elected).

The SCPR believes that the Maiers are soaking up nearly all the financial resources that Stark Dems can raise and that Hartnett may not be able to garner enough campaign funds to get her message out to the Stark County voting public that she is - so the SCPR thinks - is vastly more qualified to be judge of the Stark County Court of Common Pleas that Republican Curtis Werren.

Before being appointed by Republican governor John Kasich to a court vacancy,  Werren was president of the Stark County chapter of the American Red Cross.

Republican Larry Dordea who ran a, more or less, "gentlemens' campaign" when he ran in 2008 against incumbent sheriff Tim Swanson (who is now on the outs with the Maiers), is now in, what he says (as interpreted by the SCPR) is - to be kind to the Maiers, not that they deserve it - a "political hardball" fight in its harshest form with George (Link to blog detailing Dordea's accusations, implied and otherwise).

But Dordea needs to understand, this may be Johnnie's "Custer's Last Stand."  That is to say, electing George sheriff.

For next year, it might be that his political creation Kathy Catazaro-Perry, mayor of Massillon, whose election in 2011 Maier engineered over long time Maier political foe and two decades plus mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr, will be defeated for a second term if she chooses to run.

Even with Catazaro-Perry's election in 2011, Maier showed he was slipping in that, while he was focusing on Catazaro-Perry's mayoralty quest, the Democrats lost control of Massillon City Council.

For those who do not know, Massillon is staunchly Democratic.

Not to be forgotten is Maier's "all-out" sponsorship of Celeste DeHoff for state representative in his, more or less, old District.

He prevailed on then Governor Ted Strickland (who, recognized Johnnie to be the first county chairman to endorse him in the Democratic primary), former U.S. Senator John Glenn, Senator Sherrod Brown, and then-Ohio treasurer Richard Cordray to come to Canal Fulton to campaign for DeHoff.

Since then, DeHoff has fallen on hard times.

But she was and out-and-out Maier loyalist.  And that appears to be all that matters to Johnnie and George.

In 2012, perhaps, Johnnie's closest political ally; namely, Judge Edward Elum of the Massillon Municipal Court was disciplined by the Ohio Supreme Court.

In a rare display of Johnnie A. Maier, Jr loyalty to anyone other than himself, so the SCPR thinks, he did submit a letter in support of Elum's quest to avoid discipline by the high court.

The SCPR thinks Dordea may have seen nothing yet compared to "what is yet to come."

When the political end comes for Johnnie A. Maier, Jr., he will go down - not in a whimper - but in a thunderous crash.

There will be great wailing and gnashing of teeth with Maier, Jr and his cult of followers.

But Maier's political demise might not be yet.

It all depends on the November 4, 2014 outcome between brother George and Dordea.

That's "how high the stakes are" in this election!

(VIDEO: COMMISSIONERS COMMENT ON HANKE) STARK CO. CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR MIKE HANKE'S LAST DAY OF WORK. RETIRES, EFFECTIVE TOMORROW. AN EXCELLENT HIRE, NO?

In the annals of Stark County commissioner history December has proved to be both the best of times and the worst of times for former Stark County commissioner Tom Harmon.

The best of times occurred on December 13, 2007 when on the strong support of the-then Commissioner Harmon, the commissioners selected former Repository managing editor and longtime employee Michael Hanke as Stark County's new chief administrator.

No one knew it at the time, the decision to hire Hanke was probably the saving grace in getting Stark County through the worst of times which were yet to come.

The first year went well enough for Hanke, but then came December 28, 2008:  the beginning of the worst of times (LINK - prior blog) for Stark County finances.

On that date the-then Board of Stark County Commissioners composed of Harmon, Todd Bosley and Jane Vignos decided to impose a 0.5% sales tax.

The imposition of the tax kicked off an furor among everyday Stark Countians which resulted in the tax being repealed in November, 2009 and coupled with a nose diving national/local economy resulted in Stark County government experiencing a financial crisis which the county is just now beginning to get out of.

Much of the credit for survival and even a degree of prospering is in the opinion of the SCPR owing to Chief Administrator Hanke.

But he did have help.

In November, 2010 former Canton mayor Janet Creighton (who has held a number of Stark County elective offices) and former longtime Canton law director Tom Bernabei (also a former councilman and Healy administration official) assessed that there was a large deficiency in county commissioner leadership quality and offered themselves to Stark Countians as having "been there, done that" type of leaders who on being elected teamed up with Hanke to pull Stark County through to the point it now occupies:  surviving and in small measure beginning to thrive.

The Report could go through all the many tests, trials and difficulties that Stark County has endured during Hanke's tenure, but to do so would be to spoil yesterday's celebration by the commissioners of the former reporter and editor turned top flight administrator's gig as chief administrator.

During Hanke's time, he has served with eight commissioners.

Stark County employees will hold a Hanke retirement celebration event at the Stark County Office Building tomorrow afternoon.

Hanke announced his retirement on December 13, 2012:  five years to the day of his initial hire.

Be sure to see this video of Commissioners Bernabei, Creighton and Regula commenting on the Michael Hanke era as chief administrator for the Stark County commissioners.

And thank you Tom Harmon for having the foresight in being a driving force in 2007 Board of Stark County Commissioners making the right choice!

IT MAY BE A POLITICAL "COMEBACK" FOR RICHARD REGULA, BUT DOES HIS ELECTION MEAN A SET BACK FOR THE COMMISSIONERS?

As the SCPR sees it, the Stark County commissioners' office and the Stark County electorate would have benefited much had former Canton councilman Bill Smuckler been elected as commissioner (to replace the outgoing Pete Ferguson) rather than former commissioner Richard Regula.

One of the problems with the voting public is:

• how ignorant it can be as to the qualifications of the candidates,
• how vulnerable voters can be to such things as a well-known political names (Regula), and 
• the partisan bias they carry against candidates from certain political jurisdictions merely because the candidate of a specific political persuasion hails from a certain locale (a Democrat from Canton, in this instance).

 Regula is okay.  But Stark County cannot afford okay.

He will muddle along as a kind of "5th wheel" as commissioner letting Commissioners Tom Bernabei and Janet Creighton be the mainstays as the county continues it way back to fiscal solvency and effective local government.

Neither Bernabei or Creighton will complain.

But it sure would have be nice to have a fellow commissioner with the ideas and drive of a Bill Smuckler at their side shouldering the responsibilities of office and generating local government initiatives designed to make it more efficient and effective.

