2007 Avon General Election
Source: LorainCounty.com, LLC
Avon 2007 General Election
The following are the 2007 General Election Avon Candidates/Issues as released by the Lorain County Board of Elections.
Council At Large (Elect 3)
Kevin Patrick Flanigan, II 1,764
Brian Parsons 1,395
Web Site: www.ParsonsForAvon.com
Clinton S. Pelfrey 1,861
Craig Witherspoon 1,950 New Council President
1st Ward Council: Bryan K. Jensen 742
2nd Ward Council: Dennis McBride 622
3rd Ward Council: Timothy Nickum (deceased)
replaced by Mark Yonchak on 11-5-07
4th Ward Council: Daniel C. Urban 608
Avon Local School District (Elect 2)
Rudolph Chavez 976
Web Site: www.myspace.com/chavezforavonschools
Ruth Ann Keller 1,574
Mary Angela Marsiglia 1,587
Kevin J. Romanchok 1,710
Issues
#29 Avon Replacement and Decrease/ 1.90 mills, Street Improvements, 5 years
No. 29 For: 2,647 Against: 1,072
#30 Avon Charter Amendment Ordinance No. 71-07, Amending Article XIII, Sections 7(a) and 7(c) entitled "General Provisions - Charter Review"
This amendment gives the Charter Review Selection Committee sole authority regarding selection of Charter Review Commission members and removes approval by City Council. [In effect this gives the Mayor the power to appoint the Charter Review Commission because the majority of the members of the Selection Committee are appointed by the Mayor. If this charter amendment is defeated, Council will continue to appoint the Charter Review Commission.]
No. 30 For: 2,319 Against: 899
#31 Avon Charter Amendment Ordinance No. 72-07, Amending Article IV, Section 3(a) entitled "President of Council - Separate Office"
This Charter amendment has the Council President selected from the At Large Councilpersons by Council as a Whole. [At present, the Council President is selected by the vote of the people.]
No. 31, For: 2,555 Against: 857
#32 Avon Charter Amendment Ordinance No. 73-07, Amending Article VIII, Section 5 entitled "Public Bidding"
[Raises the no-bid limit from $5,000 to $10,000]
No. 32, For: 2,072 Against: 1,389
#33 Avon Charter Amendment Ordinance No. 74-07, Amending Article V, Section 4 entitled "Director of Public Safety"
This Charter Amendment removes the following language: "The Director of Public Safety shall make all necessary rules and regulations for the government of the Department of Public Safety." [In effect, this allows other persons, such as the Police Chief and Fire Chief to make the rules, although no line of responsibility is spelled out.]
No. 33, For: 2,559 Against: 913
#34 Avon Charter Amendment Ordinance No. 75-07, Amending Article VI, Section 3 concerning Civil Service Commission
The general law of Ohio, except the Constitution, shall not apply to the civil service of this city.
No. 34, For: 2,161 Against: 1,058
#35 Avon Amendment Resolution No R-27-07, Amendment to Section 880.03(a) of Codified Ordinances and Section 880.29(a) Relating to rate of income tax and income tax credit in order to provide funding for a new recreational facility and declaring an emergency
No. 35, For: 2,171 Against: 1,557
2007 Lorain County Issues
#24 Lorain County Renewal/ 0.60 mill, Mental Health
No. 24, For: 37,965 Against: 21,029
#25 Lorain County Referendum on Ordinance No. 07-150, County Sales Tax
No. 25, For: 11,568 Against: 46,280
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www.loraincounty.com/government/2009-general/issues.shtml
Lorain County 2009 General Election Guide
Issues
#1 - Veterans Bonus
#1 Yes 60,357 2,052,277 No 20,501 796,768
#2 - Livestock Standards Board, [The Cleveland Animal Protective League says Issue 2 would not be good for farm animals, as the 13-member appointed board would include just one humane officer.
Issue 2 was drafted immediately after the Humane Society of the United States met once with agribusiness leaders here and proposed phasing out the use of crates and cages that don't allow veal calves, pigs and chickens to move naturally.]
