Tax Increase, candidate races on Boston Heights Ballot
BOSTON HEIGHTS - In addition to voting on a proposed income tax increase, village residents will vote for a mayor, a treasurer, two Council members on the Nov. 4 ballot.
The proposed one-half percent income tax increase is designed to support capital improvements.
Issue 51, in ballot language provided by the Summit County Board of Elections, is "a proposed income tax increase to 2 percent effective from Jan. 1, 2004, through Dec. 31, 2008, providing that the increased revenues shall be deposited into the capital project fund of the village."
Mayor Ray McFall, who is running for re-election, has said the extra half percent, which would raise the rate from 1.5 percent to 2 percent, would generate approximately $100,000 per year for five years for capital improvement projects.
McFall has said the money would be used to get matching fund grants, but has not specified any capital improvement projects.
Three challenge for mayor seat
Village Council members Belá Michael "Bill" Goncy and Teri Slane will challenge incumbent Ray McFall for Boston Heights mayor. The term is four years starting Jan. 1, 2004 and ending Dec. 31, 2008. The candidate who wins this position will earn $13,508 annually.
McFall, of East Boston Mills Road, a retired supervisor with Ford Motors in Walton Hills, has been mayor of the village since 1987. Prior to being elected mayor, McFall was a Boston Heights Councilman four times - twice in the late 1950s and twice in the early 1980s - and he also was a Boston Heights volunteer firefighter for 38 years.
McFall said he hopes to address residents' issues, which include bringing in more businesses to the village to help lessen their tax burden. He added that several businesses have indicated they are interested in moving to the village.
Slane, of Slanes Lane, a stay-at-home mother, will end her second term as a Village Council member at the end of the year. She said she became interested in politics when she began working as an assistant clerk of courts for the village more than 13 years ago.
Slane said she believes that as the Boston Heights community grows, the officials need to grow and change, as well. "As the residential community has nearly doubled over the past 10 years, our police, fire and road departments are servicing that many more homes," she said.
She added that the village's current commercial tax base needs to increase by future growth and development in the village, which she believes may help lessen the high property tax burdens on village residents.
"I would like to implement a future growth and development committee made up of various local residents to help achieve this goal," Slane said.
Slane said she believes she is in tune with residents' needs because she
has worked with them throughout her Council term. Her goals include [record includes] working
on a committee to research village EMS services and supporting residents'
opposition to the Mills Corp. mall project and the Army Reserve Center.
Slane said she will work to obtain city water in the village.
"Although past efforts [for city water] have been unsuccessful, I will give my best efforts to research any and all options for funding," Slane said.
Goncy, of Olde 8 Road, said he would like the city to have a more aggressive approach in dealing with problems facing the village, such as getting city water to parts of the village and finding alternative sources of funding for Route 8 construction projects.
He added that one of his goals if elected mayor, would be to set up a village of Boston Heights growth association, which would be made up of a group of concerned citizens who could submit their own project plans for the Village Council to consider.
Goncy has been on Village Council for 16 years and has been Council president for five years. He added that he also has represented Mayor McFall when he is absent.
Goncy said after more than 15 years as a carpenter foreman with Anthony Allega, Cement Contractors, he is considering an early retirement at the end of this year. He plans to spend his time working at the Boston Heights Nursery - a family-owned business started by his grandparents in the early 1940s - and, if elected, performing his duties as mayor.
Three seek two Council seats
Three candidates are running for two open at-large Council seats, including the seat Slane will vacate at the end of the year.
Linda Bremenour and Janet Miller will challenge incumbent Paul Palumbo. The winner will serve from Jan. 1, 2004 to Dec. 31, 2008 and will earn $250 per month.
Palumbo, seeking a third term on Council, said he has enjoyed being involved in the village for the past eight years.
He said he would like to keep Boston Heights as rural as possible and not to incorporate much more commercial growth because there is "not much land left available."
Palumbo is employed in the home improvement business, working with his family's company, MM Palumbo and Siding of Bedford.
Miller, of Ianwood Circle, a stay-at-home mom for 21 years, has never run for public office before, but developed an interest in politics last year when the U.S. Army Reserve wanted to build a facility in Boston Heights.
"I embraced the idea of running for Council because I am genuinely concerned with the issues and best interests of the village of Boston Heights," she said.
Miller noted several issues village residents are concerned about including: supporting improvements to the safety services' facility; monitoring and regulating the impact of commercial and residential development; developing the village's water lines and continuing to oversee the flood issues; and working with the Ohio Department of Transportation on the Route 8 project.
"Being a part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and one of the gateway communities, I support continuing and strengthening the relationship with the park, our neighboring communities and our three school districts [of Hudson, Woodridge and Nordonia]," Miller said. "I see my role as a liaison between the village government and the villager's voices and concerns."
Bremenour, of Brandywine Road, a village park board volunteer for six years, said she "thought she could be more involved in the village if she were on Council."
Last year, she was the clerk/treasurer for the park board. If elected to Council, Bremenour said she would "listen to the residents and address their concerns [before Council]."
"I fully support the current Council and what they have done so far, and want to be a part of the team," she said.
Bremenour, who has been a resident of Boston Heights for 10 years, said this is her first time running for Council.
"It is an exciting journey," she said. "The residents are wonderful and I'm looking forward, if given the opportunity to do more for the community."
Bremenour is a corporate tooling requirement planning coordinator at Swagelok Co. in Solon. She has been at the company for eight years.
Two vie in clerk/treasurer race
Joani Hedderick will challenge incumbent Carol Zeman for the village clerk/treasurer seat. The four-year clerk/treasurer term will start April 1, 2004 and end March 31, 2008. The candidate who is elected to the position will earn $31,739 annually.
Zeman was the assistant clerk of Council from 1989 to 1996 when she ran unopposed for the clerk of Council/treasurer seat.
She noted she has been through eight successful audits in her years in that position.
Zeman said her experience in the office dates back to 1985 when she was a part-time clerk/treasurer. She said her knowledge of the city and its residents qualifies her for the job. She also said she enjoys working with the staff and the variety of responsibilities that come with the position.
"In this job, you aren't just a clerk/treasurer. Sometimes you're the information center, the welcome wagon," said Zeman, adding she is often the first person visitors encounter when they walk into Town Hall.
Hedderick, of Colesbrooke Drive, said she is aware of the concerns and issues of residents, including making sure residents understand how the village raises tax dollars and how much it collects.
Hedderick said she also wants to get information - such as the general day to day activities and budget information - out to the public.
She said she feels that is not being done.
Hedderick said she feels Town Hall has not grown with the village over the last 10 years and believes people in the community want a change.
Hedderick has been a controller for Giant Eagle grocery company for 16 years in Stow.
According to information provided by the village, the clerk/treasurer's duties include attending all meetings of legislative authority, and keeping a record of meeting proceedings and of all rules, bylaws, resolutions and ordinances passed or adopted.
Boston Township resident Randolph Bergdorf, of Kendall Park Road, is running unopposed for the village's at-large trustee seat. Bergdorf, who was elected in 1988, said this is his fifth time running for the position.
"I have promised the residents that I will do the best that I can," he said. "I try to listen to their concerns, and working with the other three board members, do what is in the best interest to the community."
Bergdorf is the director at the Peninsula Library. He has been at the library for 24 years.
[Hudson Hub-Times] Editor's note: Dorothy Markulis, a reporter with the Hudson Hub-Times, contributed to this story.
E-mail: rdull @ recordpub.net
Phone: 330-688-0088, ext. 3150