Sifting through what Richard Regula had to say in the campaign, it is the SCPR's analysis that he was still smarting from having lost to the-then Nimishillen Township Democrat trustee Todd Bosley back in 2006.

And personal vindication seems to have been his main incentive for running once again for countywide office.

Other than being "bananas" for oil and gas exploration (aka fracking) in Stark and re-building Stark's infrastructure (with no money to do so and no ideas how to generate needed revenues), Regula had nothing to offer other than to sort of suggest that being a countywide official is sort of a birthright for him.

Smuckler, with a solid record of achievement of leadership and substantive ideas that found their way into achievement in Canton government and his track record of and commitment to working to make local government more efficient and effective, clearly had the qualification advantage.

But being a Canton Democrat having to run in the Republican strongholds of Jackson and Lake Townships, he had an uphill fight to win.

And to boot, he was running against the name Regula.

With a name like Regula (the son of long time Republican Congressman Ralph Regula), it is hard to see how Richard could lose to anybody in Stark County, given how hung up Stark County voters appear to be on a well-known political name.

But the Bosley loss was not Richard's first failure to advantage himself with carrying the last name Regula.

Believe it or not, Richard Regula lost to the now former Stark County treasurer Gary D. Zeigler in 2000.

By nearly 14,000 votes.  Hmm?

So now Stark County is stuck with "the Comeback kid."

One of the promising things about a Regula stint as commissioner is that he may end up being a part-time commissioner.

During the campaign, he forthrightly said that such is what he intended to be.

After a firestorm of criticism of being paid nearly $77,000 for part-time work, he backed off the part-time thing and said that he had worked things out with his employer - Mercy Medical Center (MMC) - to work part-time for MMC and impliedly full-time as a commissioner.

We shall see.

The SCPR believes that when all is said and done and looking back four years from now, the record is likely to show that he figured out a way to in fact make being a Stark County commissioner part-time.

We shall also see what value added Regula brings to the commissioners' office.

The SCPR believes not very much.

He is likely to settle in, sit back and enjoy the status of being Stark County commissioner once again.

And enjoying his $77,000 a year for being a part-time Stark County commissioner?

STARK COMMISSIONER RACES - WHO IS RUNNING?

 UPDATE AT 9:00 AM

The best news that Stark County Democratic Party Chairman Randy Gonzalez has had in many a moon.

Democrat and Plain Township Trustee Louis P. Giavasis tells the SCPR that he is going to run for the 1-3-13 Stark County commissioner post being vacated by Pete Ferguson.

ORIGINAL BLOG

With Pete Ferguson's announcement yesterday that he is not running for re-election, all Hell broke loose today as to who is running and who is not running for Stark County commissioner.

The filing deadline is tomorrow.

As the SCPR sees possible matchups:

One of the candidates who the SCPR believes has the ear of Stark GOP Chairman Jeff Matthews believes that the Republicans are in the process of winnowing down to one candidate per commissioners slot.

One of the slots which appears to be set is for local attorney and civic activist Craig T. Conley to take on incumbent Democratic Commission Tom Bernabei.

The second race appears to be a little dicier.

Of course, Richard Regula has taken out petitions to run in both races.  However, it seems to the SCPR that his real opportunity will be to get the party nod for the seat that Ferguson is vacating IF Jackson Trustee James N. Walters decides not to run.

By The Report's estimate, Walters would have won his 2010 contest against Bernabei had an independent candidate not run.

While it is a little surprising that Walters does not want a rematch with Bernabei, it sort of makes sense to The Report because as yours truly sees it Bernabei is a much more formidable candidate given his countywide exposure as commissioner having finished out the term of Democrat Tom Harmon succeeded by Steve Meeks (who decided to run for a full term against Republican Janet Creighton - the wild decision that was).

Bernabei and Creighton, in the opinion of the SCPR, with their aggressive initiative was the reason why Issue 29 (the 0.5% sales tax increase issue) passed.

They instituted open, accessible, transparent, communicative and informative processes which was effective to achieve enough of a turnaround in the Stark County public's attitude to get the tax passed.  In visiting 21 Stark County communities from February through June of this year, the commissioners including Bernabei of course achieved a level of connectedness that Stark County has not seen in a number of years.

Consequently, Craig Conley has an uphill battle in his quest to unseat Bernabei.

The SCPR believes it is the 1-3-13 seat that is being vetted (as to who will be running) between today and tomorrow.  The Report thinks that if Walters wants to run that he will get the help of Stark GOP officials to nudge Butterworth and Regula not to file.

The Democratic side is likely a different story.

Bill Smuckler has told The Report he is in for sure.

Smuckler, like Bernabei before he ran in 2010, only has a political life in Canton.  Outside of Canton he is relatively unknown.  Accordingly, he would face the same problem Bernbei did in a countywide race.

Stark Dem Chairman Randy Gonzalez has to be beside himself that Pete Ferguson surprisingly and at the last minute decided not to run for re-election.  His decision makes it very likely that the Republicans have a great chance to win control of the commissioners office in November, 2012.

As the SCPR sees it, the main hope for the Dems to keep the 1-3-13 seat is if someone like Giavasis runs.  Even he is far from a sure bet especially if Walters in his opponent,  Moreover, The Report finds it hard to believe that Bosley (said to be interested in running and said to have organized labor in his corner), with his having been part of "imposing" a 0.5% sales tax in December, 2008, could win against just about any Republican.  He might, with a big union assist, win a Democratic Primary depending on who the opposition is.

Giavasis would be the Dems strongest candidate.  He has a strong political base in Plain Township to offset Walters' Jackson Township advantage and he would run well in urban Alliance, Canton and Massillon. 

He is as "snug as a bug in a rug" as Plain trustee and is not looking for other opportunities having just turned down Ohio House Democratic leader Armond Budish's entreaty that he run against Republican Christina Hagan in Stark's 50th Ohio House District.

But, again, if the Stark Dems are to retain control of the Stark County Board of Commissioners - Louis Giavasis is the key.

(VIDEOS) WHAT WAS THE CORRECT PROCEDURE FOR STARK COUNTY TO HAVE REMOVED ZEIGLER FROM OFFICE? HOW ABOUT ORC SECTIONS 3.08 & 3.07?

