BARBERTON, Ohio — Earlier this year, Shaun Rocky Jaber began serving on Barberton’s city council.
It was his first job in politics. When he received his first paycheck from the part-time job, he knew where to spend it.
“We need that money back into the city,” he said.
A gas station owner, Jaber donated his entire paycheck and intends to do so with each one moving forward. It was a campaign promise.
“I’d say money comes and goes and just your word’s more important than money,” he said. “You know, it feels great.”
His first check went to Barberton High School. With roughly $1300, he and a funeral home cleared all unpaid lunch debt.
Jaber will make $12,000 a year over 4 years, so at the end of his term, he will have put nearly $50,000 back into the community.
Where else could he spend?
“City street departments or water department guys, they took their spending away for their boots and their uniforms, so that’s one of the things that I’m looking to do,” he said. “There’s a couple of churches, local charities in Barberton that I want to help out.”
He hopes other council members will follow his lead.