Opponents Lash Out At Reform Plan

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Topics: Politics
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The latest proposal to change the structure of Cuyahoga County's government is drawing fire from some local political leaders. ideastream®'s Rick Jackson reports.

Even before it’s official unveiling, the proposal is being blasted by several suburban mayors - chief among them East Cleveland’s Eric Brewer.

Brewer authored a letter to other members of the Cuyahoga County Mayors and Managers association, taking County Prosecutor Bill Mason and Parma Heights Mayor Martin Zanotti to task for creating what he calls a “poorly conceived plan,” and for – quote - “not doing their homework”. 

Mason and Zanotti are leading a coalition of public officeholders in devising the proposal.  The plan, outlined in Tuesday’s Plain Dealer, calls for a County Administrator at the top - with an 11-member county council. 

Brewer says the plan gives the Administrator too much authority.  He says the council would be made up of part-time public servants, and that virtually every county employee would be appointed, and could be replaced, by the administrator.

Beyond that, Brewer says this is a bad time to even consider a change. 

MAYOR ERIC BREWER
{"WE’RE IN A VERY TENUOUS ECONOMY AT THIS POINT, AND THE IDEA OF CHANGING TO A COMPLETELY NEW FORM OF GOVERNMENT WITH A COMPLETELY NEW LEARNING CURVE; THE MONEY THAT THE COUNTY WILL LOSE JUST ON THE MISTAKES THAT PEOPLE MAKE ALONE IN TERMS OF INTERPRETING HOW TO STRUCTURE THE NEW GOVERNMENT WILL BE DEVASTATING TO THE COUNTY IN THIS PARTICULAR ECONOMY."}

Brewer says other mayors support his position.  Numerous calls placed to other mayors and members of the coalition for their comments were not returned.

A call placed to Zanotti’s office also was not returned, and a spokesman at Mason’s office said the proposal isn’t complete and he would have no comment until it is. 

When the plan is revealed, nearly 46,000 voter signatures would be needed to place the issue on the November ballot for Cuyahoga County residents to decide the future of government.

Rick Jackson, 90.3.