Stark Countians clearly remember that on April 1, 2009 it was revealed that Treasurer Zeigler discovered that his Chief Deputy Vince Frustaci had stolen $2.46 million (federal judge John Adams has said he believes that Frustaci actually took $2.96 million) from the county treasury.  Of course, Zeigler fired Frustaci immediately.  And Frustaci pled guilty and is serving 10 years in federal prison.

While Zeigler himself was exonerated by county and federal prosecutors of an criminal culpability, the State of Ohio Auditor's office found that Zeigler was deficient on a number of bases in having procedures in place to prevent an employee from making off with county money.

Stark County commissioners moved to remove Zeigler from office on the authority of Ohio Revised Code Sections (ORC) 321.07 and 321.08 which gave commissioners "permission" to remove on the fact that money came up missing while Zeigler was treasurer.

Here are a couple of videos to refresh SCPR readers on the actual proceedings wherein the commissioners prepared to and actually removed Zeigler.



As it turns out, the then Stark County Commissioners Todd Bosley, Pete Ferguson (he remains a commissioner) and Steve Meeks were legally wrong (so says the Ohio Supreme Court)  in removing Stark County Treasurer Gary D. Zeigler from office pursuant to the Chapter 300 statutory provisions.

Of course, the commissioners were relying on Stark County Prosecutor John Ferrero's legal advice in proceeding under ORC 321.37 and 321.28.

The high court was saying in effect via the language "is unconstitutional on its face," that Prosecutor Ferrero miscalculated in allowing the commissioners to proceed under 321.37 and 38.

The SCPR would go one step further and say that the Ohio General Assembly messed up in not fixing this obviously unconstitutional law years ago.

Notice the dates that the Legislature last dealt with these code sections:

1985 and 1953.  Hmm?

The Ohio Revised Code is sorely in need of revision.  Not only on constitutionally "on the face of it" problematical provisions like 321.37/38, but also across the board to update/remove out-of-date provisions like Stark County Court of Common Pleas Court Judge Taryn Heath (head of the Citizen Review Taskforce on unfunded mandates) brought forward (22 of them - just scratching the surface) back in March at a work session of the Stark County commissioners.

So why don't state Reps Kirk Schuring, Christina Hagan, Stephen Slesnick and state Sen Scott Oelslager get moving on setting up a continuing legislative taskforce to comb through the ORC and cure the defects and the out-of-dateness?

Yesterday, the SCPR talked with former Commissioner Bosley about the reasons the commissioners proceeded under ORC 321.37/38.  Interesting.  He laid much of the blame at the feet of local attorney and civic activist Craig T. Conley.

Bosley said that Conley was on the telephone with him for seeming hours without end pushing, pressing and cajoling him and his fellows to move forward on 321.37/38 and even asked for commissioners to appoint him the lead attorney on the matter.

The Report does not buy the Bosley argument. 

Yes, Conley did push.  But as The Report remembers.  It appeared that Ferrero was never going to get moving. 

Neither Bosley nor Ferguson recalls Ferrero bringing up the availability of using ORC Sections 3.07 and 3.08, to wit:

A major problem with the ORC 3.08/07 approach is that do so would require the collecting 20,912 valid Stark County voter signatures.  Not impossible, by any stretch.  But nonetheless "real work!"

Proceeding that way certainly would have cured the ORC 321.38 (an administrative process that the Supreme Court says does not qualify to be quasi judicial/administrative) "due process of law" problem.

And, had the people of Stark County prevailed before either a judge or jury, the county would not be facing "back wages, front wages and wrongful termination" damages that Zeigler's attorneys say they are looking at going after.  (Supreme Court rules that Zeigler should get his job back, Kelli Young and Shane Hoover, The Repository, 06/23/2001).

One can only imagine the Stark County public's reaction should Zeigler collect hundreds of thousands of dollars if not in the seven figures ($1,000,000 or more)!!!

IN THE REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE CATEGORY. STATE REP TODD SNITCHLER (50TH) CO-SPONSORS HB 400 WHICH COULD COST STARK COUNTY SCHOOLS 248 MILLION SMACKAROOS.. REALLY?

The bad news for Todd Snitchler is that he did a politically stupid thing and allowed his named to be placed on Ohio House Bill 400 as co-sponsor.  The good news for Stark Countians is that the bill does not have "a snowball's chance in Hell" of becoming law.

For if it did, according to a column written by Akron Beacon Journal statehouse reporter Dennis Willard this past Sunday, it could cost Stark County schools upwards of $248 million.

How does $248 million translate to cuts to Stark K-12 students?  About $4,000 per student according to one of Stark County's chief education officials.  Bill Stetler, superintendent of Northwest schools (a part of Snitchler's 50th Ohio House district) says that Northwest spends about $7,700 per student.  So a $4,000 cut would leave the district with $3,700 or so to educate with.

How do you like this quote from Snitchler from the Willard piece:

Rep. Todd Snitchler, R-Lake Township, who is seeking re-election, co-sponsored the Adams bill. He said it is not perfect, but many elements are worthy of discussion.

''For us to just maintain the status quo and not look at other viable solutions is foolish,'' Snitchler said.

Let me get this straight.  Cutting state revenues by 44% which has the prospect of resulting in $248 million in state education funding in Stark County is one of a number of viable solutions?

The SCPR is beginning to believe that Todd Snitchler is so much of a true believer (the extreme right of the Republican Party) that he gets trapped in his ideology and makes some really dumb moves.

Sponsoring this bill was one.  And this one could be a back-breaker for his re-election bid.

At the very most, it might be an offset to Todd Bosley having voted (as Stark County commissioner) to impose a 0.50 of of one percent county sales/use tax as well as a $10 per plate county-added license plate fee.  Snitchler better be hoping and praying for an offset.

Democrat Todd Bosley will have daily campaign crucifications of Snitchler on the potential devastating impact that Snitchler apparently was willing to subject Stark County school districts to.

Several weeks ago, yours truly and Snitchler had an e-mail conversation to the effect that Snitchler was denying that he called Bosley "Taxing Todd" at the annual Stark County GOP McKinley dinner on February 4th.

To paraphrase:  "Martin, why would I do that?  After all, my first name is Todd.  People might confuse the two of us.  That would be stupid for me to have done."

Answer:  "Todd, politicians do dumb things all the time and then deny they did them."

In the case of House Bill 400, signing on was a dumb and irrefutable thing Snitchler has done.  He has now put himself on the defensive and if Todd Bosley is anything he is a political opportunist.  He will make Snitchler pay, and pay and pay some more.

