ISSUES & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

STRONG
HOUSING

A well-maintained housing stock increases property values (and tax base) which benefits everyone. As City Council President, I have consistently advocated for tough enforcement on absentee investors/landlords. I will continue to work with homeowners, connecting them with resources to make needed repairs. Ensuring the foreclosure bond program works as it should to support housing security for everyone in the community.

Housing is our biggest asset and must be protected. To that end:

1. I worked with the court, the prosecutor, and Home Repair Resource Center to develop and put in place a Housing Diversion Program for homeowners that helps them fix their housing violations keeping them out of court.  This program has been a great success.

2. I led the effort to amend the Foreclosure Bond to strengthen it and add a civil enforcement option.

3. I led the effort to amend the Out of County Registry to include a civil enforcement option.

4. I led the effort to amend the Vacant Property Registry to include a civil enforcement option.

5. I supported the Mayor’s budget to staff the Housing inspection team fully.

6. I support the effort to use targeted enforcement to focus on problem properties and problem landlords.

7. I have several pieces of legislation I proposed which came from the Racial Justice Task Force which will improve code enforcement and provide resources to homeowners to correct violations.

RACIAL
EQUITY

Racial equity is at the forefront of my legislative priorities and continues to be considered during every decision I make as Council President. We need to do the work, together, of ending structural racism and removing barriers to opportunity. I believe in Racial Impact statements which are to be done whenever an ordinance is to be enacted or an administrative change made to make sure that what we do as a city does not have a negative racial impact.

My values require me to work for racial equity. To that end:

1. I led the process to amend Pay to Stay legislation to aid tenants to make Pay to Stay permanent.

2. I sponsored the Racial Justice Task Force which has developed plans to alleviate structural racism that affects our community along with Council Members Mike Ungar and Davida Russell. That resolution declared racism to be a public health problem nationally and in Cleveland Heights, in response to the murder of George Floyd.

3. I supported the amendment of the budget to add a splash pad in Denison Park.

4. I supported reforms to the Police Department to end racially disparate enforcement.

5. I supported the change in Civil Service regulations which allows the mayor to look outside the Police and Fire Departments for Chiefs.

6. I will work to implement the changes the Racial Justice Task Force has recommended. Some of those recommendations are to increase the scope of the Fair Practices Commission; establish a more permanent Racial Justice Task Force; and enact housing enforcement ordinances that will help ensure that our rental stock is good housing for tenants and to protect our existing housing stock. After all, housing is our major asset and must be protected.

7. I worked with the court, the prosecutor, and the Home Repair Resource Center to establish a diversion program so that homeowners who occupy their houses but don’t have the funds to repair their home get help and get their houses up to code. The program is working well!
   

   More info. here.

FISCAL
RESPONSIBILITY

Transparency and fiscal accountability are the foundations of strong city leadership. Surplus revenue should be used for infrastructure, as well as reserves. My long-term career in accounting and treasury includes expertise in finance, budgeting, and forecasting that benefits my collaborations with the community, government and business entities to guide my decision making.

As a finance professional I bring that expertise to the table. To that end I have:

1. Served as Finance Committee Chair for 3 years reviewing budgets; changes; and finance agreements for development projects.

2. Worked with the Mayor, City Administrator and Council Vice-President to hold extensive budget hearings over a period of 5 days to examine the Mayor’s proposed budget, which resulted in an amendment to include the splash pad at Denison Park.

3. Presided over the hearing that appointed our new Finance officer.

4. Supported increasing fringe benefits for LGTBQIA+ city employees, making those benefits equivalent to those received by non-LGBTQIA+ employees.

ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT

As City Council President, I have always prioritized economic development over increased taxes as the key to a financially successful future for Cleveland Heights neighborhoods and businesses. We will continue to work with small businesses in all commercial districts to ensure that our policies and leadership are small-business friendly.

On City Council, I have been actively engaged in transforming our city to a more vibrant and growing community. I see Economic Development as a tool to increase the tax base; add to our population; and, to help stabilize our tax rates.

1. I worked to approve and voted for the financing of the Top of the Hill development while getting concessions from the developer to hire locally and to pay prevailing wage. This was a $70+ M project.

2. I was one of two councilmembers who worked with the residents of the Buckingham as part of the Top of the Hill [now called the Ascent] project, which is a building right next to the construction project, to try and make the building period less stressful for them.

3. I worked with the CH-UH School Board and Council to approve the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook Development which is now under construction. This will be a $60+ M project.

4. I worked with the Planning and Development Chair, Rev. Anthony Mattox, around the Park Synagogue, Taylor Tudor, and Carmelite projects that are in planning stages.

5. When I heard the Park Synagogue sale was pending, I notified the local community group where the Synagogue is located, and that group started an effort that has led to collaboration between the city and several other entities to create a neighborhood friendly development on the synagogue’s property.

