Serving the City of Brook Park and its more than 19.000 ... · Doug Flannery Urges Vote NO My fellow taxpayers, I am writ-ing this letter to let you know about the recent good news

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Our Hometown NewsP.O. Box 42187Brook Park, Ohio 44142

Serving the City of Brook Park and its more than 19.000 ResidentsOctober 24, 2014 Vol. No. 31, Issue 6

PERSONAL FROM THE EDITORby Tom Greenlee

Welcome to everyone, as you can see this issue is a special election issue. Once again we are featuring a representative person to present both sides of the school tax issue #2 so that you can decide which way you will vote.

This issue features many of our helping city organizations that are featuring their programs for the coming holiday season when so many of our residents need help. We hope you will do all you can to support these organiza-tions with funds as you are able.

In addition to the Berea schools tax issue there are still the issue of the closing of the fire station leaving the residents and thou-sands of workers on the west side of the city with less than adequate protection of life and property.

Another major problem facing the residents is the action of our mayor as he continues to insist that he will settle for nothing less than his whole grand wish list of. exorbitantly expensive projects that the city just can’t afford at this time. The mayor seems to be out of touch with the residents desires on these financial issues. He has even indicated he doesn’t care how the residents vote on the fire station issue, he is the mayor and no one including council or the people can force him to enforce an ordinance toopen the station.

We are very pleased to have more and more of you partici-pating in this, your community paper. We publish for you and we love to hear what you have to say in your articles and letters. We will print any thing you send to us even if you choose to criti-cize us, that’s your right to do so.

City Finances - p7

Ghizzoni - p5

SPECIAL ELECTION ISSUEVOTERS ASKED TO DECIDE ON NEW PROPERTY AND

INCOME TAX ISSUESThe goal of this newspaper is to provide the information to the residents necessary for them to be able make intelligent decisions on

important city issues. This requires that both sides on an issue, those for and those against, have an opportunity to present their position to you without any editing or changes by us. On Tuesday November 4th there is a general election involving issue #2,a request by the Berea City School District for a new property tax increase of 3.9 mills. For a $100,000 home this would cost the property owner about $122.00 per year. We are pleased that Ryan Ghizzoni, the BCSD Treasurer has come forward to present the case for the schools.We have also added three articles from residents in Brook Park who urge the voters to vote yes on issue #2

Taking the position of urging the voters to vote no is Doug Flannery a Brook Park resident. You may remember that it was Doug who also uged a no vote on both City tax issues an the special election on August 5th..

On November 4, voters living in the Berea City School District will have to make a choice on Issue 2 – a 3.9 mill operating levy critical to keeping our schools financially stable, and educationally on track.

Today, quality schools are more important than ever. Maintaining comprehensive, well-rounded education provides our kids with greater opportunities, and improves our communities.

Unfortunately, our primary sources of funding have been dramatically reduced over the past few years. Because of

declining property values, our schools have lost 17% in real estate valuations since 2007—which has ultimately cost our schools a permanent loss of over $2.2 million. We have also lost $2.25 million in state reimbursements, and are at risk of losing another $8.7 million.

We understand the expectations of our residents, which is why we have looked for every possible cost savings—just as they would. We have eliminated hundreds of staff positions, froze employees’ base pay, cut our projected salary

Ryan Ghizzoni Urges Vote YES

Doug Flannery Urges Vote NO

My fellow taxpayers, I am writ-ing this letter to let you know about the recent good news that you may have missed. In the 10 October 2014 edition of the Sun News, the Berea City School Dis-trict Superintendent said that he could balance the next couple of years’ budgets without the levy. “This is not about the survival of the school district over the next several years.” If this levy isn’t necessary to balance the BCSD’s budget, then why do we need to pass it? He said that he thinks it would be better to invest more in the future and also wants to rebuild the BCSD’s reserves. The district is already projecting a $4.3 million surplus for 2015. Isn’t that enough? If the district wants even more money to invest and rebuild, then it should cut back on its expenses and keep those additional savings in reserve, rather than take our hard earned money that we have already saved for our own futures. This is exactly what each of us would have to do if we wanted to build up our bank accounts. Why should the government school sys-tem be any different?

The BCSD claimed to have diminishing revenue in Inspiring Excellence - Summer 2014.

“We have seen a nearly 17% decline in the valuations in just the past 7 years. As a result, our schools now expect a permanent revenue loss of over $2.2 million due to the decline of property values, plus another $2.25 million in state tax reimbursements ”

Page S18 of the 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) (submitted to the State of Ohio) shows that “Total Tax Collections” for 2008 were $60.6 million and $62.5 million in 2012 (the most recent year available). It doesn’t seem as though the “nearly 17% decline in valuations” have shrunk the taxes collected by the schools. In fact, the Fiscal Year 2014 Five-Year Forecast that the BCSD,

submitted to the State of Ohio, it stated (on line 2080) that “total revenues and other funding sources” were $78.4 million in 2011, $81 million in 2014, and will be $82.8 million in 2018. According to Fitch Ratings, the BCSD is projecting a surplus for 2015. Here is a portion of their assessment.

“The district’s October 2014 five-year (2015-2019) cash-basis forecast projects balanced operations through fiscal 2017. The district is projecting a notable improvement in financial operations in fiscal 2015, resulting in a $4.3 million surplus, which improves the ending cash balance to $6.6 million or 8.3% of spending.

Projected growth in fiscal 2015 is primarily driven by an increase in property tax revenue ($1.3 million) and state aid.

While it may be true that a few specific BCSD revenue sources are declining, overall revenue is up and is projected to keep going up in the future and create a surplus. The district’s newsletter leaves the reader with the misleading impression that it has less money than in previous years and is set to get even less in the future, when in fact it is telling the State of Ohio the exact opposite. How can a “permanent revenue loss of over $2.2 million due to the decline of property valuations” result in “an increase in property tax revenue of $1.3 million” in FY 2015?

