Reform Backers Ok With Transition Team Choices

Friday, November 20, 2009
Topics: Politics
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A three-person committee has already been appointed to assist in the transition process for a new Cuyahoga County Government, but Issue 6 supporters say they still plan on staying involved. ideastream®'s Ida Lieszkovszky has this report.

The County commissioners - all of whom opposed Issue 6 - acted this week, months ahead of schedule, to name those who’ll be in the driver’s seat of the transition to a county executive form of government.

County Administrator Jim McCafferty, Human Resources Director Joe Nanni and Justice Affairs Director Gary Holland will be in charge of working out the transition details that were largely left out of the charter proposal that was overwhelmingly approved by voters earlier this month. 
State Senator Nina Turner, a leader in the County reform effort expressed no reservations about Issue 6 advocates being left out of the official transition team.

Turner: The campaign is over, the voters have spoken. Now it is up to all of us whether we backed issue 5 or backed issue 6 to come together and to work together to make sure we restore our county and to provide a better place for folks to live.

Parma Heights Mayor Martin Zanotti agrees. Another key leader in the reform effort, Zanotti says Issue 6 voices expect to be at the table when decisions are made.

Zanotti: We’d like to put a group together to work with the commissioners folks to make sure that a full operational efficiency study is done of county government so that we can design the structure in the best possible way forward.

Zanotti says his unofficial transition group hopes to involve Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and others on both sides of county reform.