#2 Yes 50,156 1,829,528 No 30,664 1,033,156
#3 - Casino, Authorizing a single casino within each of four designated cities
#3 Yes 49,364 1,550,373 No 32,081 1,372,351
#4 - Lorain County Sales Tax increase of 1/2%, supporting criminal & administrative services
#4 For 34,396 Against 47,014
#6 - Avon City Bond Issue 0.91 mill [$10.5 million], Acquiring land & construction of new library, 25 years
#6 For 1,910 Against 4,031
#7 - Avon City Additional 2.31 mills [$1.75 million per year], Current Expenses of Avon Branch of Lorain Public Library System, Continuing
#7 For 2,029 Against 3,929
#8 - Avon City Ward 4 Precinct A Local Option, Particular Use (Martin's Corner Deli), Sunday Sales, 10 a.m. to Midnight
#8 Yes 386 No 122
#25 - Avon Local School District Renewal, 1.21 mills, Emergency Requirements, 10 Years
#25 For 3,888 Against 2,130
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Avon Local School District - Board of Education
(Elect 3)
Susan Harrison 2,557
Debra C. Polovich 2,022
Scott Radcliffe 2,791
Greg Tilton 2,079
John P. Weigman 2,135
Avon Local School District - Board of Education
(Elect 1 unexpired term ending 12/31/11)
Art Goforth 3,371
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www.loraincounty.com/government/2009-general/avon.shtml
Candidates
Mayor
James A. Smith 4,741
Council At Large
(Elect 3)
Steven M. Balmert 589
Mary Berges 1,924
Kevin Patrick Flanigan II 1,598
Cinton S. Pelfrey 2,248
Gary Smitek 1,421
Jozsef Szilagyi 483
Craig Witherspoon 2,493
Dan Zegarac 2,124
1st Ward Council
Bryan K. Jensen 1,213
2nd Ward Council
Dennis McBride 899
3rd Ward Council
Brian Parsons 310
Kevin M. Ward 412
Mark M. Yonchak 330
4th Ward Council
Daniel C. Urban 1,067
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www.loraincountyelections.com/
The Lorain County Board of Elections is located at 1985 North Ridge Rd., East, in Sheffield Township (northwest corner of North Ridge Rd. and Clinton Ave.)
Lorain County Board of Elections
1985 North Ridge Rd., East
Lorain, OH 44055
Ph. 440 326-5900 or Ph. 440 326-5901
General Fax 440 326-5931
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Absentee Voting
Mail to: Lorain Co. Board of Elections
Absentee Department
1985 North Ridge Rd., East
Lorain, OH 44055
If you are a regular absentee voter, you may use the application form prescribed by the Secretary of State (Form 11-A) to apply for your absentee ballot. If you choose not to use the prescribed form, your written application need not be in any particular format, but it must contain all of the following information:
1. Your name;
2. Your legal signature;
3. The address at which you are registered to vote;
4. Your date of birth;
5. One of the following items showing proof of your identification:
(a) Your Ohio driver's license number; or
(b) The last four digits of your Social Security number; or
(c) A copy of your current and valid photo identification, military identification, or a current (within the last 12 months) utility bill (including cell phone bill), bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows your name and current address (including from a public college or university). (Note: You cannot use a notice that the board of elections mailed to you as proof of identification.);
6. A statement identifying the election for which you are requesting an absentee voter's ballot;
7. A statement that you are a qualified elector; ["I hereby declare, under penalty of election falsification, that I am a qualified voter."]
8. If the request is for a partisan primary election ballot, your political party affiliation; and
9. If you want the ballot to be mailed, the address to which you want it mailed.
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NEWS ARTICLE from The Morning Journal, 10-16-09, By MEGAN ROZSA, mrozsa@MorningJournal.com
``ELECTION: Two incumbents, three challengers vie for Avon Board of Education
AVON -- Five candidates are running to fill three seats on the Avon Board of Education. Two candidates are incumbents Susan Harrison and Debra Polovich. The challengers are Scott Radcliffe, John Weigman and Greg Tilton. This is a four-year term.