I completely agree with the superintendent, the property tax hike is completely unnecessary for the fiscal survival of the school district. I also completely agree with him when he says that the district needs to invest in the future and rebuild its reserves. I

Flannery - p7

Great News for the City Finances

Rome wasn’t built in a day and Brook Park can not be rebuilt in one year, but great strides have been made beginning last year to end our chronic annual structural deficits.

For over a year this paper has been keeping the residents aware of the financial condition of the city. At last we have a chance to say the city seems to have seen the light at the end of the tunnel. The huge drain on the city due to spending too much with too little money .that has been true in the past now seems to have been stopped,

From the financial infor-

mation now available we are able to see that 2012 was probably the low point for the city, so if we stay the course and don’t go overboard again with new spending,.we will be able to work our way out of these structural deficits and once again be in a surplus for the year without cutting services or asking for new taxes.

When you hear the Finance Director and the Mayor speaking of “Structural Deficits” they are saying that there is a deficit in the city’s General Fund. This is the account that is used to operate

Have a Happy and

Safe Halloween!Oct. 31 • 6-8 PM

Page 2 Our Hometown News October 2014

A BROOK PARK FIRE FIGHTERS CHRISTMAS

The Brook Park Fire Fighters, IAFF Local 1141 are currently accepting nominations for families to be considered for our Christmas for Others program. This is our program to help a deserving Brook Park family enjoy the holidays. If you would like to nominate a family that you believe will benefit from some outside support this Christmas season please send the information to:

The Brook Park Fire Fighters, IAFF 1141Attention: CFO Program

P.O. Box 42313Cleveland, OH 44142

Please provide us with a short narrative explaining why you are nominating the family. We will also need some basic information about the family:

• Name and address of the family• Number of children, along with ages and gender• Contact information of the family or person placing the

nomination.

Nominations need to be submitted to us by November 28, 2014 for consideration. Thank you for your help in this program.

Redeemer Lutheran Church,

Brook Park OHPortable Food Pantry

On blustery, cold and rainy Saturday, October 18th, 177 households containing 525 individuals were served through the Greater Cleveland Food Bank’s MOBILE FOOD PANTRY at RLCBP.

The excellent selection of food included fresh pears, green peppers, radishes, onions, cabbage, carrots, potatoes, snap peas, collard greens and assorted bakery.

Thanks to all the volunteers from Brook Park churches and... other helping organizations that make this event so much fulfilling fun for everyone! Despite the weather, we had a great number of volunteers. All had warm hearts even though they had cold and wet hands.

Saturday, November 15, will be the last mobile pantry at RLCBP until we resume on the third Saturday in March. We will try to do as much as possible inside, but this will bring its own challenges. Volunteers, if you can bring a dolly, please do. Volunteers also plan to stay for a surprise thanks!

at Brook Park Community Church16845 Holland Road, Brook Park

(216) 433-1515

DECEMBER 14TH, 20141:00PM - 6:00PM

Audrey's Outreach will have a Christmas Giveaway to help out families in the Berea School District and surrounding communities*

• To sign up for a time slot: call or stop by during Food Pantry hours starting in November. (Mondays 11am-2pm & Thursdays 4pm-7pm)

• This event is for parents, grandparents and caregivers to get items for children ages birth-18years old.

• No children are allowed to attend!

• You must bring a driver license to check in.

• Whatever donations (used or new) we received from the community will be put out. Items are provided free of charge and are not intended for resale!

• Volunteers will be there to help you pick out items and wrap your gifts.

*Brook Park, Berea, Middleburg Heights, Parma, Parma Heights, Westside of Cleveland, Strongsville, Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Township, North Olmsted, Fairview Park, and Brooklyn. All other cities will be put on a wait list and we will go down the list in order to fill open time slots.

Christmas Tree Sponsors WantedThe Brook Park Beautification & Pride Committee is once again looking for support from individuals and businesses by offering an opportunity to sponsor a decorated cut Christmas tree to help enhance and bring joy for the upcoming holidays. The trees are displayed at the Community Center, 17400 Holland Road, from the Sunday after Thanksgiving until the Sunday after New Years. The cost is $75 and each sponsor’s name will be on a sign with the tree and spotlighted. If interested, contact Cathy McCutcheon at 440-979-0681.

Free Senior LunchThursday, November 20

at 11:30am - 1:00pmBrook Park Community

Church 16845 Holland Road

Community MealSaturday, December 6

at 4:00pm - 6:30pmBrook Park Community

Church 16845 Holland Road

Christmas GiveawaySunday, December 14at 1:00pm - 6:00pm

Brook Park Community Church

16845 Holland Road

Audrey’s Outreach will have a Christmas Giveaway to help out families in the Berea School District and surrounding communities*

To sign up for a time slot: call or stop by during Food Pantry hours starting in November. (Mondays 11am-2pm & Thursdays 4pm-7pm)

This event is for parents, grandparents

and caregivers to get items for children ages birth-18years old.– NO children are allowed to attend!– You must bring a driver license to check

in.– Whatever donations (used or new)

we received from the community will be put out. Items are provided free of charge and are not intended for resale!

– Volunteers will be there to help you

pick out items and wrap your gifts.

*Brook Park, Berea, Middleburg Heights, Parma, Parma Heights, Westside of Cleveland, Strongsville, Olmsted Falls, Olmsted Township, North Olmsted, Fairview park and Brooklyn.

All other cities will be put on a wait list and we will go down the list in order to fill open time slots.

