Four Seats Up for Grabs in Middlefield Village

October 31, 2013

The race for four seats on Middlefield Village Council promises to be a long and rough one, with all four incumbents and two well-known challengers making up the field and only four seats available.

Bill Blue

First elected to village council in 2008, Blue said his problem-solving skills and teamwork philosophy have served him well as an account manager in manufacturing and working with council.

“Many of the issues that a councilperson faces are not clear cut or have multiple conceptual components. I believe that my problem solving skills and ability to think ‘outside the box’ allow me to offer ideas that seek win-win solutions,” Blue said.

Some of those components included purchase of tactical equipment and training for the village safety forces, helping design the new Middlefield Village website and reducing village expenses by over $300,000 annually, Blue said.

“I will always make decisions I believe are right for Middlefield Village and its residents,” he said.

The global economy affects the residents of Middlefield Village, the world-leading industries located there and the village’s finances, so keeping the village in good fiscal health requires some planning, Blue said.

“I believe the village can get ahead and stay ahead of the negative effects of economic downturns and outsourcing jobs when we increase the tax base and reduce village expenses. We accomplish both by attracting more industry, families and individuals to locate here,” Blue said.

“If re-elected, I will continue to work to make the village more efficient and attractive,” he said.

Edna Davis

Davis served Geauga County as a commissioner from 1981 to 1993 and was on Middlefield Village Council from 1997 to 2009.

During that time, Davis was also a reporter and editor for a newspaper, which she said gives her a view of politics from both sides of the table.

“I sat at many, many county, village and township meetings as a reporter and understand the view of the public on what their elected officials do or don’t do for them,” she said.

Davis has been a village resident for more than 50 years, watching housing and business expand tremendously.

“I want the village to keep up with what is needed to meet the needs of a thriving community, but also have measured growth and expansion,” she said. “I am a dependable, able person who wants to have the best for the residents of the community.”

One thing that distinguishes her from the sitting council the female point of view.

“If anyone has noticed, there are no women on council,” she said. “I believe there is a need for a female member of that group. Sometimes there is a need for a different view and experience in approaching solutions to problems brought to council.”

Davis is concerned the lack of zoning rules regarding murals on village walls opens the possibility of a precedent that would allow all clubs, churches and social organizations to paint murals without permits.

She also objects to a plan to eliminate the board of zoning appeals and give all the control to the planning and zoning commission.

“The BZA allows the applicant to have a review of an application for a variance by a different group of people that already may have said ‘no’ to a proposed project,” she said. “It seems more fair to me to allow the BZA to continue hearing requests for variances and reviewing all conditions and changes requested by the applicant.”

Scott Klein

Elected to Middlefield Village Council in 2005 and 2008, Klein has also been chairman of the planning and zoning commission for seven of the nine years he has been a member.

He serves on council’s finance and ordinance and streets, sidewalks and utilities committees.

Klein said he has been in the business/sales field for 24 years and responsible for territories, margins, profits, analysis, marketing and inventories.

Klein and his family settled in Middlefield 17 years ago, built a house and became involved in schools and sports.

“I am committed to working extremely hard for our village with integrity, honesty and pride,” he said. “I enjoy it, I’m happy to do it and I work for results.”

Each member brings different strengths and knowledge to the council, Klein said, adding his contribution is leadership, outspokenness, positive energy and business sense.

He also avoids taking the process too seriously.

“I like to keep things light, funny and entertaining,” Klein said. “Sometimes the details of running a village can be quite mundane and repetitive. I strive to have fun doing it and help everyone enjoy the process.”

He said he likes to consider lots of input before basing decisions on fact and analysis.

First on his list of critical issues is the decreasing income tax collection. Council had an independent audit to find ways to save money and implemented many of the resulting ideas.

Economic development, including the new website address, is some of the income issues, he said.

Council has also instituted the Neat Streets program to keep the community attractive to businesses and visitors and to bring up property values, Klein said.

Klein has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Bowling Green State University.

Brandon Reed

A Cardinal High School graduate and former member of the Middlefield Volunteer Fire Department, Reed said his background is in public safety.