And there is another dumb thing Snitchler has done.  Again, this is right in line with his right wing ideology.  He did back on April 15th (Tax Day, Tea Day) what all Republican rightists were doing:  condemning the stimulus package.

A word to the wise for Sntichler.

If he wants to be re-elected 50th Ohio House state representative, he'd better be finding his way to the political center and doing so at breakneck speed!

GET IT ON!!! WALTERS? CURTICIAN? PETERS, JR.? OR WHOMEVER VERSUS BOSLEY - A REFERENDUM ON THE REPEALED SALES/USE TAX?

Republican Jackson trustee James N. Walters has taken out his petition to run against incumbent commissioner Democrat Todd Bosley.

So has Cantonian Steve Curtician.

If this proves to be the total Republican field, you can write Curtician off right now.

Curtician doesn't have the political savvy to answer when the media comes calling.  Yours truly called him several weeks ago to get a take on him to report to the readers of the Stark County Political Report.  No answer.  Silence, silence and more silence.

Strange for a man that nobody knows.

Ya just have to wonder about some of these folks who decide to run for office.

They don't seem to have a clue about running for office, let alone governing.

Whatever.

James Walters, on the other hand, has been very accessible.

Walters is a guy who had the smarts to see an opportunity when it presented itself.

In 2007, when Democrat Steve Meeks vacated his trustee seat in Jackson, he decided that the seat was a family heirloom and put his wife Patty up to running for the seat.

Who would stand up to Meeks' political arrogance?

Only one person in Jackson - James N. Walters.

Why only one name?

Likely, because most of the wannabes in Jackson were afraid of the power of the Meeks political name.  After all, Steve had just been appointed to a high level position by the incoming Strickland administration.

So Walters will "seize the day" and take on the mighty and powerful.  The win - 54% to 46% over Meeks was impressive indeed.

Interesting enough, if Walters can survive the Republican primary, the man he will oppose - Commissioner Todd Bosley - is a man in his own right "who has come out of nowhere" and taken on the politically powerful to become commissioner.

Bosley came out of the obscurity of Nimishillen Township where elected officials (Trustees Shafer and Lynch) and its fire chief  (Peterson) fight a rear guard action for provincialism in fighting Bosley's springboard to political success:  "the fixing of 9-1-1 with revamping of the system into a 'state-of-the-art' centralized, countywide dispatch."

While a trustee, Bosley took on Nimishillen's most powerful fellow trustee (Russ Goffus) and has seemingly retired Goffus from ever holding office again in Nimishillen.

Next up (2006), Richard Regula of the Congressman Ralph Regula political jaugernaught.

Nobody, including yours truly, have Bosley "a snowball's chance in Hell of winning."

But guess what?  He did.

The SCPR does believe that at least one other Republican (of note - dismissing Curtician), namely; Donnie Peters, Jr. (a Republican councilman in Massillon) will file.

Walters will have two obstacles to overcome in besting Peters, Jr. if he follows through and runs.  First, he is the choice of the Stark County Republican organization (reportedly Matthews has asked Peters, Jr. to run) and he is "best?" friends with former Stark County Democratic Party chairman Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.

The SCPR believes that Maier has never "really" liked Bosley because Bosley is his own man and does not take orders from anyone.

Could it be that Maier is looking for an opportunity the get "politically" even?

What is the basis for this statement?

An example.

The SCPR believes that Maier (back in 2007) through his political appendage - Shane Jackson (Stark County Democratic Party political director who is a member of the Stark politically ensconced Jackson family) tried to stymie Bosley on voting for the license plate increase.

Bosley refused the entreaty and voted for the increase.

So in addition to being close friends with Peters, Jr. notwithstanding their political differences (Maier - Democrat; Peters, Jr. Republican). Maier has this "being snubbed by Bosley factor" as incentive - to boot - that could be a problem to Bosley if Peters, Jr. does run and becomes the Republican nominee.

At the end of the day, the SCPR believes Walters will survive a Peters, Jr. challenge (if it comes) and Stark Countians will have a Walters versus Bosley race to ponder.

Should Peters, Jr. get in and win the nomination, then it will be interesting to see how Maier positions himself.

If Walters is the Republican nominee, the battle will clearly be over Bosley's connection to the "imposed" sales/use tax recently voted down 64% to 36% by Stark County voters.

Walters was seen at the "Vote No Increased Taxes Committee" celebration at the 356th Fighter Group on election night. 

The SCPR takes this alliance (Walters/the Vote No folks) to be a harbinger of framework of the fight on the prospect of a Walters versus Bosley November, 2010 showdown!

FORMER CANTON MAYOR JANET CREIGHTON TURNS HER ATTENTION TO STARK COUNTY COMMISSIONER TODD BOSLEY?

 

One would think that for Canton mayor Janet Creighton would want to come to the rescue of the Hall of Fame city come 2011.  Of course, the way Mayor William J. Healy, II there may be no city left.  Canton could be a ghost town.  What would be left for her to govern?

The SCPR has learned that Janet Creighton is thinking about running for Stark County commissioner.  

The note in the graphic above makes it clear that such is not merely Bosley's imagination.  At one time or another Bosley seemingly has every live Stark County Republican politician who looks askance at him gearing up to run against him.

Yours truly is not saying that Creighton will run.  But the note is what people who run for political office term "political research."  Obviously, Creighton is digging to see if she can find skeletons in the Bosley closet.

What is not known is other digging Creighton is doing on Bosley to unearth nasties to turn on him in the general election slated for November, 2010.  Moreover, how much money can she raise?

If Creighton decides to run against Bosley, she will think the 2007 mayor's race was a "walk in the park."  William J. Healy, II is slick; Todd Bosley is "in your face."

The SCPR has said it many times in this blog:  Todd Bosley does not play nice.  The Stark Citizens for the Right to Vote Committee will find this out on the sales/use tax repeal effort as will Canton's former mayor, if she decides to run.

Creighton should sit and talk with Richard Regula by the hour, if she hasn't done so already.  Richard probably still doesn't know completely what hit him in the 2006 election when Bosley came out of nowhere to defeat him.  But he can piece the small parts of the political wreckage together to give Creighton a clue.

Bosley tells the SCPR that he is out campaigning already and that he handed out 10,000 notebooks at the Stark County Fair.  So while Bosley is out campaigning (appearing at high school football games and the like) Creigton is making public records requests?