October 2014 Our Hometown News Page 3

Richard A. Goulder, Attorney at Law

Administration of guardianships and estates Preparation of wills, healthcare powers of attorney and financial powers of attorney Divorce and dissolution of marriage Bankruptcy

Located in Brook Park 15887 Snow Road, Suite 301 (216) 676-6800

Free initial consultation Highest Martindale-Hubbell rating for more than 30 years for honesty and integrity

Russell Horner is a life-long Brook Park resident and currently works at a large public company Park-Ohio Industries, Inc. as their Director of Planning/Forecasting and Global Treasury Management. Russell is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and also holds many other certifications such as: Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified in Financial Forensics and is a licensed Private Investigator in the State of Ohio.

Russell is married to Debbie and has three children, Chris, Becca and Alex.

Horner’s CornerBy: Russell Horner

I would like to thank everyone for their comment, either written or on the phone. It confirms that the

people of Brook Park truly care about their City!!! You can send your questions or comments to 21858 Forestview Circle, Brook Park, Ohio 44142 or call me at 440-243-0571. My wonderful wife Debbie will take a message if I am not available or you can leave it on my answering machine.

Forecasting to Help Save Money

Forecasting is defined as…. “To estimate or predict in advance future events or conditions”. The most common forecast watched or used by all of us daily are the weather forecasts. Of course in Cleveland, it is more of a guess or a flip of the “Coyne”, as to what the weather will be like tomorrow. This month I want to look at forecasting the future price of some common food items we all usually purchase. As a starting point for forecasting future food prices, you should begin by looking at the commodity future price indexes. Commodity “Futures” are contracts to buy or sell a commodity in the future at a fixed price. This future price is generally based upon the supply and demand of the commodity being bought or sold.

Let’s look at corn as an example. This year’s corn crop was excellent and the supply of corn is near an all-time high. The demand for corn is relatively unchanged so when looking at the current corn prices, they are low. Actually, they are nearly 25 percent lower than they were last year at this time. So now let us look at the Corn “Futures” index to forecast the price of corn in the future. The current price of corn is $343.25 a bushel. The “futures” quote in March of 2015 (6 months in the future) is $345.25. This small increase of $2.00 or .006 percent will tell you that the price of food products using corn should be pretty much the same as today.

Food items such as Beef, Pork, Dairy Items, Sugar, Coffee, Chocolate and

Vegetables can all be estimated based on the future index approach that I just explained. In addition to food, the cost of clothing can also be estimated by looking at the future index of cotton or wool. Although there are many other factors when “predicting” the future prices of anything, you can pretty easily predict the price direction by looking at these indexes. Below I have listed the current prices of several commodity items and the 6-month “future” prices.

Barley- Current Price- $129.63Future (April-2015)- $163.40Increase $33.77 or 26.1 %

Sugar- Current Price- $16.44Future (April-2015)- $18.21Increase $1.77 or 9.7 %

Coffee- Current Price- $220.20Future (March-2015)- $226.10 Increase $5.90 or 2.6 %

Wool- Current Price- $1,030.00Future (April-2015)- $1,056.87Increase $26.87 or 2.6 %

Cocoa- Current Price- $3,020.00Future (March-2015)- $3,058.00

Increase $38.00 or 1.2 %

Corn- Current Price- $343.25Future (March-2015)- $345.25Increase $2.00 or 0.6 %

Tea- Current Price- $235.78Future (April-2015)- $223.41Decrease ($12.37) or (5.5) %

Cattle (Beef)- Current Price- $168.05Future (April-2015)- $164.73Decrease ($3.32) or (2.0) %

Hogs (Pork)- Current Price- $95.18Future (April-2015)- $92.80

Decrease ($2.38) or (2.6) %

Wheat- Current Price- $507.75 Future (March-2015)- $503.25Decrease ($4.50) or (0.9) %

In summary of the items analyzed above, we can expect a large increase in Barley over the next six months, with modest increases in sugar and coffee. We should see price decreases in beef, pork and tea.

So based on the above, if sugar and coffee are on sale, you should stock up on these two items. Conversely, you should only purchase beef and pork as needed since prices are forecasted to decrease over the next six months.

Although this forecasting technique may seem complicated, it is really quite simple with the internet and a calculator. There are many FREE internet sites that can give you the current and future commodity prices. Just search for “Commodity Market” and you will have several sites to choose from. I used the site located at www.indexmundi.com/commodities for the data included in this article. This may be a way for you to save a few bucks on items that you will always be purchasing.

NOTE: Although I have received many letters and phones calls regarding the events taking place in the City, I have chosen one to share with you. Please note that my response is the same regardless of the specific problem or concern.

Dear Mr. Horner: I have attended a few recent council meetings and I am disgusted with the lack of involvement or genuine concern from the long-time councilmen. Furthermore, I have noticed that there are only 2 or 3 council members who seem to ask questions or challenge the Mayor. What can I do to

really have my displeasure heard by Council?

You need to let them know how you are feeling. You can call ANY Council member and tell them how you feel about their actions or lack thereof. Below I have listed the contact number for all the councilmembers. Remember, Councilmembers are elected by the people and they should be working for YOU. Your opinion on how they are performing is critical in them taking action. If you feel that there are Councilmembers doing nothing but agreeing to the Mayor, then you must tell them that you don’t approve. Council President- Dennis Patten- 440-669-2440, Councilman Tom Troyer- 216-265-9159, Councilwoman Jan Powers- 216-676-4372, Councilman Jim Mencini- 216-267-4432, Councilman Brian Higgins- 216-267-4709, Councilman Carl Burgio- 216-676-6458, Councilman Tony D’Amico- 216-235-0841 and Councilman Rick Salvatore- 216-267-2742. As a resident, calling them is the best way to promote action by a Councilmember. I just recently told my Ward Council how I wanted him to prepare legislation to reduce the salaries of ALL elected officials. After he thanked me for discussing with him, he told me that he would consider it……Thank you Councilman Troyer for your consideration.

