Plan for Restructuring
Cuyahoga County Government
1. Representation — Divide the county into six representative districts. Elect six representatives by district and three at-large representatives.
2. Efficiency and Accountability — Elect a county executive who will run day-to-day operations. This will create a two-part government, executive (county executive) and legislative (representatives), thereby creating a system of checks and balances we do not have today. The responsibilities of both branches will be defined in the new charter.
3. Efficiency and Accountability — Elect a county prosecutor as the only other elected county official. The functions now performed by treasurer, auditor, recorder, engineer, sheriff, coroner and clerk of courts will be carried out by officials who report to the county executive.
4. Efficiency and Accountability — All elected positions will have four-year terms. On Jan. 1, 2010, all existing elected officials will be given a full year to complete an orderly transition of their duties.
5. Home Rule Charter — It is important to understand that only a charter form of government that assumes home-rule authority for the county, similar to that which all Ohio cities have, will give Cuyahoga citizens control of their own destinies. A home rule charter guarantees we get the government we want.
6. Opt-in Provision — this provision cannot be guaranteed as part of a new county structure. However, the charter can be written in such a way that it provides communities opt-in provisions on major programs for jobs and schools and the like.
Citizens for Cuyahoga Success
cfcsuccess.com
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I feel like singing “We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz,” because we are off on a wonderful journey to improve life in Cuyahoga County.
Your response to the Citizens for Cuyahoga Success proposal to restructure county government has been positive.
In fact, a lawyer who has been involved as a volunteer got so carried away with the enthusiasm shown by the e-mails arriving at cfcsuccess.com
that he spent two weeks writing a home rule charter for the county and has started passing it around for further study.
We will put your comments up on the Web site so you can see for yourself what people are saying, but I thought I would summarize what I’ve seen so far.
Restructuring county government is the only way to bring about positive change for everyone.
When change in any organization is proposed, there is always the question: “Can’t we do this a different way?” For example, more than one person asked why we can’t replace the commissioners we have with new ones, and won’t everything be OK?
Surprisingly though, most people cut right to the conclusion that county government as presently structured is not representative, not effective and that it must be changed.
As one suburban mayor said, “we have more good government built into our $30 million budget than the county has in its $1 billion operation.” He went on to explain that his suburb has an elected council (legislative branch) and an elected mayor (executive branch), which in his words “gives us more representation, more efficiency and more checks and balances than a government 30 times our size.”
The county is the only government entity large enough to raise the money we need to accomplish what we want.
One e-mailer said we should think of the county as the “bank of Cuyahoga.” It is our only hope, she went on to say, of helping the city of Cleveland solve some of its financial problems (and now those of the suburbs, too).
A number of people have made the same point in another way, emphasizing that we need the financial strength of the county because it is the only entity that can cut across city and suburb boundaries to help where help is needed.
Maybe we are beginning to realize we’re in the same boat, and if we are going to change the downward spiral we’re in, we’re going to have to row together.
And last, the most questions came asking for more information about this thing called “Opt In.”What is it? What can it do? Can you give us an example?
None of the volunteers can remember who first proposed “opt in,” but whoever it was gets a gold star. Neither the city nor any of its suburbs want any county program shoved down their throats. In fact, that’s more than one person’s definition of regionalism.
An example of “opt in” in action would be a county-financed program to pay for a college education for high school graduates. In order to gain the efficiency and cost savings to make the program work, the county would require the suburb or city to put its school system into one managed by the county. Each community would have the option to participate or not participate. Each community would be able to weigh the benefits and decide for itself.
This “opt in” feature on county programs can work in a number of areas, from schools and jobs to city services and police and fire protection.
So that’s the report so far on our journey to Nov. 3, 2009. If we want to improve life here for our children and our grandchildren, we’re going to have to do a little work. We’re going to have to get 50,000 signatures to put a home rule charter on the ballot, and we’re going to have to vote “yes.” A fair price, I’d say, for a shot at a rewarding future.
If you like adventure, we hope you’ll join the journey.