Stark Republicans are smarting.  They are desperate to find someone who can win a countywide office.  Currently, they hold none except for several judgeships.

Other than get herself ready (research, raising money and out campaigning door-to-door/football game-to-football game now), Creighton will have to do one more thing if she is to have any chance at all against Bosley.  She will have to get Jeff Matthews (Stark GOP chairman) and Jason Wise (the Stark GOP's chief political operative) off their zany fascination with political tea-bagging.  

If Matthews and Wise are tea-bagging and campaigning for Creighton, the tea-bagging will be a distraction at best, perhaps even drag on a Creighton campaign.

The SCPR is wishing for a Bosley/Creighton campaign.  It promises to fill many, many blogs.  

Run, Janet, run!

TALK IS CHEAP? SCHURING - ONCE AGAIN - PROVES TO BE A "COOKIE CUTTER" REPUBLICAN

Yours truly has spoken with state Senator Kirk Schuring quite a few times over the last few years.

One of the frequently uttered lines by Schuring over this space of time has been: "I know, Martin. You think I am a "cookie cutter Republican."

Now is the time to make a definite attribution. State Senator J. Kirk Schuring is a "cookie cutter Republican."

Schuring had the perfect opportunity yesterday and break ranks with the run-of-the-mill senate Republican (the leadership voted for the bill, giving it the margin it needed to pass) by voting for the next biennium Ohio budget bill or alternatively taking the lead in the Ohio Senate and offer a alternative to the Strickland/Ohio General Assembly compromise being voted upon.



The SCPR believes that this is one more reason to be added to the list of reasons that his candidacy for Congress against Democrat John Boccieri failed last year. Schuring loss was truly astounding. Particulary the margin he lost by in Stark County.

Apparently, the votes he got in Stark were from the Republican base with very few coming from Democrats and independents. The moral of the political story for Schuring is that - if the Democrats run a strong candidate - he loses countywide in Stark.

Accordingly, look for Schuring to run once again in the seat that Oelslager is vacating (the 51st) in their game of musical chairs (thereby defeating the spirit of Republican initiated term limits legislation) where the registration number favor Republicans.

The Stark County Republican Party is on life support. Even though many Democrat officeholders are trying to self-destruct (Healy, Swanson and Zeigler for sure); Republicans won't let them.

Under Jeff Matthews feeble leadership (aided by Republican operative Jason Wise), there are no strong Republican candidates in sight to take on Democrat Stark County auditor Kim Perez and Stark County commissioner Todd Bosley in 2010.

Schuring has suggested to the SCPR that one of the options that he was looking at for 2010 was running countywide.

Yours truly now believes that would be foolhardy. In view of his staggering loss to Boccieri (2008) and his hewing the Republican Party line, how can he win against strong Democrats such as Perez and Bosley in a Democratic leaning county?

If Schuring were to run against either and lose, he would be finished politically in Stark County, except in Republican dominated areas of the county.

IS THE "STARK RIGHT TO VOTE COMMITTEE COMING UP SHORT? SUCCESS/FAILURE - HOW DOES IT IMPACT FIXING 9-1-1 AND STARK POLITICS , IN GENERAL?

Michael Mouse, a former Canal Fulton councilman, told the Stark County Political Report (SCPR/The Report) about a month ago or so that given the way the Stark Right to Vote Committee (which he was once a member of) was going about collecting signatures, they would need 20,000 to 25,000 signatures to get the 13,950 signatures needed to get the group's "repeal" of the Stark County commissioner imposed 0.50 sales/use tax (January, 2009) on the ballot.

Even if the initiative gets to the ballot box, the group will have a head-to-head fight with nearly every county official on the actual repeal issue. Such has been the prediction of Stark Commissioner Todd Bosley.

The SCPR remains skeptical that the Stark Right to Vote Committee will get the necessary 13,950 valid signatures for the fight at the ballot box to materialize. Some 15,500 (unvalidated by the Stark County Board of Elections) have been collected so far. (9-1-1 committee sticks to 2011 dispatching plan, Kelli Young, The Repository, July 9, 2009)

If they are successful, one has to wonder whether nor not Stark County Board of Elections deputy director Jeff Matthews will lead the Committee in fighting for repeal.

Why Matthews?

On Tax Day, Tea Day Matthews appeared on stage of WHLO's Matt Patrick Show (on location) to urge resistance to the tax. This is the same Jeff Matthews who is the chair of the Stark County Republican Party. Apparently, he in cahoots with party operative Jason Wise (president of the Massillon Republican Club) want to make the imposed sales/use tax an issue in upcoming Stark County elections.

The SCPR believes that Matthews has a conflict-in-interest. Being an official at the Board of Elections (BOE), his unit of government has gone to the Stark County commissioners for more money when the ability to complete all the BOE's legal obligations on holding Stark County elections.

So now he wants to help financially hamstring county operations?

There are interesting days ahead. If the Stark Right to Vote Committee successfully get their initiative on the ballot and gains a repeal, then the 9-1-1 reorganization plan will be in great jeopardy and general Stark County government operations will likely go on life support.

There is one more possible consequence of a victorious Stark Right to Vote Committee effort.

It could spell defeat for Commissioner Todd Bosley when he runs for re-election in 2010.

Fixing 9-1-1 was a key to Bosley defeating the then incumbent Richard Regula in 2006. Should 9-1-1 not get fixed given that Bosley will surely be in the lead in fighting the repeal forces, then Bosley faces a tough re-election battle in 2010 - with one caveat.

What is the caveat?

Can the Stark County Republican Party come up with a viable candidate?

This is not an insignificant question.

Chairman Jeff Matthews and his predecessor Curt Braden (Stark County Republicans) have through their weak leadership undermined the Stark GOP's ability to compete countywide.

What Republican would want to wage political warfare with Todd Bosley with a weakened Republican Party in support?

DID A PERRY TOWNSHIP OFFICIAL HAVE A HAND IN SETTING UP FORMER CHIEF TIM ESCOLA?

UPDATE: JULY 3, 2009 AT 12:36 A.M.

Trustee Capaldi contacted the SCPR minutes ago and stated that The Report's source has his information wrong on the alleged involvement of Capaldi in events leading up to the resignation of Police Chief Tim Escola.