P.O. Box42187 • Brook Park, Ohio 44142216-676-0202

email: [email protected] • Editor: Tom Greenlee

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EDITORIALS & LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

In My OpinionIs There Anyone Willing to Lead?

By Russell Horner

With all the chaos and issues occurring in our City, I wonder who will eventually rise to the top and become our next leader? Most often times the leader(s) will rise from a senior Council position due their having the most experience with the items affecting the City. However, as I look at our current Council, there are senior members who have experience with the City, however, I don’t see any of them rising to the top. Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 once stated….”The art of leadership is saying no, not saying yes”. “It is very easy to say yes.” The next leader must understand what the people are concerned with, what the people want and most importantly, what the people need. They may not be able to make any meaningful impact considering the mindset of the current administration and senior council hinderance, but they must take that first step. There has never been a better time for our next leader to come forward and begin working to earn the trust of the City residents.

Page 4 Our Hometown News October 2014

“Charity Begins At Home”I would like B.P. residents to take a little different meaning from this phrase and

consider donating all your good unneeded Cloths, Toys, Non-perishable Food Items to AUDRY’S OUTREACH in Brook Park @ 16845 Holland Rd. (216) 433-1515 instead of some other box or truck organization because your donation will be distributed locally.

Thanks for your consideration.Tom Troyer

I Will Be Voting NO on Both Tax Levies on the November Ballot.

With our entire country in such dire financial straits the schools must learn to live within their budgets just like we have had to.

The Berea School District has lost student population for many years now, so why ask for more money with fewer students.

Ask a teacher to explain the “STEP PROGRAM” to you. Teachers do not consider this a raise. Each step represents one year of seniority and is accompanied by a substantial raise, about $1,000 per year. When did your union, if you were lucky enough to have one, ever get you a deal like that?

Jan Powers, Councilwoman Ward 3

“Give the People Knowledge”

Do you know that: We are a city of 19,212 people and we pay our Mayor $110,000 per year plus benefits. Other Ohio cities ranging in size from 12,600 to 44,700 pay their Mayors from $5,000 up to $49,000. Mayfield Heights has a 19,155 population and they pay their Mayor $49,000 plus one dollar to act as Safety Director Interestingly, both Kirtland and Waite Hill, two of our wealthiest communities, have Mayors that serve with NO compensation.Do you know that: We pay our Safety Director $93,000 plus benefits.Do you know that: If we cut salaries across the board we would be doing a lot to get our finances under control. If our Mayor were paid one dollar be our Safety Director that savings alone would fund all our senior services and leave us with money to put in the bank.Do you know that : We pay our salaried people (whose pay is based on working a 52 week year) vacation days and sick days. Technically they cannot be paid those days because those days are already figured into their pay. So, what to do? ? ? They “bank” those days until retirement and then they get all those sick days and vacation days in a huge payout.Do you know that: Most of our city employees have a $700 a year clothing allowance to buy civilian clothes.Do you know that: Our city is in such dire financial straits that we cannot provide a bus for our elderly or disabled citizens to go to the doctor or grocery store.On a lighter note: I have started an adult drop in center at Redeemer Lutheran Church at 6151 Smith Rd. from 9:30am until 12:30pm every Thursday. All adults are welcome, as retirement starts well before the official senior age. Coffee, Conversation, meeting new and old friends, games, exercise, travel, eat out etc. We are in the development stage and all ideas are good ideas. Please join us.I have been busy this month trying to get snow plowing contacts. I ask for the snow plow list with your name phone number and address so I could set up zones for snow plowing. Since I haven’t been able to get that information, I decided to give you a list of companies who are willing to offer you a group discount.Legend Lawn Care , Mickie, 216-403-3762III Point Landscaping , Kurt Waite 216-392-7234Protect a Deck and More, Gary Betts 440-243-2845Grounds by Coffey, John Coffey 216-941-3737If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at 216-676-4372.Thank You,Jan PowersCouncilwoman, Ward 3

Paid for by Committee to Elect Jan Powers, Jan Powers Treasurer, 16110 Harrison Dr, 44142 216-676-4372

Yes On Issue 2To the Editor:

One of the reasons I am choosing to support Issue 2 on Election Day is because of the honesty of the slogan – “Helps Our Kids, Helps Us All”. I know that good teachers, up-to-date textbooks and technology, and safe buses are all things that help my kids and ALL kids succeed today. And I know that schools that are stable financially and on-track educationally help keep my property values up, attract new business and residents, and bolster our economy in the long run. These are truths, and they make good sense to me.

Most residents of Brook Park understand the challenges our economy has faced over the last decade or so. The Berea City Schools have seen it too. I’ve read the information available on the school district website and the numbers don’t lie. Our schools are feeling the effects of the economy we’re all dealing with and have lost millions in revenue. They are doing their best to cut costs, but financial stability will only come with our community’s support. That is why I am choosing to vote FOR Issue 2 on Election Day.

Mrs. Becky ConroyBrookpark

Petition Drive SuccessfulBy Tom Greenlee

In spite of the total hostility and every possible attempt to prevent it by the senior controlling members of council and the mayor, the committee for the opening of fire station #2 was wildly successful. In just 6 short days a dedicated group of fifteen residents went out into the city and collected 977 additional signatures of voters to put the issue of reopening the fire station on the west side of the city on the February 4th special election ballot.

