Local Jewish News

This is the first half of the Primary Election. This year there will be another primary in August for the legislative offices due to the delay in getting agreement on redistricting, a process that happens every ten years as the result of new census numbers. Both primaries are important, both because it is our chance to have an effect on important offices that affect our lives and because low voter turnout is expected both times making our effect that much more. As always, if we can’t count on each other to vote, our votes can’t be counted and we as a group don’t count. Please consider the below suggestions, but however you decide to vote: Please Vote!

As with all primaries, you can choose to vote as a Democrat or as a Republican (or Issues Only) by requesting that ballot when you vote, and whichever party you choose will remain your party of record until the next primary. Many of you are Democrats because you supported the effort for Shontel Brown in the last primary against Nina Turner. Should you decide to, you could vote Republican now and Democrat in August. Switching is legal in Ohio and it is important to make sure your voice is heard, no matter how you choose to vote. Whatever party or candidates you support at the primary level has no bearing on your vote in November when the winner will actually take office.

Cleveland Heights Issue 9: NO
Would replace development plan for Cedar Lee area that includes a park with an as yet unplanned park only – See expanded comments Vote NO ON NINE

Cleveland Heights Issue 10: YES
Adjusts the office of Clerk of Council to remain under Council purview in the new governmental structure. See Expanded Comments. Vote Yes

Expanded Edition

Democrat Governor: John Kranley and Nan Wheatley are both experienced Mayors in Cincinnati and Dayton respectively. Kranley claims he will do for Ohio what he’s done for Cincinnati and his economic numbers are good. He is also the more moderate candidate of the two on issues we care about. Politically speaking, Kranley is also the stronger candidate and the one more likely to defeat a Republican statewide in November. Wheatly is running as the Progressive candidate. Her running mate for Lieutenant Governor is our friend, Cheryl Stephens who resides in Cleveland Heights, was our former Mayor (under the old powers of mayor) and current County-councilperson with a history of strong support for our community.

Ohio 11: Vote Shontel Brown. This is the Congressional seat for which we recently supported Shontel Brown against Nina Turner filling a vacancy that arose when our Congresswoman was appointed to President Biden’s cabinet. Although Turner is challenging her again, Brown, who holds the office after her win, is considered the leader of the party and has their official support. However many in the party supported Turner the first time and will come out for her again in this low turnout race. For all the same reasons, we should support her again. Brown has the favorable ties to our community and the commonsense approach lacking from the far left, progressive ideologue Turner. Vote Shontel Brown

Cleveland Heights Issue 9 –NO This is an ill-conceived, late to the table citizen led initiative to compel the city to scrap the development plans already signed on and shovel ready for the Meadowbrook Cedar Lee area after years of planning in favor of a park and only a park. The cost to the city is tremendous. Not only would there be the loss of time and effort already paid, but the city would have to start over developing new plans because this initiative offers no park plan to choose. Not only would there be the loss of income revenue the current plans for store fronts and living spaces would have brought, but instead of receiving income, the city would bear the cost of the upkeep of a park that brings in zero. And since we’ve already signed the agreement, passage of Issue 9 would incur hefty legal fees related to extricating ourselves from the contract, if we even can; an agreement council worked years to create and stands behind unanimously. Such costs hurt us all, but here’s the kicker. You get a park there either way. The development plans as they are now have carved out a portion of greenspace to include a park. The proponents of issue 9 want it all, no matter the costs and losses to the city. The No on Nine campaign is a group of concerned citizens who have it right. Vote No.

Cleveland Heights Issue 10 Charter Change: YES Strap in your seatbelts – this is going to be a bumpy ride. With the change in governmental structure from one branch to two, there’ll be a lot of old language in the our city’s charter that just no longer works. This is just a start. Before, the Clerk of Council, who is the staff member assigned to take care of the needs of councilmembers, answered, by Charter, to the City Manager who answered to the Council and was therefore under Council, who did all the hiring, firing and officially supervised all employees direction albeit indirectly. With the Mayor replacing the City Manager but being a separate branch of government, the question of who supervises the Clerk opens up. Although most things formerly done by City Manager will now be under the Office of the Mayor as the city’s chief executive, obviously the hiring and supervision of Clerks of Council should remain under City Council whom they serve and under whose branch they belong. However, what is obvious to all isn’t obvious to the law. It will remain legally ambiguous unless we pass this. Most cities in the county do it this way and no new positions are created in the amendment. There is no opposing position. Vote Yes

While there are many important candidate elections on the ballot this coming Tuesday, Cleveland Heights has two important issues on the ballot as well. One of them could depend on the strength of our community’s vote!

Issue 9 – Recommendation: Vote NO

You may have seen many signs around town urging residents to vote NO on Issue 9. But you may have no idea what this issue is about and why the vast majority of businesses and residents are opposing it. Here is a quick look at the issue and why you should vote NO on Election Day May 3rd.

• Issue 9 calls for the creation of an “activity park” at the Meadowbrook site on Lee Road.
• However, the City of Cleveland Heights has already signed a $50 million contract with a real estate developer for the Cedar Lee Meadowbrook Development project which includes 1.7 acres of green space including the Meadowbrook site!
• The development contract already in place will knock down the dilapidated buildings on the corner Cedar and Lee (behind the movie theater) and create a multi-use residential and commercial space there as well as on the corner of Meadowbrook/Lee/Tullamore. On that same corner of Meadowbrook/Lee/Tullamore, the developer is retaining a green space for public use that will be maintained at the developer’s expense.
• The development contract as signed and the project itself will bring in new revenue and new taxes for the city and the schools.
• The development plan for that site went through many many community meetings before it was unanimously approved by the Cleveland Heights Planning Commission and other city boards. Our community’s own Eliezer Zamft, Cleveland Heights Planning Director, led the staff process and I had the honor of chairing the meetings where the Planning Commission reviewed the plans extensively, considered public input, and ultimately approved the site plan in its entirety.
• There’s a lot of confusion around this issue because the language on the ballot is so neutral. Supporters of the Cedar Lee Meadowbrook development are concerned that Issue 9 will be inadvertently passed by uninformed voters; hence this article!
• A “NO” vote on election day is a vote in support of Cleveland Heights businesses, the Cedar Lee neighborhood, and increased revenue for our city.

What happens if Issue 9 passes?

• If Issue 9 passes, it puts the city at risk of a lawsuit for impairment of an existing contract. This will put the development plans in legal jeopardy and essentially stop all progress on the development while the case winds its way through the courts.
• It has taken almost 20 years for the city of Cleveland Heights to secure a developer for this site. If Issue 9 passes, this is a strong signal to developers that they do not have a trusted partner in the city of Cleveland Heights. With so much need for development that will build our tax base, this would be devastating for our city.

If you want to learn more, please visit https://www.buildclm.com/.

Please vote NO on Issue 9 on May 3rd.

Issue 10 – Recommendation: Vote YES

The passage of Issue 10 will shift the hiring and supervision of the Clerk of Council from the Mayor to City Council. Some facts on why this change deserves a YES vote:

• This does not create a new position, just shifts the role of the clerk from the executive to the legislative branch of city government.
• Most cities in Cuyahoga County have a Clerk of Council that reports to the City Council.
• A full-time clerk of council will contribute significantly to making our city council more
  organized, responsive, and productive.

If you want to learn more about what a Clerk of Council does and why CH Councilman Tony Cuda is supporting the passage of Issue 10, you can read his Heights Observer article here.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Thank you!

Jessica Chavi Cohen