Income tax increase fails,
incumbents re-elected
BOSTON HEIGHTS - Residents voted in Tuesday's election to keep mayor Raymond McFall, clerk/treasurer Carol Zeman and Council incumbent Paul Palumbo, and elected Janet Miller to the Council seat vacated by mayoral candidate Teri Slane.
However, they voted against Issue 51, a proposed one-half percent income tax increase designed to support capital improvements.
Issue 51 failed 58.4 percent (299 votes) to 41.6 percent (213 votes), according to final but unofficial results provided by the Summit County Board of Elections.
McFall said he felt that the reason the levy did not pass was because "so many levies were on the ballot that they [voters] took a negative attitude towards it."
He said he plans to bring the issue before Council and discuss it further at November or December Council meetings.
Incumbents re-elected
McFall, with 220 votes, defeated Slane and Belá Michael "Bill" Goncy with 207 and 95 votes, respectively, according to final but unofficial results provided by the Summit County Board of Elections.
McFall, who was re-elected mayor for the fifth time, said he plans to "keep doing what he is doing" by bringing more businesses to the area. He said several businesses considering moving to Boston Heights include Liberty Harley Motorcycle, Sheetz gas station, Rockne's, Max and Erma's, Wendy's and Eat 'N Park.
Palumbo, who will now serve a third term on Council, received 282 votes to Miller's 296 and Linda Bremenour's 174 in the three-way race for two open at-large Council seats.
Palumbo said he plans to "stick to the vision of the village," which is to bring more businesses to the area to increase the commercial tax base. He added he doesn't want the city "to be overtaken by big corporations." He said he also plans to continue to have more full time police officers working in the village and to work with residents to fix Colesbrooke Road.
Miller, a Council newcomer, will replace Slane.
Miller said her plans include developing ways to get information about village issues to the public, listening to residents' issues, revisiting a possible police levy, addressing the Colesbrooke Road repair issue and building a relationship with the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
"I'm extremely honored and humbled [to be elected to Council]," said Janet Miller. "I was overwhelmed that the people of Boston Heights believed in me enough to give me their vote because so many people did not know me. It is my privilege to serve the village."
The Council terms begin Jan. 1, 2004 and end Dec. 31, 2008. Each Council member earns $250 per month.
Zeman was re-elected to clerk-treasurer with 256 votes (51.82 percent) to Joani Hedderick's 238 votes (48.18 percent). She said she plans to continue to "take a serious look" at residents' concerns, including updating the city's computer equipment.
"In order to see your government move forward, I encourage everyone to come to the Council meetings and express their desires," she said.
Her term, which is for four years, will start April 1, 2004 and end March 31, 2008. She will earn $31,739 annually.
According to information provided by the village, the clerk/treasurer 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.
E-mail: rdull @ recordpub.net
Phone: 330-688-0088, ext. 3150