The three new members of council: Troyer Ward 1, Mencini Ward 2, and Powers Ward 3 were solidly behind the effort to restore the quality of fire and EMT service to our residents on the far west side but they were unable to stop the controlling members of D’Amico, Salvatore, Burgio and Higgins from setting up every possible roadblock to keep the residents from having the right to vote on reopening the closed fire station..

Everyone knows it was the policy of our former mayor to maintain the station on Ruple Pkwy and had planned to remodel and modernize the station so that it could accommodate our fire department ladder truck that was unable to be housed at the main station on Holland Rd. because of its size, It seems to be a mystery of what has happened to that ladder truck. Some have said it has been loaned to Middleburg Hts, some say it is now sitting somewhere gaining rust and is unusable, in any case it is not available to fight the fires for which it was originally purchased since the remodeling to house it has been stopped and mayor Coyne closed the station in May.

We have all heard of the phrase “rubber stamp” which is usually applied to councilpersons who blindly do what ever a mayor wants. That is what is so surprising about this whole fire station closing, without a sound from the members who were on council last year. It has been just one year since the council voted in June last year unanimously for Ord #9840-2013 for the upgrades and renovation to Fire Station #2, which Mayor Elliott stated he had set aside in the budget to spend $150, 000. The motion to adopt was made by then councilman Colonna and supported by councilman Burgio it was adopted unanimously which included yes by councilman Salvatore. Both of these men are now actively supporting the decision of the mayor to close that same station they voted last year for $150,000 to remodel. Neither of these councilmen have come forward to explain how the station they just voted to expand and remodel under one mayor, they now support closing under another mayor just one year later.

When the petition committee originally presented sufficient signatures approved by the Board of Elections to place the opening of the fire station for the voters approval, these men joined in not sending the issue to the ballot in November and then agreed to so amend the petition that it forced the committee to go out and get an additional 10% more signatures in just 10 days. Everyone knew that was an impossibility and the petition would fail for lack of signatures. But NO ONE anticipated the dedication of the people working to restore their families and property safety. AND NO ONE anticipated how strongly all of our residents everywhere in our city supported reopening the station. Not only did the committee obtain the necessary additional 10% in 10 days, they did the impossible of obtaining almost an additional 20% in just 6 days. That record approval by all the residents in every section of the city demonstrates how far out of touch these controlling senior members of council and the mayor are with what the residents want.

The residents spoke loudly and clearly that they didn’t elect this council to burden them down with additional property and income taxes, close down fire stations and cut off senior services, privatize rubbish pick up, privatize ambulance service, close the recreation center and reduce our police and fire personnel. They elected this council to restore the kind of city that we have always had that they are proud of and which made us the 5th safest city in Ohio. Our 3 new ward council persons, Troyer, Mencini and Powers understand that and are working hard to accomplish that goal without loading the residents down with huge quantities of new taxes and greatly reduced services.

October 2014 Our Hometown News Page 5

EDITORIALS & LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Are Mayor and Council In It For Money

Call your Mayor and Council to vote for the snowplowing. Let’s see how they vote? Ar

Recent Failure of 2 Issues on Ballot on August 5

To: Tom Greenlee - Editor, Our Hometown News

As a long time resident of Brook Park I am very upset as to what is happening in our city. When Tom Coyne was our mayor last, my husband and I were both working and our kids were in school. We voted for every school levy, library levy, and most every property tax levy. We were both working and the economy was good. Now the kids are grown and gone and we are retired and on a fixed income. Now decisions as to where our money goes are made every month to make every penny count. A ‘mere’ 43 cents a day adds up to almost $13/month and that could be the cost of a prescription, gas for the car or just milk and bread. While issue #2 does not affect my husband and me, it will affect one of my kids who also have a home in Brook Park. Both my kids have had their salaries frozen and no pay increases this year.

Today’s economy is not good. I am tired of hearing Mayor Coyne referring back to when he was mayor of this city. The older residents of Brook Park remember when the city’s coffers had the money it needed to make street repairs and maintain the recreation center. We remember because we were the residents who voted for the levies because we had jobs with decent wages and regular raise increases. But, unfortunately, that time is long gone and not just Brook Park, but the whole country is suffering from an economic downturn. Most of us would be happy to just maintain what we currently have. The mayor should not presume to think that the residents of Brook Park do not know the financial condition of the city. Many residents who could pay the various tax levies back in 2007 and the earlier years when Coyne was in office are now retired and most likely on fixed incomes. Many probably were forced to retire due to downsizing. Now they are struggling to maintain what they have and most likely are helping their kids and/or grandkids with financial aid and college debt.

I believe most seniors would be willing to make reasonable cuts to senior programs if need be. Now on top of the two issues that failed on August 5th, and which the mayor has said ‘doomed’ our city, we have to think about the next ballot date in November and that the failed two issues may be on it along with two more levies (one for Berea City Schools and one for Cuyahoga Community College District). A total of $369 a year more to pay out if all 4 pass certainly adds up to more than ‘super sizing a fast food meal’ that the mayor remarked in one of the mailings the residents received recently. I hope the mayor and his staff can come up with some creative thinking before the November ballots. Our residents should not be bullied into voting for tax increases they cannot afford.

Thank you,Barbara CammerataBrook Park

Mayor Ruining Brook ParkLetter to the Editor:

When is the Mayor going to stop retaliating against us and stop throwing his temper tantrums? Most of the seniors voted for him and this is how he thanks them.

Why are a few people getting their garbage picked up on their regular garbage day and also on Saturday, Sunday, Holidays and “Labor Day” by using an old garbage truck with two employees. Also sometimes blue cans are picked up on rubbish only week for certain people. (Misuse of Funds).

I have lived in Brook Park 48 years and loved Brook Park until now. I would tell people Brook Park was a wonderful place to live in but - - - - -- “Not anymore!”