* Harrison, of Williams Court, has served the board for the past eight years. She said she hopes voters will continue to support her ...
She said she would work to be efficient and focused to the economic pressures that face Avon residents and to be credible and open in her communication to parents and other residents.
Harrison manages and owns Harrison Kennels. She has also served on the Avon Parks and Recreation Board for seven years.
* Polovich, of Jaycox Road, is running for re-election because she wants to continue to keep Avon excellent, she said.
"Being a team player for 15 plus years, we have built three new schools, updated the others and the high school athletic fields," she said ...
She is a purchasing agent for University Hospital. Polovich has been with the school board for 18 years. She is currently the vice president.
* Radcliffe is interested in running because he wants to see continued improvements for Avon students ...
One issue he feels is most important is communication. "Parents need a direct path for communicating to the school board and trusting the board to be accountable for their actions," Radcliffe said. "With the proposed development of the new middle school, citizens of Avon need people who can be trusted to listen to their concerns and who will work to develop the best schools for the children."
Radcliffe is a manager at Berrington Pumps & Systems, a family-run business in Avon. He is a member of the Avon Continuous Improvement Plan Committee.
* Weigman is running for election because he has been increasingly impressed with the performance of the schools in the district ... "I believe that my background in engineering, finance ... will allow me to make good use of taxpayers' limited dollars."
Weigman said the school's biggest issue is making sure it will be fiscally responsible in managing incoming growth. "We have tripled in size in the past 15 years and are adding 200 students per year to the district," ...
Weigman works for the Lincoln Electric Co., and he is also a member of the Avon Parks and Recreation Commission.
* Tilton, of Peregrine Drive, is running for the board because he is confident his skills can help address the district's expansion needs ...
"My intention is to bring an open, intelligent, inclusive management and leadership style to the community to continue to improve on the success of the Avon school system," he said.
Tilton is the senior vice president of operations at U.S. Cotton and has been involved with Avon's Continuous Improvement Plan Committee since 2007. He graduated from Kent State University and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.''
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NEWS ARTICLE from The Morning Journal, 10-16-09, By MEGAN ROZSA, mrozsa@MorningJournal.com
``ELECTION: Eight vie for three Avon council at large seats
AVON -- Eight candidates are running for three council at large positions on Avon's City Council on Nov. 3. Three candidates include incumbents Clinton Pelfrey, Kevin Flanigan and council President Craig Witherspoon. The five challengers are Jozsef Szilagyi, Gary Smitek, Mary Berges, Dan Zegarac and Steve Balmert. This is a two-year term and the salary is increasing to $10,000 annually next year from $7,500.
* Pelfrey, 44, of Avalon Court, has been on council since 2006. He said he is running for re-election because he feels he fairly represents all residents ...
He believes the most important issue in his race is the ongoing development of Avon's nonresidential properties. "Avon has become a destination place. Businesses want to be here," Pelfrey said. "People want to live here and take advantage of our superior schools and great city." ...
Pelfrey is the senior vice president and senior investment manager at Huntington Bank and is on the board for the Lorain County Big Brothers & Big Sisters.
He graduated from The Ohio State University in 1988 with a degree in business administration in finance. He also graduated from the Widener University Graduate School of Business with an MBA in economics in 1994.
* Witherspoon, 60, of Elizabeth Street, has served two terms on council and is currently the council president. He is running for re-election because he wants to continue serving the people of Avon and he feels his experience will be an asset in planning and maintaining successful growth.
"My two terms as council at large and current council president have allowed me to see the start and finish of many projects that benefit the citizens of Avon," Witherspoon said. "But the work continues, the Interstate 90 interchange, the new YMCA and the Cleveland Clinic are just a few projects I would like to see completed as a member of Avon City Council." ...
Witherspoon is a optician for Berris Optical. He graduated from Lorain County Community College in 1968 with a degree in mechanical engineering.