The SCPR checked again with the source prior to returning Capaldi's call and the source was adamant that there are multiple sources making this point.

Yours truly offered Trustee Capaldi the opportunity to respond to this blog in her own words. However, she is traveling and does not have facilities to generate her response. Because she is traveling, she has not read the blog itself and therefore was relying on a second hand account of the blog in conversing with yours truly.

Ms. Capaldi complained that the SCPR had not contacted her prior to posting the blog.

The SCPR policy on contacting principals in stories is that generally that no contact is made because The Report checks and rechecks with sources prior to posting a blog and only uses sources who have established that they are reliable. Many, if not all, stories that the SCPR writes are denied by principals and the SCPR does not seek permission to publish from principals because of obvious self-interest factors which is clearly understandable.

As stated above, after a story is published, principals are given unfettered access (except for personal attacks) to state their side of the story on, in the opinion of some "non-story."

Moreover, if a source proves to be wrong on a given post, then, once such is established in the mind of yours truly, the SCPR will write a follow up blog saying so and needless to say will re-evaluate downward the reliability of the source.

ORIGINAL POST
The SCPR has learned that former Perry Township police chief Tim Escola may have been setup by a Perry Township official (in the instrumental sense of "setup;" in other words, the driving force behind) to be caught on camera in amorous conduct with subordinate officer Janine England on a trip the pair made to Cincinnati in early June to pick up a prisoner.

Who is the SCPR's source (a high level Stark County official backed up by at least two others) alleging the Perry official to be?

Perry Township trustee Anna Capaldi, that's who.

If true, the allegation is shocking. Moreover, it does not make sense. Capaldi is reported to have been the moving force behind Escola getting the job in the first place. Moreover, another source says that Capaldi regularly, over the years since he has been chief, has extolled Escola's performance.

The Repository printed a story on the matter suggesting the possibility of a set up last evening but did not mention Capaldi (or any specific individual) as a person being investigated. However, The Rep does report Escola's attorney Craig Conley as saying:

“Mr. Escola expects appropriate law-enforcement agencies to investigate and, if merited, criminal charges will be brought against that culprit as well.”

In a June 30 Repository story, Capaldi is quoted thusly:

"When something happens out of character, it certainly is a surprise, We're disappointed."

Capaldi quotes from Massillon Independent stories on the Escola/England matter include:

“We can’t do anything about something we don’t know about,I was very, very shocked when I was made aware of the situation.”

“I don’t know how it could be. Could it be somebody inside the department? I don’t know. It just wish it had been handled better. It was wrong. ,,, "

Hmmm?

A surprise?

If the setup charge is true, it is unclear why the plan was put together and how it was pulled off.

If Trustee Capaldi is behind the plot, did she do it alone? Probably not.

The SCPR wrote earlier in the week that all was not right with this whole matter. The trustees moved very quickly through this process and obviously just wanted it to go away post haste.

Now the rest of the story is starting to unfold.

Calpaldi is thought to be a rising star (one of the few) in the Stark County Republican Party and has be rumored as running against Democratic commissioner Todd Bosley or Democratic county auditor Kim Perez.

Yours truly still has to pinch himself to believe that Byzantine operation involving Trustee Capaldi is about to unravel.

NIMISHILLEN'S CENCOM BEING DISINVITED FROM THE 9-1-1 GAME PLAN?

UPDATE: 06/16/2009 (09:20 AM)

COMMENT: NIMISHILLEN FIRE CHIEF RICH PETERSON

Martin: Some points of order to your article:

* CenCom is currently providing the level of emergency dispatching services that Director Concatto is proposing and for substancially (sic) less than the 12 million dollar price tag and the 5.5 million dollar annual operating fee.

* CenCom will remain an alternative for those communities seeking professional emergency dispatching services tailored to their individual dispatching needs.

* CenCom was constructed in a secure, below grade, concrete reinforced facility designed from the ground up (not renovated as an after thought) with technological and redundant qualities not found in the sites selected by Director Concatto as the county dispatching centers.

* Chief Peterson did not convince then Trustee now Commissioner Bosley to get behind fixing Stark County's 911 system, Mr. Bosley took that cause as his own because of a mishandled 911 call within Nimishillen Township.

* I do not need nor did I seek a "reward" from Commissioner Bosley. Successfully constructing and operating a regional communication center that is instrumental in saving lives and property is reward enough. (Isn't that what it's all about...saving lives?)

* Anyone can "say" they are going to design, construct, and implement a successfull (sic) 911 / emergency dispatching operation. Delivering on the promise is much more difficult.

* Please don't confuse being proud of our operation with "boasting".

* I would appreciate not being the focal point of the SCOG dispatching initiative. By removing myself and CenCom from the process, I hoped to allow the SCOG to succeed or fail on its own merit. I find it odd that folks still want to drag me back into the SCOG arena. I respect Mr. Loudiana's opinions but I suggest he concentrate his energy on following thru with his promise of providing high quality emergency dispatching services to Stark County agencies for "free" and not chastising a small, unimportant operation such as CenCom.

ORIGINAL POST

Mike Loudiana was speaking only for himself; not the Stark County Council on Governments (SCOG). However, Rich Peterson (Fire Chief/Nimishillen & CenCom head) ought to be a bit worried that his cat and mouse game with SCOG will end up with SCOG being the cat that catches and eats the mouse.

Loudiana told the SCPR he is pleased with the direction in which the SCOG Governance Committee is heading and that he is satisfied that the countywide 9-1-1 reconfiguration is proceeding in a manner promised to the Stark County public.

Moreover, he seem unconcerned with the Nimishillen Township antics even to the point of suggesting that CenCom can do whatever it pleases for now, but in the long run he is convinced that CenCom will be absorbed into the reworked countywide system.

His rationale? Once the new 9-1-1 gets up and running and Stark County's villages, cities and townships see how well it is working; any malcontents outside the system (including CenCom) will tuck tail and make their way into the centralized countywide system.

Loudiana firmly believes that Stark centralized dispatch will be a reality on a schedule promised to Stark Countians in the context of one dispatch center and a backup.

The last time the SCPR talked with Peterson, he was boasting about the number of non-Nimishillen communities CenCom is serving.

But what he did not address is this question that Loudiana raised anew.

Why would community residents want to pay twice? Pay the imposed 0.5 per cent sales/use tax imposed by commissioners in January, 2009 and then pay CenCom to provide the same but disconnected (to the rest of the county, in a fully integrated sense) services.