Mayor you are ruining Brook Park.

Isn’t Council supposed to represent the people that elected them in?

Curious Citizen

Geography of Fire SafetyTo the Editor:

The geography of the city of Brook Park is quite amazing for a suburban city. It is larger than either nearby Berea or Middleburg Hts. It has a larger population than either of them. Each of those cities has one central fire station to serve smaller populations. Brook Park has 19,212 residents with only one fire station located on Holland Road. Fire station #2 was designated to serve the needs of residents, NASA Glenn facility and aerospace industries to assure a safe environment.

The configuration of the west end neighborhood is complex. There are two entities of “west-enders” the near west end and the far west end. The near west end includes more than six residential streets running northward from Sheldon Road. The far west end neighborhood begins at the intersection of Aerospace Parkway and Ruple Road. Residents live on seven streets in this area. The two sections are bi-sected by the airport runways. Fire station #2 was centered between these two neighborhoods. In addition to these residential areas there is the Arcadia apartment complex on Sheldon with more than 500 people.

NASA’s 1600 civil servant employees and supporting contracting units form a sizable number dependent on adequate safety response times to emergencies. Take a drive to explore the west end neighborhoods to check the reality of distances from the Holland Rd. fire station.

I believe it to be unconscionable to accept the closure of fire station #2 when lives depend on rapid responses to emergencies. Fire station #2 served the needs of near and far west-enders adequately. Efficient, prompt emergency needs have been compromised.

Catherine McCutcheon

Yes On Issue 2To the Editor:

Brook Park residents have a big issue to decide on November 4. The school levy, Issue 2, will certainly impact our families and our community. I am a retiree living on a fixed income, which means I need to investigate every tax issue I see on the ballot. Even though my kids are grown and graduated, I still understand just how important good schools are to our entire community – regardless of whether or not you have kids in school. My grandchildren have purchased homes in the district because of the quality of our schools and community, and I now have a great grandchild at Brook Park Memorial. I want to be sure that she and all the other children who are in our schools will have the same opportunities my children had. They are our future.

There are two things that any resident should expect from their schools: that they are educationally on- track, and financially stable. Issue 2 ensures exactly that. Despite major funding cuts, our schools still provide a well-rounded education. I want to keep it that way. We need good schools to attract new families and businesses to Brook Park. That keeps our community a desirable place to live and work while supporting our property values. I firmly believe that voting FOR Issue 2 is the right move for our community.

Mrs. Judy KarnisBrook Park

costs, reduced our expenditures on employee benefits, stretched our repair and maintenance schedules for our school buses as far as they can safely go, and closed and consolidated schools. These reductions saved the district from an immediate financial crisis, however, the district’s budget for this school year is less than it was in 2009.

Through the diligent and dedicated efforts to maintain the school district’s budget at the lowest possible level, the district has cut its expenses over the past five years.

Issue 2 is a small and reasonable investment that is critical to keeping our schools financially stable, and educationally on track. Issue 2 will ensure we can retain well-qualified teachers, protect valuable academic programs, provide safe and reliable school transportation for our students, and update our learning technology and textbooks.

Issue 2 will also keep our communities desirable places to live and work, support our property values and the investments we have made in our communities, and also help attract families and businesses to the district.

Without Issue 2, the progress we have worked so hard to make will be halted, educational opportunities will be limited, and our communities will fall behind — we cannot let that happen.

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To the Editor:

One of the reasons I am choosing to support Issue 2 on Election Day is because of the honesty of the slogan – “Helps Our Kids, Helps Us All”. I know that good teachers, up-to-date textbooks and technology, and safe buses are all things that help my kids and ALL kids succeed today. And I know that schools that are stable financially and on-track educationally help keep my property values up, attract new business and residents, and bolster our economy in the long run. These are truths, and they make

good sense to me.

Most residents of Brook Park understand the challenges our economy has faced over the last decade or so. The Berea City Schools have seen it too. I’ve read the information available on the school district website and the numbers don’t lie. Our schools are feeling the effects of the economy we’re all dealing with and have lost millions in revenue. They are doing their best to cut costs, but financial stability will only come with our community’s support. That is why I am choosing to vote FOR Issue 2 on Election Day.

Mrs. Becky ConroyBrookpark

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To the Editor:We live in Brook Park and have

two children who attend the Berea City Schools. Both of us are also proud graduates of the district. Obviously, the fate of the schools’ operating levy – Issue 2 – is incredibly important to us, our family, and our community. We want our schools to be a source of pride here in Brook Park, and that requires that they stay on-track, both financially and educationally. We will be voting for Issue 2 on November 4 , and we write today to ask the residents of our community to come together and pass this modest levy.

We expect our schools to have good teachers, up-to-date books and technology, safe buses and valuable academic programs. Our schools have these things, but the major losses in revenue our schools have faced needs to be addressed. Shaky funding is bad for everybody, and we want to be sure that our schools are financially stable in the future so that we can remain on the right path for education. Good schools go hand-in-hand with good communities, and we want Brook Park to be a community people choose to live and work in. So make sure to get to your polling place and vote for Issue 2 on November 4.

John and Marilyn AmanteaBrook Park

Ghizzonifrom page 1

The response by residents of Brook Park to the petition drive to re-open the Ruple Road Fire Station #2 was profound.

To the 1,446 voters who exercised their inalienable right by signing one of the two circulating petitions

A MANY THOUSAND THANKS!!!