During his 10 years there, he became the department’s financial trustees and was a police department dispatcher. He has been a dispatcher for the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office since 2004, promoted to sergeant in 2011.

Integrity and accountability are important to Reed, who said as a councilman, he will focus on fiscal responsibility and will stand up and voice his concerns.

“I have strong family values and a vested interest in our community. I was born and raised in Middlefield Village and this is where I have chosen to stay and raise my family,” he said. “The first thing that many people will notice is my age. I am 32 years old. I look at this as an advantage. I think I can bring a fresh outlook on things.”

Reed said most of our current council members come from a business background, which is important to have.

“I would bring some much needed knowledge and experience in another background that is just as, if not more important — a background in public safety,” he said.

Reed believes strengthening and supporting village safety forces to keep residents and visitors safe is a priority for him. Economic development is another.

“We have lost many manufacturing jobs in the past few years. We must find ways to retain the businesses we have left and promote the growth and expansion of those businesses” he said. “It is one thing to attract new business and try to create new jobs. But are those jobs going to be respectable paying jobs conducive with the costs of living or are they jobs that will pay at or near the federal minimum wage rates, continuing to make it hard for workers to support their families?”

Reed’s priorities also include residential real estate development, marketing the community and making housing more affordable to new homeowners.

Leaders need to become more involved in the schools and avoiding the big city atmosphere, even as it grows, he said.

“Though I understand that sustainable growth is crucial to the future of the village, I hope that we will always try to maintain that small town feeling as well,” Reed said.

Rick Seyer

A lifelong Middlefield area resident and councilman, mayor and township trustee, Seyer said he has been involved in local government for more than 28 years. His most recent position has been councilman since 2009

“My experience as an elected official has been both a source of knowledge and education to my colleagues on village council,” he said. “Many times questions have come up over the years and, from past experience, I have been able to provide the answers.”

His experience as a small business owner is beneficial in discussions and considerations about how to spend tax dollars, of which there are fewer every year, Seyer said.

“The recent downturn in our economy has left some big holes in our village finance that must be addressed if we are going to provide the services and benefits that our residents have enjoyed,” he said. There large companies have downsized with painful results.

“The village income tax fund has lost nearly $1 million, or approximately 30 percent, from our previous best years.”

He credits Mayor Ben Garlich, elected in 2011, with having the determination to grow the tax base by attracting new business and encouraging existing businesses to expand.

Residents can only benefit from this strategy, Seyer said.

“We must look for new sources of income and be willing to think outside the box in order to keep taxes low for our residents,” he said. “If I am re-elected, I am committed to being a part of the team that is working to accomplish this.”

Ron Wiech

During the four years he has been on council, Wiech has served on several village committees and on the Ohio Department of Transportation executive leadership and steering committees.

“I believe everyone should be represented equally and fairly,” Wiech said. “I will continue to help the community of Middlefield grow and prosper seeking a balance between commercial/industrial and residential use.”

Wiech is also concerned about the state’s move to collect village income taxes rather than the village handling that process.

“(Council) adopted an ordinance strongly disapproving (of) the legislation,” he said, noting the village began collecting the taxes and saving the tax payers about $65,000 annually.

Middlefield Village residents have been used to clean water, street sweeping, brush chipping, snow plowing streets and sidewalks, clean-up days, sanitary sewers, recreation and parks, all of which have been paid for with taxes and funds from the state, Wiech said.

But with state funds cut about in half, it will prove difficult to maintain these services.

“One way to address this is expanding business opportunities within the village by supporting existing and expanding businesses and attracting new businesses,” he said.

The first step is the village’s recently launched website, Middlefield Means Business, and a national marketing campaign to draw new business to the village, Wiech said.

Nurturing a skilled workforce is another step toward keeping the village successful.

We have industry in and around Middlefield that have jobs that require certain skill sets. That may include setting up a workforce training program, he said.

“These are not easily accomplished tasks and involve creative thinking and support. I have the skills and enthusiasm to help implement these ideas and to help Middlefield thrive,” Wiech said.