Loudiana make another good point. Stark Countians provide a lot of emergency services to out-of-towners (non-Stark Countians). How better to have them share in the cost of those services, but through a sales/use tax.

It is more than touch ironic that Rich Peterson and his "lone wolf" strategy could hurt Commissioner Todd Bosley in his re-election chances. If for some reason Peterson's foot dragging causes delays in moving the reconfigured 9-1-1 along, it could come back to haunt Bosley in the 2010 election cycle.

And this would be ironic.

Peterson convinced Bosley in the first place (back in the days that Bosley was a Nimishillen Township trustee) to get squarely behind fixing Stark's 9-1-1 system. So much so that Bosley made it the centerpiece of his campaign when he ran against and defeated incumbent Republican commissioner Richard Regula.

Undoubtedly, Bosley appreciates Peterson's winning idea and has tried to reward him

What he and Peterson didn't calculate was Bosley's inability to deliver the 9-1-1 chief job to him. Bosley argued vehemently for Peterson, but Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez has proved in the selection process that he has more political clout than Bosley does.

Being the spoil sports they are turning into, the SCPR believes that Peterson and the Nimishillen Township trustees are primary factors in undermining Bosley's 2010 reelection effort.

In the end, however; the Nimishillen folks will not win this battle and Bosley should be unaffected by their pot stirring.

The more serious political threat to Bosley remains the Stark County Citizens for the Right to Vote.

If these folks get the repeal of the imposed sales/use tax on the ballot, then it's anybody's guess whether or not the imposed tax will stand.

In tough economic times, the advantage is clearly with the would-be repealers; notwithstanding the huge political effort (manpower wise, money wise) the pro 9-1-1 forces will muster.

MAIER RESIGNS AS STARK DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR. WHY? STARK COMMISSIONER BOSLEY SET TO RUN TO SUCCEED MAIER?

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report/SCPR) has been hearing for some time that Johnnie A. Maier, Jr. was about to resign as Stark County Democratic Party chairman

The rumor became fact on May 29th in a letter written by Maier to local Democratic party officials which were first received by a number of them today, May 30th.

What is not clear, is: why?

And the SCPR knows from one-on-ones with Maier, that he is constantly calculating "what's in it for Johnnie?"

The reason that The Report has been given is so outlandish that yours truly is not prepared to publish the specific speculation. The SCPR is at a minimum skeptical of what's being said.

A leading Stark County Democrat has been heard to say something to the effect: "A lot of us [leading Stark Dems] think that in Johnnie's mind, he is going to become _____." (emphasis added)

So has Maier resigned as party chair to be in a position "to become _____." Hum?

If the conjecture (hint: a position in state government) proves to be accurate, then many Stark/Ohio politicos will be truly astounded.

Comeback to The Report frequently to see whether or not yours truly has been able to nail down the precise reason for the Maier resignation. This one could take some time.

The Report has learned that when a union golf outing entourage heard of the Maier resignation, there was a thunderous cheer and the unionists and friends were engaging in a lot of "high fives" and backslapping.

Maier made enemies of Stark County's trade unions when he dumped the popular and retired (from the Ironworkers) Billy Sherer from what had been known as "the union seat" on the Stark County Board of Elections.

Another potentially momentous development on the heels of the Maier resignation is news that Stark County commissioner Todd Bosley is weighing whether or not he is going to get into the race to succeed Maier.

Undoubtedly, Maier likely thinks he has handpicked Jackson Township fiscal officer Randy Gonzalez to take over. But Bosley has told the SCPR that if he decides to get into the race, it will be to win and not to place or show.

Bosley says he wants the party to be open to all and not the captive of folks who think they are entitled. Under a Bosley chairmanship, organized labor would have a "table of honor." Moreover, he pledges that there will be no free passes to the likes of David Stucki, Scott Oelslager, Charles Brown and the considerable number of Republicans who have run unopposed over the Maier years.

It would be great if Stark Countians would wake up to the news in the next day or two that Jeff Matthews has resigned as chairman of the Stark County Republican Party and the successor chairman would pledge that no Democrat (e.g. Ferrero, Zeigler and Rehfus - 2008) would ever run unopposed again.

One of the main goals of the SCPR is to goad each party into making Stark County a hotbed of political competition. Such is one of a number of ways to make public officials responsive and accountable to Stark's citizens.

Interesting times loom in the immediate future of Stark County politics!

WAYNE COUNTY GETS IT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; STARK DOESN'T?

Since 1991 Wayne County has had an Economic Development Council. Here is a link to the Council website.

Stark County? Nada.

Stark County commissioners Tom Harmon and Pete Ferguson are comatose when it comes to economic development. Ferguson did a few meeting ago bring up (the SCPR believes "on the spur of the moment") the idea of converting the closed Doctors Hospital (Perry Township) into a Veterans treatment center. He alluded to his contacts with the U.S. Defense Department which the SCPR is highly skeptical of.

Commissioner Todd Bosley is working on a promising project in biomass with Chevron Energy Solutions to supplement fueling of Stark County jail boilers. But it is primarily a energy savings project and does very little if anything in terms of creating jobs for Stark Countians. Moveover, he has tried to interest Volkswagen and Fiat to come to Stark.

Even if (and it is A BIG IF) the commissioners (collectively or individually) are looking into job creating opportunities for Stark, are they doing it effectively.

Obviously, the answer is no.

Stark needs to send emissaries to Wayne to find out what Wayne County has done, how their efforts are working and what mistakes have they made that Stark can learn from.

Stark County needs its own economic development council and needs it now!

Moreover, Stark County should be looking at North Canton Council president Daryl Revoldt to lead the effort. He has economic development experience galore both from the private sector standpoint and from a government perspective.

Indeed Wayne County has a "leg up" on Stark. For citizens who care about Stark County and its 11.5% current unemployment rate, they should be knocking down the commissioners' doors demanding the creation of a Stark County Economic Development Council.

The SCPR will continue hammering away at the commissioners to get rolling on Stark's organized effort.

And you should too!

IT'S THE SHERIFF'S 800 MEGAHERTZ, IT'S CONCATTO, IT'S CENCOM - ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER CONSPIRING TO UNDO STARK COUNTY CENTRALIZED 9-1-1 DISPATCH?

