COUNTY REFORM FACT CHECKING

From WCPN 90.3
"In less than a week, Cuyahoga County voters will decide whether to change the structure of their county's government. Issue 6 would replace the current three commissioner system right away and replace it with an elected executive and 11-member council. Supporters say the legislature and executive structure would create a more vigorous system of checks and balances than the county has now. That claim is ridiculed by opponents of Issue 6. ideastream®'s Eric Wellman spoke with Janice Patterson of the Cuyahoga Area League of Women Voters about the competing claims. The League is a non-partisan group that has come out in favor of issue 6 and changing to a county executive." LISTEN HERE

And, on October 18, Janice Patterson also represented the League at the Dean's Forum at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in a debate with someone who opposes Issue 6. You can listen HERE.

FIXING CUYAHOGA COUNTY - YES ON ISSUE 6

Vote YES on Issue 6.


Be sure to scroll all the way down this post.

Cuyahoga County Charter Reform Issues

NOVEMBER 3, 2009 GENERAL ELECTION

I. BALLOT QUESTION # 6 : "Shall a county charter be adopted, providing for an elected county executive, an elected county prosecutor, eleven county council members elected by district, and all other officers appointed by the county executive whose appointments are subject to the confirmation by council and who shall serve at the pleasure of the county exectuive?"

The League of Women Voters recommends: VOTE YES! Here's why:

1. Separation of Legislative (policy-making) from Executive (administrative) powers permits numerous effective checks and balances to hinder or prevent overreaching by a single strong County leader, while providing Ohio's largest county with executive focus and visible, accountable leadership.
2. A Council of 11 will represent the county's diverse districts and have the power to pass ordinances, investigate wrongdoing in the bureaucracy, and debate County policies in the open.
3. Appointing rather than electing 7 of the 8 "row offices" (Recorder, Auditor, Sheriff, Coroner, Engineer, Clerk of Courts and Treasurer) leads to a unified, professionally administered executive branch that greatly reduces patronage, duplication and waste.
4. New safeguards against corruption and abuse of power include mandatory internal audits, centralized employment standards, a code of ethics covering conflicts of interest, a whistle-blower mandate, possible recall elections, and a charter amendment process.
5. Powerful new focus on both economic development and regional collaboration brings limited Home Rule flexibility that will enable new initiatives to reverse county decline.
6. This charter is backed by 53,000 petition signatures and a bipartisan group of political and civic leaders including the League of Women Voters. It is drawn from the best features of the Summit County charter, the 1996 Barber Commission draft, the Municipal League's Model County Charter, and suggestions by the drafting group, municipal law specialists, and other contributors. Diverse opinions were sought, respected and incorporated.

II. BALLOT QUESTION # 5 : "Shall a county charter commission be chosen?"

This question was put on the ballot in mid-July by the County Commissioners, who also support 15 of the 30 candidates running for the 15 Charter Commissioner seats. If this issue passes, the county charter commission must meet the Ohio constitutional mandate to study county government and various options for reform and to draft a charter for voter consideration in November 2010. The 30 candidates will appear on the ballot without political affiliation. The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes this issue or any candidates.

Three studies of Cuyahoga's government structure and operations have taken place since 1995, and nine since 1935. The League of Women Voters has published a brochure detailing its own study findings -- "A Citizen Guide to Cuyahoga County Government," available on line. It is our opinion that another year of study would be a costly delay of reforms already well crafted and ready to go. No one can know what degree of independence or reform the County Commissioners' own panel might produce.

For these reasons, the League of Women Voters recommends: VOTE YES for Issue # 6

-------------------------------- More information: ------------------------

• Proposed Charter
• The League's education brochure, "Citizens Guide to Cuyahoga County Government"
• The League's June 28 Editorial in the Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Summary of charter provisions
• Analysis of the many Checks and Balances the Charter offers
• Frequently Asked Questions can be found HERE.
• Visit the NewCuyahoga website for more background material.
• Be sure to visit the League's "Press Release" section for the latest news and do visit our "Calendar" for all of the public presentations about the Charter Reform Ballot Issues - more are being added every week!
• WVIZ Channel 25 will air a special on Issue 5 and 6: Friday, October 23 at 8:30 pm; Sunday, Oct. 25 at 10:00 am; Questions can be submitted at www.cleveland.com/countyincrisis
  

--------------- Volunteer Opportunities-----------

If you would like to have a yard sign, pass out literature, and/or help out on Election Day, contact LWVCuyAreaOutreach@gmail.com

County and State Ballot Issues - LWV POSITIONS

Cuyahoga County Ballot Issues for the November 3, 2009 Election

Issue 4
The Leagues of Women Voters in Cuyahoga County SUPPORT Issue 4.
Proposed Tax Levy (Replacement and Increase) Cuyahoga Community College District
A majority affirmative vote is necessary for passage

A replacement of 1.6 mills of an existing levy and an increase of 0.3 mill, to constitute a tax for the benefit of the Cuyahoga Community College District for the purpose of providing for payment of operating costs for educational services at a rate not exceeding 1.9 mills for each
one dollar of valuation, which amounts to 19 cents for each one hundred dollars of valuation, for ten years, commencing in 2010, first due in calendar year 2011.