This is about OUR PUBLIC SAFETY, it is not about politics. Now that the Fire Station decision will be decided by the people in a February 2015 election, the following facts are important to keep in mind as you hear the campaign rhetoric of City Hall:

Response Time To provide effective service, the Fire Department must respond in a minimum amount of time after the incident has been reported and with sufficient resources to initiate fire, rescue, or emergency medical activities. Response Time is the critical factor for the rescue of occupants and the application of extinguishing agents to minimize loss. Survival rates for some types of medical emergencies depend on rapid intervention by trained emergency medical personnel. A fire doubles in size and intensity every minute. In the event of Cardiac Arrest, Brain Death begins 4 minutes after a person stops breathing. The sooner trained fire or emergency medical rescue personnel arrive,

the greater the chance for survival and conservation of property.

Duties of the Mayor Under the City Charter, one duty of the Mayor is, "…(the Mayor) shall see that all laws and ordinances are enforced…".

The Mayor swore an oath to follow the City Charter. The Mayor says, if the legislation passes, he will not enforce the ordinance. As residents, we find it hard to believe the Mayor plans to ignore the vote of the people and violate the City Charter by not performing his duties.

Maybe this is an attempt to make you think your vote does not matter.

City Finances The City has repeatedly stated the decision to close the Fire Station was not about the money. Now that the issue is on the February ballot

and a campaign has begun, don't allow City Hall to change their story. This is about our SAFETY, not politics.

What price can we put on the lives of our loved ones and neighbors?

Closing the Ruple Fire Station has INCREASED RESPONSE TIMES beyond the acceptable standard of less than 5 minutes. Average response times BEFORE the Station closing: approximately 4 and a half minutes (4:38) Average response times AFTER the Station closing: approximately 8 and a half minutes (8:25)

Many calls are taking longer than 10 minutes for a response.

In many ways, as shown by the Map of Brook Park, the West End of Brook Park is like an island, separated from

the mainland of Brook Park by the Airport. It is not an insignificant island because the City's largest taxpayer,

NASA, along with other Aerospace Park business, and the Ohio Aerospace Institute are located on the island.

The primary purpose of the Ruple Road Fire Station, built in 1958, was to provide protection to the remote West End area. A 2011 study conducted by the City noted it is most difficult to achieve an effective response in the far western portions of the City, where mutual aid is further away. Closing the Ruple Fire Station makes providing safe and effective fire protection and ambulance service nearly impossible. Many Response Times are longer than 8 minutes, with some responses longer than 10 minutes.

The closing of the Ruple Fire Station has added four (4) miles to the Response Travel Distance for the West End. Before the closing of the fire station, most responses were within one (1) to two (2) miles of the Ruple Fire Station. After the closing, the responses are now five (5) to six (6) miles from the Holland Road Fire Station. Depending on traffic and weather conditions, adding 4 miles to the response distance adds more than 5 to 8 minutes to the Response Times.

In comparison, Parma Station #2 is located near Snow and State Road, behind St. Francis de Sales Church. Parma Station #3 is located near Parma City Hall, by Parmatown Mall.

Both Parma Fire Stations have approximately a five (5) mile response distance to the Brookgate area.

How safe would you feel if Brook Park closed the Holland Road Fire Station and your ambulance or fire truck responded from the Parma Fire Stations?

Paid for by Committee to Secure Our Safety (S.O.S.), Susan M. Anderson, Treasurer, 5700 Grayland Dr., Brook Park, OH, 44142

October 2014 Our Hometown News Page 7

completely disagree, however, with the manner in which he wants to achieve these goals. He would like US to pay for these goals with NEW money from this levy. I submit that the schools already have all the money they need, as evidenced by a $4.3 million surplus forecast for 2015, and they should further cut expenses to pay for their goals. What facts bring me to this conclusion? Page S29 of the BCSD 2013 CAFR shows that expenses in FY 2007 were $73.9 million, enrollment was 7,429, with a cost per pupil of $9,947. Those numbers skyrocketed to $95.7 million in FY 2013, with enrollment down to 6,980, and a huge per pupil cost of $13,713. This represents a 29.5% increase in expenses over the last 7 years, with a 37.9% increase in per pupil cost.

How did these massive spending increases occur when in their own newsletter the BCSD claimed,

“Over the past 5 years, we have taken a number of steps to address this decline in revenue without impacting the quality of education we are able to provide. We have consolidated buildings to be more efficient, reduced our staff by over 200 positions since 2009, frozen base pay for 6 years, increased health insurance premiums, and implemented many other cost saving measures - saving our district $6 million per year.”

Page S29 of the BCSD 2013 CAFR lists “School District Employees”. The total for 2009 was 989 and the total for 2013 is 917. According to this chart, the district has only reduced its total employees

by 72 since 2009. It seems as though the vast majority of those 200 positions were of part-time staff members, yielding a reduction of the equivalent of only 72 full-time employees in the calculation. That’s why they are simply labelled as positions in the newsletter, to let the reader infer that they were full-time.

The district claimed that it “froze base pay”. An ordinary person reading that statement would conclude that no one received a raise for the 2014-2015 school year. This is merely a word game. Page 56 of the 2013-2016 Teachers’ Contract illustrates the “step system” that the district uses for teacher salaries. Page 47 of the contract, Article XV section B1, states “Teachers who work 120 days during each school year shall be eligible to be advanced 1 step on the salary schedule for the next year.” So, every single full-time teacher in the district earned an additional year of seniority during the 2013-2014 school year. Every single full-time teacher in the district moved up one step on the salary schedule for the 2014-15 school year. According to the chart, moving up each step from 0 to 14 results in an increase in “base salary” of $1,664. The “base salary” goes from $34,961 listed at the top of the chart to $58,259 at Step 14. This increase in salary level is based solely on seniority and NOT on increased duties or responsibilities. If you or I get $1664 more from our employer in 2015 than we got in 2014 (without getting a promotion), we would call that a raise. According to the district, we are mistaken. We didn’t get a raise. We got a “step up”. Our salary was “frozen”. I guess “frozen” means that teachers’ raises will be “frozen” at

Flanneryfrom page 1

$1664 and won’t go any higher. The impression the district’s newsletter leaves is that teachers have received NO PAY INCREASES for the past 6 years, which is flatly untrue. The base pay for each step may have remained the same but every teacher moves up every year and usually gets more pay for it. THAT IS A RAISE!

