New County Government

"Thanks to the wisdom of 234,349 voters last November, Cuyahoga County has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild its government virtually from scratch. The challenge is huge: Create a new structure that will deliver services efficiently and humanely, foster desperately needed economic growth and be a model of civic cooperation." Cleveland Plain Dealer Editorial 1/31/10

"A dozen committees will rethink the work of Cuyahoga County governance... More than 1,000 community volunteers have signed up to work on the transition -- a testament to the importance that ordinary citizens attach to this task."

"The transition group needs to produce a proposal for reorganization by fall, in time to present it to the newly elected leaders and to make sure outgoing officials can approve measures to assure needed continuity. It also should generate ideas not just on short-term operations, but on long-term ways to rethink independent agencies, intergovernmental relations and even state or federal mandates. If that interests you, there's still time to volunteer at":
cuyahogacounty.us

Another Plain Dealer article from January 29, 2010, outlines, in detail, the structure of the effort

Sec of State Jennifer Brunner Headlines LWV Event

Jennifer Brunner, Ohio’s Secretary of State, is the featured speaker at the League of Women Voters’ First Thursdays, the League’s meeting series open to the public free of charge. Titled “A View From the Top,” Brunner’s talk is set for February 4, 2010, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, at Trinity Commons at Trinity Cathedral, 2230 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland. There is free parking for attendees behind the Cathedral off Prospect Avenue. MORE

Susan Jankite Named G.A.L. of the Year

Lakewood resident and Attorney at Law Susan Jankite has been named “2009 G.A.L. of the Year” by the G.A.L. (Guardian ad Litem) Project of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. Guardian ad Litem literally means “guardian at law.” A G.A.L. is an attorney appointed by the Juvenile Court to advocate for the best interests of a child (or, in some instances, an adult) in a juvenile court proceeding. Currently there are approximately 100 qualified G.A.L.’s who have received special training from the G.A.L. Project. MORE

Regionalism Update

In the flurry of County government reform, which gave our Cleveland region a better engine for cross-jurisdictional collaboration, you may have gotten the impression that our Regionalism interest is on hold. Not so. The Northeast Ohio "Regional Prosperity Initiative" (www.neo-rpi.org) has produced detailed interim reports and final to-do lists on a 16-county plan for regional land use planning and "New Growth Tax-base Sharing." The latter proposal is expected out in its final form by late March.

Additionally, the "Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration" (www.ohioreformandcollaboration.org) is working hard to craft legislative carrots and/or sticks to make these and other collaborations more advantageous and achievable statewide.

LWV Cuyahoga Area regionalism program positions* have already been adopted by two other League chapters and, through additional presentations, LWV Cuyahoga Area will be encouraging more League chapters to adopt the regionalism program positions. It is because of program positions that the League is able to do advocacy work.

For additional information about the Regional Prosperity Initiative, visit their website.

A new "Google Group" on Regionalism has been established by LWV Ohio. It will facilitate communication between League members across the state. If members have information on regionalism to be shared or are interested in being a resource to Barbara Guy, Google Group facilitator and member of the LWV Shaker Heights, please contact the state office at 1-877-LWVO-OHIO (1-877-598-6446).

*To learn more about LWV Cuyahoga Area's program and how it adopts positions, visit: www.lwvcuyahogaarea.org/program.html

LWV Celebrates 90th Anniversary

League Through the Decades

Since the beginning, when the League was created in 1920—just six months before women won the right to vote—League members promoted full participation of citizens in our democracy because they understood that’s what it takes to build a strong democracy. League members walk in the footsteps of those early pioneers. Thanks to the work they started, the League has become one of the most influential organizations in America and around the world with nearly 850 local and state Leagues in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and more than 150,000 members and supporters.