WHY IS STARK COUNTY EXPERIENCING SO MUCH INTERGOVERNMENTAL FIGHTING?

Why so much intergovernmental fighting in Stark County?

As the SCPR sees it, for two basic reasons.

First, Stark County is a bastion of turfism.

A little over a year ago Merle Kinsey of COMPASS (Community Objectives Met through a Partnership with all Segments of Society) appeared at the Belden-Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce meeting (reference: Are 'turf wars' hurting county, The Repository, Monsewicz, May 21, 2008).

Kinsey had some revealing comments, to wit:

"People here, when they meet you, they want to know what high school you went to because they know each other there, or at least they know something about each other. We're at a point in time where we have to move out of that."

"Stark County has 23 government jurisdictions, 18 school districts, five library systems, four health departments. ... Why do we need 18 school superintendents in Stark County? ... We have 11 dispatchers in Stark County. You have one point in Stark County where you have four dispatchers for one accident,"

Second, Stark County has mediocre leadership at best.

Only Stark County commissioner Todd Bosley seems to be making much of an effort to bring the county together. He has mediated between the Stark Veterans Service Commission and the Stark County commissioners, a neighborhood access dispute out in Lawrence Township and attempted to mediate between Sheriff Swanson and the cities of Alliance and Massillon over the cities failure to pay for county incarceration services.

But Bosley is more the exception than the rule. And, to be fair, he can go to war as well as if not better than most. However, when he does so, it is usually for larger community issues rather than parochial interests.

More typical is the leadership (if that's what you can call it) of Trustees Celeste DeHoff and Dean Green). It seems as if it is one fight after another with these two against Massillon. They seem to want to fight with Massillon at the drop of a hat. But, then again, they even fight with their own citizens (e.g. Tuscarawas Township v. Faber, et al)

It is a more than a little bit interesting that Celeste DeHoff''s campaign treasurer when she ran for state representative in 2008 was, guess who?

Massillon Councilperson Kathy Catazaro-Perry.

Who is Catazaro-Perry always at war with?

Hmm?

Mayor Francis H. Cicchinelli, Jr., that's who.

Maybe these fights are more personal that meets the eye?

If such is the case, doesn't that say something about the quality of government leadership coming out of Tuscarawas Township.

Currently there is a road maintenance issue going on between Massillon and Tuscarawas Township.

It is a bitter war of words as evidenced by Massillon Public Service and Safety Director Mike Loudiana calling Trustee Green a liar. In the past DeHoff has talked how she cannot trust Mayor Cicchinelli.

Who loses in these battles?

The good folks of Tuscarawas Township and Massillon, that's who.

As a specific consequence of the acrimony (mostly, if not completely, emanating from DeHoff and Green), Tuscarawas Township residents now have a "partially" repaved road.

Who pays the the legal fees that are engendered in these skirmishes when they escalate into lawsuits? Of course, the taxpayers.

It is not just Massillon and Tuscarawas Township who are at intergovernmental war.

There are many more:

• Massillon versus North Canton (economic development competition)
• North Canton against Canton and Jackson Township (economic development)
• Canton v. East Canton (annexation)
• Nimishillen Township contending Stark County Central Dispatch

And on and on goes the list.

No wonder Stark County can't seem get its act together.

What company would want to come to Stark County with all the intergovernmental warfare that is going on?

DISCUSSION: ANOTHER STARK CO TOWNSHIP IN A TUSSLE WITH EMPLOYEE, IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE TOWNSHIP WATER? TUSCARAWAS, LAKE, MARLBORO & NIMISHILLEN

Things are not going well with Stark County Boards of Trustees over the space of the last several years.

Not long ago Tuscarawas Township trustees fired a couple of Road Department employees for fighting on the job and the township is now in a litigation mode vis-a-vis those employees (so far, losing).

A few years ago Lake Township Trustee Ellis Erb stirred up a hornet's nest with guess who? Yes, Road Department employees with allegations of abusive language but more so with administrative types with Township Administrator Carolyn Casey accusing Erb with employee harassment.

In early January (the 6th), we had the Marlboro Township trustees (at least Trustees Wise and Wolf) going off the deep end. They decided to put highly respected Police Chief Ron Devies on "paid administrative leave." Here it is nearly two months later and no results from the investigation. Investigation into what. Nobody seems to know.

Last week, Plain Township trustees got into fuss (but not with employees; rather each other) over the refusal (up until that meeting) of Trustee Pam Bossart since the beginning of 2009 to make motions or second motions.

Now it's Nimishillen Township's turn.

The STARK COUNTY POLITICAL REPORT (The Report) recently obtained a copy of a State Relations Employment Board (SERB) Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) decision on an "unfair labor practice" charge filed by former Road Department Superintendent Chris Peterson against Nimishillen Township.

The finding, if affirmed by the SERB board and appellate courts (assuming the Township will file appeals), could cost the township taxpayers in excess of $100,000.

And who is responsible for

The following except from the ALJ decision summarizes the case, to wit:


Chris Peterson, (brother of Nimishillen Twp Fire Chief Rich Peterson) according to the judge's decision has been employed in various fire department capacities for 27 years as well as Road Department Superintendent from January 27, 2006 through November 9, 2006 - when he was fired by the votes of Lynch and Lisa Shafer with then Trustee Todd Bosley voting no. Bosley is now a Stark County commissioner.

Judge Jewell singled out Trustee Michael Lynch as the culpable trustee in generating the "unfair labor practice."

Here is language from the ALJ decision focusing on Lynch:

In the end here is what it will cost Nimishellin Township, if they cannot turn around this decision. Again, from the ALJ decision:
A reliable public official, who is close to the Nimishillen Township political situation, says that this fuax-pas together with others, make Lynch (a Republican) and Shafer (a Democrat) unelectable come November. But the source did indicate that Lynch probably will not run again.

Some readers may remember Shafer for her "Boycott Louisville" move a couple of years ago. Couldn't be thought out very well, since a number of Nimshillen Township residents work - guess where? Yes!, Louisville.

So far, former township trustee Russ Goffus has taken out a petition as has Brenda M. Jorday.