* Flanigan, 37, of River Run, has served four years as a council at large member and said he is running for re-election to continue providing proactive leadership to the community ...
"The city is moving in a positive direction and there are some amazing projects planned for next term, including the I-90 exit, SR 611, Cleveland Clinic, parks and a new city complex," Flanigan said ...
Flanigan sells television commercials for local channels 19 and 43. He graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College in 1995, is married and has a son.
* Szilagyi, 58, of Colorado Avenue, has lived in Avon for 30 years and is making his first run for an elected position in the city ...
His most important issue in this race is continuing to provide services to residents. "The fast pace growth is challenging the city's resources to keep up and meet the future needs," Szilagyi said. ... Szilagyi is a retired millwright, is married and has three children.
* Smitek, 44, of Avalon Court, also has no previous political experience. He first became interested in running when council voted to put the library issue and bond on the ballot (Issues 6 and 7).
"While I believe the library probably should be expanded, my research into other libraries in Ohio and standards in other states suggests that an expansion on existing library-owned land is much more fiscally prudent and would serve city needs for many years," Smitek said. "With an existing 10,400-square-foot library that is only 15 years old and in good condition, building new is irresponsible."
He said he feels the biggest issue facing the city is compounding debt. "As an accountant with an MBA in finance, I am particularly troubled by Avon's recent tax and borrow spending binge," Smitek said. "If the library issues pass, we will have the fifth highest real estate taxes of the 63 jurisdictions in Lorain County."
Smitek is a self-employed real estate developer and a certified public accountant. He graduated from Miami University in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in accounting and earned an MBA in finance from Columbia Business School. He is married and has two children.
[LETTER to The Editor of The Morning Journal, 10-21-09, by Gary Smitek
``In a Lorain Public Library System press release in 2008, the library trumpets the fifth anniversary of the opening of the North Ridgeville library. Two astounding points are in the press release:
The first is that the Lorain Public Library System built and paid for the beautiful 27,500-square-foot facility. That is correct; the library issued $4 million of bonds (library audited financial statements) to build the library. To put the deal together, the city of North Ridgeville leased 3.8 acres of land to the library for 100 years. The total cost was $4.7 million -- not a penny of which was paid for by North Ridgeville taxpayers ...
The second interesting point is the cost. Previously, I had written that a fully furnished proposed new junior high school would cost around $168 per square foot. I have stated that a well-built school and a well-built library should cost about the same.
When the Lorain Public Library System was spending its money on the North Ridgeville branch in 2003, the cost per square foot was $170.9, not the more than $320 per square foot cost, excluding land, that they want Avon citizens to spend for our library if the $10.5-million construction levy passes ...
Vote no on Issues 6 and 7. If issue 6 fails, we don't need the $1.75 million operating levy of issue 7. The current $450,000 operating levy will remain in effect for two more years.'']
* Berges, 56, of Ithaca Drive, is running for the seat because she is confident she can add value to the council. She does not have prior political experience, but has continuously attended council meetings for the past five years.
"I believe in a common sense and practical approach to city government," Berges said. "Council should be more proactive in initiating ideas and proposals that will result in increased revenues, savings and improved services for our citizens."
She feels the most important issue is to preserve the character, culture, ... and services in Avon in view of the rapid commercial and residential growth.
"From a practical standpoint, the city needs enough revenue to support the increasing need for the infrastructure that growth requires," Berges said. "More industry, office buildings and retail developments result in more revenue for the city and lessens the need to tax the residents."
Currently, Berges is a human resources consultant for Berges & Associates. She graduated from John Carroll University and Kent State University, is married and has two children.
* Zegarac, 53 of Lake Drive, has lived in Avon for 47 years. He said it is important to him that the residents of Avon are represented properly ...
The most important issue this November is the library levy and bond, he said. "I think that the voters could have been given more options to choose from in regard to possibly an addition on the existing library," Zegarac said ... He also believes proper management of the city's growth as it relates to the quality of life is important.