Issue 5
The Leagues of Women Voters in Cuyahoga County have not taken a position on Issue 5.
Proposed Charter Commission County of Cuyahoga
A majority affirmative vote is necessary for passage

Shall a County Charter Commission be Chosen?

Issue 6
The Leagues of Women Voters in Cuyahoga County SUPPORT Issue 6. (see below)
Proposed Charter (By Petition) County of Cuyahoga
A majority affirmative vote is necessary for passage

Shall a county charter be adopted providing for an elected county executive, an elected county prosecutor, eleven county council members elected by district, and all other county officers
appointed by the county executive whose appointments are subject to the confirmation by council and who shall serve at the pleasure of the county executive?

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Ohio Ballot Issues for the November 3, 2009 Election

Issue 1: Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Authorize the State to Issue Bonds to Provide Compensation to Veterans of the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq Conflicts. Read Issue 1 Explanation

Issue 2: Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Create the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board Read Issue 2 Explanation

Issue 3: Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Authorize a Casino in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Toledo, Ohio Read Issue 3 Explanation

Click Here to read the ballot language and more information on the November 2009 Ballot Issues

League of Women Voters of Ohio: Positions on the 2009 General Election Ballot Issues: Click here

--------------- Issue 6 Volunteer Opportunities-----------

If you would like to have an Issue 6 yard sign, pass out literature, and/or help out on Election Day, contact LWVCuyAreaOutreach@gmail.com

View You Tube Video

Citizens Guide to Cuyahoga County Government

Click here to download the guide.

To provide a better understanding of the current government structure in Cuyahoga County, the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area Education Fund, Inc., has published an updated brochure titled “Citizen Guide to Cuyahoga County Government; Past, Present, Future.” This guide includes data from the Governor’s Commission on County Government Reform and the League’s accrued observations, after decades of studying Cuyahoga County government.

You can access an easy-to-print version of the guide by visiting the “Publications” section of the League website, www.LWVCuyahogaArea.org. The introductory mailing is directed to all mayors in Cuyahoga County, county commissioners and elected row officers, governor’s commission members, high school civic departments, local libraries and college and university libraries.

Contents of the Citizen Guide include: county government characteristics, responsibilities of commissioners and other elected officials, organization charts, options available to change county government, a history of change efforts, inadequacies of current form of county government, and more.

The publication of “Citizen Guide to Cuyahoga County Government: Past, Present, Future” is funded by the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area Education Fund Inc., and the Marilyn G. Zack Memorial Fund. For more information, and to order copies of the professionally printed version, contact the League office at 216 781-0555.

LWVO and State Settle Historic Lawsuit

Columbus, Ohio -- The League of Women Voters of Ohio, the League of Women Voters of Toledo-Lucas County, and a dozen Ohio citizens reached a historic agreement with the State of Ohio to fix defects in the way Ohio conducts its federal elections.

“Ohio voters won a great victory today with the settlement of this case which was about giving all eligible Ohio voters the chance to vote in a fair election and have their votes counted", said Meg G. Flack, president of the League of Women Voters of Ohio. “Careful planning and uniform execution of elections was our goal and we believe this agreement achieves that.”

To read the settlement agreement, visit LWV Ohio.

Update LWV Bookmark on Your Web Browser

If you haven’t already done so, please update the bookmark on your web browser for the League of Women Voters Cuyahoga Area: www.LWVCuyahogaArea.org

Openness in Government

Openness in Government: LWVUS Adds to Groundbreaking White House Policy Discussion

On his first day in office, President Obama issued a Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government and called for recommendations for making the federal government more transparent, participatory and collaborative. In late May, the White House kicked off an unprecedented process for public engagement in policymaking on the White House website (www.whitehouse.gov/open). Instead of asking for comments on an already-finished set of draft recommendations, the Administration has sought recommendations from the public and organizations such as the League. The LWVUS participated in the first two of this three-phase process by sharing our experiences and expertise to the online dialogue. We are actively working with Administration officials and allied groups to prepare for the final phase of this groundbreaking process and to see what outcomes it produces.