Yes on Berkshire Issue 2
The Berkshire Board of Education has placed a Renewal Levy on the ballot for this November. You will see on it the ballot as Issue 2 – Permanent Improvement Levy.
This is not a new levy; in fact, it was first passed in 1989 and has been renewed every five years since then.
You may ask yourself why Berkshire would still require a Permanent Improvement levy now that we have a brand-new school? It is no different when you get a new car; the car requires routine maintenance to keep it safe and operating efficiently, that is the same case with the new school.
The passage of this levy is important to keep the new campus and facility safe and functional for years to come.
It is important to note that the renewal of this levy will not increase taxes. Per $100,000 of market valuation, it will cost $22 per year. For example, a $250,000 home would continue to pay $55 per year.
Our new school has created a wonderful learning environment for our students while being a source of pride for our community. Let’s keep it that way by voting YES on Issue 2.
Tracy Jemison
Burton
Demetriou for State Representative
I am writing in support of Steve Demetriou for State Representative.
Even though Steve is new to my district, I have followed his past years in the Ohio State House. Steve was a primary sponsor on the Innocence Act, which would help to keep children from accessing obscene or inappropriate material on the internet.
He was a co-sponsor of the Safe Act, which required schools to uphold Title IX protections for female athletes.
He fought to expand school choice, delivered property tax relief for veterans and seniors, and provided public school teachers a pay raise.
Steve is a West Point graduate and Ohio native. He served in Afghanistan and now wants to serve the residents of Ohio. It takes a lot to door knock for a candidate and I have done this for Steve because I truly believe he is the best person to address the serious issues facing Ohioans.
On Nov. 5, vote for Steve Demetriou, State Representative.
Elsie Tarczy
South Russell Village
Louis Murphy Represents Us
Sarah Fowler Arthur does not represent us. She voted to make it harder for us to amend Ohio’s constitution, a policy rejected by her constituents in the August special election last year.
Nearly 54% of her constituents voted in favor of reproductive freedom last November, and the day after the election, she signed a letter vowing to ignore the majority.
Never having attended public school herself, she wants to micromanage public educators while channeling public funds to private schools. She became a national embarrassment by proposing changes to the teaching of the Holocaust and then followed it by insensitive comments in a spectacle so egregious that her own party didn’t support her.
She voted against preventing child sexual abuse twice. That bill, known as Erin’s law, is so popular among Republicans and Democrats alike that it’s now law in 39 states, including Ohio, no thanks to Sarah Fowler Arthur.
I am excited to vote for Louis Murphy. We can expect fresh ideas from his education and experience.
When my company has job openings, we cannot find enough qualified Americans, so I want public money to fund public schools. He believes in funding public education and will support our rights to reproductive freedom.
Let’s elect as our representative someone who will actually represent us and wants to work for us, Louis Murphy!
Nicole Price
Russell Township
Issue 1 Language Misleading
The ballot language for Issue 1 is misleading at best — and very close to lying. It says that Issue 1 would repeal the constitutional protections against gerrymandering that were voted for in 2015 and 2018. It suggests there’s no transparency and voters will lose their rights. Hogwash!
What protections do we have now? The current redistricting committee ignored our current law when they didn’t follow six rulings by the Ohio Supreme Court when it said the district maps that were approved were unconstitutional. The committee, and the legislature, ignored the rulings and played political games to run the clock out so there wouldn’t be time to have constitutional maps. They repeatedly drew maps that favored themselves and didn’t follow the law. Voters had no recourse except to petition to change the way our maps are drawn. That’s Issue 1.
We can expect more of the political shenanigans if the politicians who want to stay in control continue to draw the maps to protect their self-interests rather than the voters. Issue 1 will take the map drawing out of the politicians’ hands.
Vote Yes on Issue 1 because politicians have repeatedly shown they can’t be trusted.
Janet Carson
Bainbridge Township
Demetriou Works For All of Us
I would like to take a moment to tell you about an exceptional young man who has been the State Representative for District 35 for the past two years. His name is Steve Demetriou.
Steve has accomplished a great deal since he has been in the House. He sponsored legislation that protects property owners from squatters; children from on-line pornography; and all of us from deep fakes and false digital images.
Steve has had legislation passed and signed into law that adjusts the homestead exemption to match inflation costs. It expands the exemption, providing further property tax relief to seniors and veterans who qualify.
And more recently he co-introduced the E-Check Ease Act which will ease the unfair E-Check burden. Only residents in seven counties in the entire state of Ohio, all in Northeast Ohio, are mandated to have their cars E-Checked. Steve is trying to right this wrong.
Please vote for Steve Demetriou for State Representative in District 35. He has been working hard for all of us. Return him to the House so he can continue to do the right thing for all of us.
Sharon C. Gingerich
Former Geauga County Recorder
Re-Elect Sherrod Brown
I support U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and I urge Ohioans to vote for him this November.
Senator Brown has always fought for Ohio and, unlike many politicians who become creatures of Washington, he actually lives in this community. I still have the photo of when my daughter and I ran into Senator Brown at Holden Arboretum (wearing a Tribe hoodie and sweatpants) and I remember the call from my dad when he spotted Sherrod at Costco (waiting in line for the rotisserie chicken).
Senator Brown fights for common sense solutions and is laser focused on real issues. Thanks to Sherrod’s hard work, seniors on Medicare now only pay $35/month for insulin, and over 100,000 pensions for Ohio workers have been saved.
He also worked with Republicans to crack down on Chinese-made fentanyl, and overdose deaths in Ohio are now down 31%.
And I am grateful that Senator Brown stands with Ohio women and opposes a nationwide abortion ban—unlike his opponent.
Senator Sherrod Brown works to earn our trust and our vote. He is on our side and fights for Ohio. Re-elect Sherrod Brown to the U.S. Senate.
Melissa Yasinow
Bainbridge Township
Yes on Berkshire Issue 2: Not a New Tax
Please support the Berkshire Renewal Permanent Improvement Levy. It is not a new tax, since it has been renewed every five years since 1985.
It is a continuing commitment to keep our public schools safe, healthy and technologically advanced.
Further, it keeps our grounds and parking maintained, our diesel tech program supported, and provides for new programs, all in an effort to keep Berkshire Schools as the best public school system in the region, and perhaps the state.
Each year the levy raises $439,000 which would otherwise have to come from the general fund, hurting our district’s overall budget. I repeat, it is not a new tax.
Please keep our public educational system the state of the art. Thank you for your support.
Don Hornak
Burton Township