In 1981, he was a member of the Avon Charter Review Commission. Zegarac is a sales manager at Ganley Chevrolet.
Balmert, 41, of French Creek Road, does not have political experience, but is running because he feels he can bring a different approach to representing Avon residents ...
"It is time to plan for the future infrastructure repairs that will be needed, which will be costly," Balmert said. "A large debt has accumulated due to the recreation complex. Council and the mayor will have to figure out a way to pay for all this without increasing taxes. One way is to expand the industrial and commercial base."
Balmert is currently a test engineer at Rockwell Automation Inc. He graduated from The Ohio State University in 1992, is married and has two children.''
NEWS ARTICLE from The Morning Journal, 10-20-09, By MEGAN ROZSA, mrozsa@MorningJournal.com
``AVON -- Three candidates are vying for the Avon Ward 3 council seat on Nov. 3: incumbent Mark Yonchak and challengers Brian Parsons and Kevin Ward. Council members serve a two-year term and earn $7,500 per year, but next year it will increase to $10,000 per year.
* Yonchak, 43, of Birdie Lane, has been the Ward 3 councilman for two years. He was appointed to the position after councilman Tim Nickum died weeks before the 2007 election.
An Avon resident since 1999, Yonchak wants to run for election because he said he finds working with the people in the community and solving problems rewarding. If elected, Yonchak said he wants to continue his momentum by finishing key programs he's had a hand in starting: sidewalk build out, city infrastructure plans and the development of the Nagel interchange ...
When he's not serving on council, he is the director of information technology at Siemens IT, a global corporation that provides IT solutions to companies and customers. He graduated from The Ohio State University in 1989 with a business administration bachelor's degree in accounting and from Cleveland State University in 2007 with a master's degree in accounting. He is married and has two sons ...
* Parsons, 47, of Peregrine Drive, said he is concerned about the commercial development in Avon. He said the way the growth of the city is managed will shape the community and determine what sort of city Avon will become. Ward 3, he said, includes a very large portion of undeveloped commercial land in strategic areas such as SR 83 and Detroit Road.
"I believe it is imperative that the Ward 3 councilman has the expertise to manage that growth," Parsons said. "Mismanaging it sets our city back and then you have delayed development."
As a councilman, he said he wants to make sure his constituents are constantly informed ...
Through the campaign race, Parsons will keep his Web site, www.parsonsforavon.com, up to date about current issues. If elected, he said he will continue to keep up the site, blog his thoughts on issues and have an exclusive e-mail newsletter available to any resident who wants to sign up ...
"In my role serving on the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District Policy Committee, I helped write the plan that has brought $425,000 in grant funding and 133% increase in recycling to the City of Avon! The Ohio EPA calls this a model plan for the state of Ohio."
Phone: (440)925-7900
2245 Peregrine Drive, Avon Ohio 44011]
"I get people who think I'm in the know because I ran for council two years ago. They don't know what's going on right now, and I don't think that's right."
Parsons is the director of sales at Pandigital, which is a company that targets products to female customers such as digital picture frames. It is headquartered in Dublin, Calif.
His political background includes serving the last 4 and 1/2 years as the chairman of the finance committee and vice chairman of the finance subcommittee for the Lorain County Solid Waste Policy Committee. He was involved in writing the new Solid Waste Policy for Lorain County that resulted in a large increase in recycling rates and reduction of solid waste going into landfills.
Parsons attended The Ohio State University in 1980 and Ohio University in 1983. He is married and has a 7-year-old daughter.
* Ward, 41, of Ithaca Drive, thinks the most important issue is managing the growth of Avon ...
"There's a lot of challenges that go along with that type of thing like the continuing infrastructure in the city and competing interest in residential and business growth."
The fact that Ward has no political background is what he feels sets him apart from the other candidates ...
He has a bachelor of business administration in accounting degree from Cleveland State University and a master's degree from Boston University. Currently, Ward is a volunteer youth football and wrestling coach. He is a former Army captain. He is married and has three children.''
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