The word on the street that Stark County Sheriff Tim Swanson and Nimishillen Township Fire Chief Rich Peterson recently got into a huge argument about the utility of Swanson's baby: the 800 megahertz communication system.

Swanson went out a got grants to put this system together. Now get this. In Swanson's mind the system was "free" to Stark County because the money came from government grants. "Free," heh?

On with the story.

Swanson has been pushing the "free" equipment and system on all of first responders in Stark County. The mission? To vastly improve communication among first responders throughout the county.

What wrong with that?

Nothing, other that passing around the fiction that is "free."

And except to Fire Chief Peterson. He objects because he thinks that a better system called MARCS (see graphic for definition). In shorthand, it is a state of Ohio system to get all of Ohio's first responders in instant contact with one another.

A source says that there is one simple problem with the MARCS system: it is not up and running. The SCPR has a call into MARCS and when the exact status is available, yours truly will update this blog reporting same.

The SCPR believes Peterson is pushing to ultimately make Nimishillen's CenCom the prime unit in the centralized 9-1-1 Stark County dispatch system.

But he has a problem in that quest.

Randy Gonzales and, perhaps, Peterson's long time political pal Stark County Commissioner Todd Bosley.

In political reality, Gonzales (and Stark County Democratic Party chair Johnnie A. Maier, Jr.) and Bosley are big time foes. The SCPR believes that over the longer haul this internal Stark County Democratic competition will escalate into a battle over who controls the local Democratic party.

Back to the main point.

So you have Gonzales and Bosley doing a "strange bedfellows" political operation to defeat the Peterson effort to shape 9-1-1 his way.

Another qualm that Peterson and his highly supportive Nimshillen Township trustees have with the direction in which centralized 9-1-1 dispatch is heading (note: Nimshillen has pulled out of the effort, maybe?), is Joseph Concatto's unpreparedness to be project manager for the Stark Council of Governments (SCOG) shepherded centralization.

Peterson points out that Concatto (sponsored by Gonzales who also happens to be Executive Vice President of the Stark County Democratic Party) himself has said that he wasn't specifically prepared to be 9-1-1 project manager and that it will take time for him to get up and running as leader. Peterson snipes at Concatto for going on boondoggle-esque trips at taxpayer expense in his drive "to become prepared."

Now why did the SCPR write above that Nimishillen pulled out of the 9-1-1 project "maybe?"

Because in the background are negotiations for SCOG to buy the console at CenCom. Additionally, there is talk of SCOG buying all of CenCom's equipment eventually. Now does that sound like Nimishillen is really puling out?

It sounds more like "we (Nimishillen Township) know we are going out of business and are not going to be the central 9-1-1 dispatch unit and therefore we are going to do the best we can to be made whole" out of Stark County taxpayer money (the money dedicated to 9-1-1 from the commissioner imposed 1/2% imposed sales/use tax).

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT has been a supporter of a re-worked, centralized 9-1-1 dispatch operation.

But one has to wonder, with all the political machinations taking place in the construction, whether or not Stark County is going to end up with a politically gerrymandered system that is no better - perhaps worse - than the current system.

It seems to make no difference to Stark County's politicians that lives may hang in the balance.

What does appear to be the priority is: "protect my political turf."

The SCPR has been told that SCOG will iron out all of these differences and that Stark County will achieve a unified, streamlined and much more efficient and effective centralized 9-1-1.

The SCPR's response.

It's a miracle! - if it happens - given all the turfism alive and well among Stark County's political leaders.

WOW! NIMISHILLEN'S FIRE CHIEF RICH PETERSON LOSES OUT TO CONCATTO FOR 9-1-1 PROJECT MGR - THEN TAKES BALL AND GOES HOME?

UPDATE: CHIEF PETERSON RESPONDS - MAY 18, 2009 AT 2:00 PM

Martin: ...You know through our conversations that no one wants to see the delivery of 911 emergency dispatching services improved more than me.

I have worked very hard at great personal sacrifice to see that happen.

But the plan to do that has shifted once again. Not by me, but by those placed in positions to make it happen. I base my beliefs on facts and my personal experiences having constructed, designed, equipped, and staffed the current emergency communications center which provides services to 20 fire, law, and emergency agencies in Stark and Portage County.

It is my job to advise my Board and make recommendations based on real information ...

And as far as not getting the director's job, Ive made it clear that Mr. Mark Busto (the current RED Center Director) was the most qualified for the county 911/dispatch position and he didn't even get a second interview before the hiring committee. I have a job. I run a communications center today. I was asked to apply to add legitimacy to the process.
.
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW

Not too long ago Nimishillen fire chief Rich Peterson was a top level candidate to be Stark County Central Dispatch re-work project manager.

However, the person who the SCPR thinks 9-1-1 committee chair (Stark County Council of Governments - SCOG) had promised the job to was Canton safety director Tom Nesbitt.

Nesbitt is on his way out (being pushed out by Mayor Healy - in the opinion of the SCPR) as safety director. Yours truly believes Gonzalez cut a deal with Healy to take a problem (in terms of not being a "yes man" for the Mayor) off his hands. But Gonzalez had not counted on Stark County commissioner Todd Bosley being so strong for his man.

Bosley's man?

Yes, Commissioner Todd Bosley has long had strong ties to Peterson from the days that Bosley was a Nimishillen Township trustee.

Bosley pushed hard, hard, hard for Peterson but was forced to compromise with Gonzalez on for Safety Director Joseph Concatto who served in the Janet Creighton administration.

Now we learn that Peterson has convinced Nimishillen Township trustees to pull out of the SCOG 9-1-1 effort at last week's trustee meeting.

No wonder Stark County cannot make much consolidation progress. Folks like Peterson are fine with merging operations as long as he is in charge. Peterson is the personification of turfism in Stark County.

Nimishillen's pullout is a blow to SCOG and Bosley. The exit makes it much more difficult for Bosley et al defeat the 1/2% sales/use tax repeal effort if it makes it to the ballot.

Why?

Because it is beginning to look like it is a real possibility that the SCOG 9-1-1 project will not fly.

Other local governments are taking a long, hard look at whether or not they are going to participate in the effort. If others go official, then the project is likely dead.

The SCPR believes it would be a political blow to Bosley if the 9-1-1 reconfiguration fails. His main campaign theme in the 2006 election campaign was: guess what?

Yes, fixing Stark's broken 9-1-1 system.

Stay tuned.

There are interesting days ahead on the SCOG 9-1-1 project.