6. I sponsored the amendment of the MetroHealth expansion at Severance so that Millikin Woods was preserved as much as possible.

7. I serve on the Control Board which has zoning control over Severance Center. We have developed a vision for Severance and are working to improve that property.

8. I supported the funding of infill housing efforts in Caledonia and other areas of the city to strengthen our neighborhoods.

9. I supported the Community Development Corporations and other non-profits like Home Repair Resource Center, FutureHeights and Start Right so that city dollars can be used for projects that private non-profits are better suited to undertake.

10. I championed adding non-discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community in all development agreements, as well as local hiring and prevailing wage commitments for each project.

11. I voted against the Noble Station project along with four (4) other council members because the community opposed the project and because the building design would likely have had a negative impact on home values near it.

STRONG PUBLIC SCHOOLS

It is important for the city and the educational system to continue working together on issues in order to maintain strong public schools.  For schools to stay strong, housing must stay strong and there must be economic development, both are needed to maintain and grow the tax base.  Good public schools are needed to attract people to live here. I pledge to do whatever I can to keep our public schools strong.
More info. here.

Board of Education Approves Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook Compensation Agreement

Statement from the CH-UH Board of Education:

Nov. 19, 2022 -- The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools unanimously approved the school compensation agreement associated with the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook project on Saturday, November 19, 2022. This vote indicates the board's unwavering support for projects that enhance the economic vitality of the city.  

The Board firmly believes that productive collaboration with city leaders on projects that benefit our community is essential. In the future, we expect the Board will be included as a partner in the collaborative development of compensation agreements.  

We appreciate the leadership of Cleveland Heights City Council – and especially Council President Melody Joy Hart – for understanding why double-taxation is not in the best interest of our residents. We accept City Council’s good faith commitment to come to an agreement outside of the TIF.

The Mayor made a written and verbal commitment to refrain from charging the citizens of Cleveland Heights fees for the use of athletic facilities for CH-UH sports teams. We appreciate this commitment and are confident that the Mayor will honor this agreement with a finalized facilities agreement that does not charge the school district for the use of city facilities. Ending this practice would bring our district and city in line with all of the cities and suburbs around us.

SAFETY

As Council President, I take seriously the protection of our residents from unfair and oppressive encroachments from forces outside our city. To that end:

1. I supported banning conversion therapy in the City of Cleveland Heights and sponsored a resolution that passed letting the legislature know that we, in Cleveland Heights, support the bill proposed (HB 420) at the State House to make the banning of such therapy statewide.

2. I supported the Ohio Fairness Act (HB 132) and sponsored a resolution that the council passed to let the State legislature know that we want the state anti-discrimination laws extended to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

3. I sponsored a resolution jointly with the Mayor and all council members condemning the attack on Israel by Hamas and calling on the residents of the city to stand behind our local Jewish population.

4. I co-sponsored and supported a resolution letting the legislature know that we in Cleveland Heights oppose HB 245 which suppresses the freedom of expression for the LGBTQIA+ community.

TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT

A government that works for the people and shares information openly is central to a strong, engaged community.  As a city council member, connections to residents have always been key to my decision making. Since becoming council president, this included holding open budget meetings so residents could ensure their needs and values were reflected in city spending.

I have served as a leader in many capacities and have been President of Council since January 2022. As President:

1. I was elected unanimously to the role of Council President.

   1. I planned and provided more extensive training for Council members than any Council in recent history has had, including:

      Orientation sessions with each director explaining their department roles and responsibilities and answering council questions.

      Session with the Law Director on the role of council and of the mayor.

      A session with former Mayors and council members from two other similar local cities to discuss council roles and administration roles.

      Individual ride-alongs with the police.

      ½ day visioning retreat, ½ day role setting retreat, 2 retreats on council relations.

      Attendence at a session and at a several day conference of the Ohio Municipal League.

2. I led the effort that maintained Civil Service status for the Chiefs in the Police and Fire Departments.

3. Set agendas, meet with council members as needed, meet with administration weekly, and preside over Council and Committee of the Whole.

4. Appointed Committee assignments and Chairs.

5. Established a new budget process with the Mayor, Vice President, and City Administrator.

6. Presided over the hiring of the first Council Clerk under the Mayoral system and oversee that function.

7. Presided over and supported the appointment of Gail Larson to her Council seat.

8. Presided over all the Budget hearings.

9. I serve in a leadership role on the Cleveland Heights Democrats and as Precinct Leader for my Precinct – 2B, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Democratic Party.

10. As Council President I serve on the Board of the Cedar Fairmount Special Improvement District; the Controlling Board over Zoning at Severance; Finance Committee, and Community Investment Corporation of the city.

11. I attend Special Improvement District meetings to help support local businesses.