6 candidates are seeking to serve the residents of Cleveland wards 1 and 4, Bedford, Bedford Heights, Highland Hills, North Randall, Orange Village, Pepper Pike, Shaker Heights, Warrensville Heights and Woodmere Village who all live in Cuyahoga County Council District 9.
Five of the 6 candidates have confirmed. They are Warrensville Heights Councilwoman Shontell Brown, Highland Heights Councilwoman Leah Lewis, Bedford Councilman Don Saunders, Bedford Councilman Lloyd Anderson and former Shaker Heights Vice Mayor Lynn Ruffner.
Kimberly says the debate will be "uncensored." We've got 90 minutes to interact with the candidates in this forum. If you live in District 9's cities, these are the folk who operate like the councilman for the county.
They set the county budget. They're supposed to keep an eye on the county executive, who is Ed Fitzgerald now, but there's an election for that job this year. They're supposed to monitor the county sheriff, the medical examiner, the auditor, the treasurer, the engineer, the county clerk of court and the recorder. But they also are supposed to monitor children and family services, foster placement, food stamps, head start, HEAP, Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging. They're supposed to make sure the arts council money is supporting Cuyahoga County artists, not New York artists or artists with no connection to the county. It's our money. They're supposed to keep an eye on the engineer's office to make sure that the county executive isn't playing politics in awarding street projects to his favorite cities. They're supposed to oversee how county employees are handling foreclosures and the county landbank. They also have the power to investigate if the 3rd party tax liens that former treasurer James Rokakis helped shove down our throats in 1998 has fucked up neighborhoods, stripped more than 30,000 people of their homes, and has created less revenue for the county's school districts.
I want you to get the full scope of the job these folk are running for and not take it for granted. All of them are current or past city legislators. So they all "should" have some knowledge of their own charters and ordinances, and a track record that shows how they've performed their legislative duties in the cities they serve. They have audits on the Ohio Auditor of State's website.https://ohioauditor.gov/auditsearch/search.aspx [1] Visit the site and conduct a search for the audits of the city's they serve. If you want, ask them a question about something you read in their audit. The site features audits of every government agency in Ohio.
But I want you to think about the county and its charter. Here's a link to the charter. Take a look at it.
http://council.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/Charter-cuyahogacounty.aspx [2]
Is the charter in its present form the best we can do to create the kind of quality of life we desire as Cuyahoga County residents? How do we want detained citizens treated in our jails by the sheriff? How do we want the sheriff to enforce certain laws? How do we want theft and corruption investigated and punished? Should we elect the public defender and give them a bigger budget to provide indigent defense and pro se assistance? How do we want to handle foreclosures in Cuyahoga County? How do we want the auditor to handle giving tax payment plans to property owners? Do we want the county foreclosing on homes for back taxes, or is there some other plan we want that hasn't yet been discussed? Do we need to spend $7500 tearing down homes in the county landbank? Or can those homes be renovated for the same amount and sold at cost to a low-income homebuyer?
Under this so-called "new and reformed" county government, the Cuyahoga County Council has the power to enact ordinances that instructs the county executive and all the employees on how they want them to perform certain legal duties. It is the BEST feature of the new government even though I think the charter was crafted by corrupt people.
Remember, I've always said mayors shall "enforce the duly passed ordinances and resolutions of the council." The only thing I like about the current charter is that I believe it gives the county council nearly "unlimited" legislative powers. Under "powers and duties" it reads, "All powers of the Council shall be exercised by ordinance or resolution and shall include, but not be limited to, the following ... and then it lists 12 things the council has the authority to do. The line I like, however, is "but not be limited to" only doing those 12 things. This tells me there is no limit on the county council being able to instruct the county executive through creatively written legislation. I don't think the county executive can successfully argue that the same ordinance enforcement duties imposed on mayors and the governor are not imposed on the county executive. I think if the county council approves an ordinance and overturns the county executive's veto, once passed it has to be enforced.
So I say if you have a curiosity about the county and its charter, and if you want to make a commitment to begin a new life as a fully-engaged civic citizen, and if you live in District 9, and you've been thinking about getting involved, then come on out to the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Community Center at 3400 Lee Road, on Saturday, March 22, from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., and let's connect with the candidates.
If you see one you like, get involved in their campaign and push the fuck out of them. Make yourself invaluable to them, and I do mean invaluable. That will give you a voice. Then hold them accountable. You worked for them. You asked people to trust you to support them. Hold them accountable. That will earn you respect.
It's your seat on the county council, District 9 voters. You ought to act like you own it. Come on out.
(5 photos) [3]
Links:
[1] https://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fohioauditor.gov%2Fauditsearch%2Fsearch.aspx&h=PAQHInv_Z&enc=AZPxgt1MKNgGooKtN9rtWKsncH0NY2Bxol0tIBKBBDCxZ5uadvaHpBZTd5JtMNV-aAm_IzNJ2cdPRgp2BmX902eVUWbdRkkEQEGjhhZrWi4IOf1B91yf1LwLr5Ln1G7Xeg4inERMT-FkLqNgli_1g40u&s=1
[2] http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcouncil.cuyahogacounty.us%2Fen-US%2FCharter-cuyahogacounty.aspx&h=VAQHKqYqZ&enc=AZOkvQ7bo1nRLfw9scEke560f6ObECIKR5bxt2WBUd9NB9APEJT7IkibIaQeDxVdCBX1yEVj3Fp9zIlo8J1XDDDe7dz3K_CPOdpzExxGB3_niirXcZGsnlcDnv7YKIQtV1YQVfN4vea4O5zizy6r3fuz&s=1
[3] https://www.facebook.com/eric.j.brewer.9/posts/10153903806050634