Additionally, I would like to point out that BCSD teachers also receive a substantial benefit that most area teachers do not. Article XV Section D (S.T.R.S. Pick-up on the Pick-up starting on page 56) of the contract spells out this benefit. It states

“The Board of Education will pick up the 10% teachers’ share of their contributions to the State Teachers’ Retirement System on all wages for those employed prior to July 1, 2013. The teachers’ share of the retirement contributions paid by the Board on behalf of the teachers shall be treated by the Board and included by the State Teachers’ Retirement System as compensation included for the purpose of retirement. In the event that legislation is passed by the Ohio General Assembly that would render the payments to the State Teachers’ Retirement System under this Article in conflict with the passed legislation, this Board and the BFT hereby agree that the correspondingcompensation will be converted to salary and paid as compensation.”

In a nutshell, BCSD teachers get an under-the-table 10% benefit beyond their salaries that counts towards their pensions and would be converted directly into salary if the state ever outlawed the practice. Also bear in mind that the contract likely contains a clause that would allow the teachers’ union to re-open the contract if the levy passes.

The district’s newsletter claimed to “save our district $6 million per year”. The fact of the matter is, as noted above, that expenses have gone up nearly $22 million per year since 2007. To the extent the district actually HAS been trimming its expenses, it is clear that those cuts have been woefully inadequate. The district can point to a couple of million in cuts here or there but the undeniable FACT is that their expenses have been exploding and their cosmetic cuts are mere drops in the bucket compared to the cuts that should have been made. Remember, during those years student enrollment was going down, hence the exploding per pupil costs (up 37.9%). Fewer students should require less expenditure, not WAY more.

If the district won’t make the real cuts to their bloated budget, how responsibly have they been spending OUR money? Why should we entrust them with even more of our tax dollars to mismanage? The only way to make the district address their massive expenses is to deprive them of even more revenue and force them to re-evaluate their costs going forward.

In summation, by the superintendent’s own admission, a property tax hike is not necessary to balance the district’s budget. Any investments in the future or rebuilding of the reserve fund can clearly be obtained through future surpluses and further reductions in expenses without the need for a new levy. I would urge my fellow taxpayers to VOTE NO on Issue 2.

Doug Flannery

In case anyone wants to verify my data, links to every source used in this letter will be posted on my Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/brookparkcitizens

the city and pay for all of the general ordinary government services and wages of all city employees.

In recent years we have been operating with structural deficits of millions of dollars resulting in the city being required to dip into its reserves to pay the bills. However in 2013, due to severe cost cutting by our former mayor, the city ended 2013 with a structural deficit of less than $1 million dollars.

For this fiscal year our new mayor Coyne’s budget called for a structural deficit of about $1,500,000, Finance Director Cingle admits that it is the standard policy to budget conservatively and so far this year that certainly seems to be the case. Cingle repeatedly stresses that the immediate goal should be to eliminate our structural deficit. According to Cingle, the banks and financial rating companies “don’t care if we were operating 3 recreation centers”, their concern is that we are paying our bills and eliminating our structural deficits then they want to see us beginning to replenish our depleted cash reserves.

So how are we doing this year about that deficit? Without any new taxes or cutting any services (the senior services the mayor has cut will not show any savings this year), the September 31 financial report available to council and the public shows that the general fund has revenues this year of $15,975,756 and

total spending of only $16,167,487, that represents a small deficit of only $191,731 after 9 months. So, even though the budget called for $1,500,000 deficit for the whole year we have only a $191,731 deficit after three quarters of the year already gone..

And not only that, but finance Director Cingle revealed at the special meeting last Thursday that the city had just received an unexpected check for $160,000. Had that check come in to be counted in the September report, the city’s structural deficit would have only been $31, 731 for 9 months. As you can see that means there is almost no structural deficit for three fourths of a year of operations.

But the good news keeps coming. Also according to Cingle at a regular council meeting, he indicated that revenues are coming in greater than expected and he was going to revise the revenue budget figures. He also said the spending was less than budgeted and he was going to revise those figures down.

So, what does that mean for the residents? It means that without any additional taxes and without cutting any services, our city will be able to eliminate our structural deficits in the future. There is no need to eliminate all senior services or close down our Recreation dept or any of the other doom and gloom predictions that have been circulating recently.

I am certain the Mayor and Finance Director will be giving you a report on these developments at the scheduled public hearing on November 14th..

City Financesfrom page 1

After millions in state and local funding cuts

After eliminating hundreds of jobs and cutting benefit costs

To keep quality and stability, Berea Schools NEED Issue 2

TODAY, HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION

IS A NECESSITY—FOR OUR KIDS,

OUR ECONOMY, OUR COMMUNITIES.

VOTE EARLY FOR ISSUE 2FOR BEREA CITY SCHOOLS

Keep our communities desirable places to live and work.

Support our property values and investments in our communities.

Attract the families and businesses our communities need.

Keep high-quality teachers who get results.

Protect valuable academic programs that colleges and employers value.

Update learning technology and textbooks that our students need.

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2

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2

Paid For By Committee for Good Schools, Don DiFrancesco, Treasurer, 601 Grayton Road, Berea, OH 44017

ISSUE 2 HELPS US ALL

ISSUE 2 HELPS OUR KIDS