“To bring residents/businesses/jobs back to and stay in Rocky River as Mayor I will … 

1. Lower Property Tax.

2. Cut city government spending by 25 percent.

3. Send surplus back to taxpayers annually.

4. Do what Residents want.

5. Clean House at city hall.”

(Taken from: FRED SOKOL: IS ROCKY RIVER AND RESIDENTS DOING BETTER THAN FOUR (4) YEARS AGO?  YOU DECIDE! By: Fred Sokol July 7, 2007)

 

IS ROCKY RIVER AND RESIDENTS DOING BETTER THAN FOUR (4) YEARS AGO?  NO! … AND YES, I HAVE A PLAN TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN ROCKY RIVER.  YOU DECIDE!

 

IS ROCKY RIVER AND RESIDENTS DOING BETTER THAN FOUR (4) YEARS AGO? 

 

• (1.) People are leaving Rocky River, (“Cuyahoga’s exodus rivals that of Katrina counties”  “Cuyahoga County saw the sixth-largest drop in population among American counties, losing about 16,000 people between July 2005 and July 2006.” From Plain Dealer 3/22/2007). (2.) People are losing jobs (“Ford casting plant to close – SHUTTING DOWN: The Ford engine-casting foundry in Brook Park will close permanently in 2009. About 1,200 people work there.” From Plain Dealer 5/8/2007). (3.) Houses are up for sale, (4.) houses are vacant and in foreclosure (“Home loan foreclosures on the rise in Cuyahoga – As the financial crisis broadens, the local surge is drawing attention across the nation” From Plain Dealer 7/4/2007). (5.) Seniors find it ‘hard financially’ to keep their homes (“Elderly in trouble making ends meet – Older Americans filing for bankruptcy in increasing numbers” From Plain Dealer 7/4/2007). (6.) Rocky River is no more Number One with Cleveland Magazine, (7.) a Rocky River Shopping Center now sits almost empty with its grocery store gone for the last several years, (8.) along with failed city leadership, (9.) runaway city government spending (10.) The ‘Cost of Living’ gets ever more expensive (“Gas prices hit record; no relief in sight” From Plain Dealer 5/17/2007). (11.) All the while our taxes keep going up. 

 

• Is our city and residents doing better than 4 years ago?  No! 

 

• Forget the Squeaky Sneakers, Cracking Jokes at Council Meetings, Luncheons, Indoor Swimming Pools, Forget more useless city government buildings built and naming them after city officials.   Does anyone really know who runs their city government? 

 

• Just Cut Taxes, Spend Smart, Cut the Fat and Send Money back to taxpayers and that is how we can make Rocky River better. 

   

• Yet my opposition wants to 'keep the tradition' and 'maintain Rocky River'.  I say, maintain Rocky River for what?  Do we maintain Rocky River so we are eventually taxed to death and everybody and businesses move out of Rocky River while we are left behind and alone with vacant houses and empty shopping centers all around us?  No!  

 

• I say it is time for property tax cuts, sending city government surplus back to taxpayers annually, doing what Residents want, new leadership, city government spending cuts, cleaning house at city hall, and making Rocky River Number One again, so we can give people and businesses "reason" to move to and stay in Rocky River!     

 

YES, I HAVE A PLAN TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN ROCKY RIVER.

 

To bring residents/businesses/jobs back to and stay in Rocky River as Mayor I will … 

  

1. Lower Property Tax.

 

2. Cut city government spending by 25 percent.

 

3. Send surplus back to taxpayers annually.

 

4. Do what Residents want.

 

5. Clean House at city hall.

 

”My implemented ‘contract with residents’ and ‘reform Rocky River city government’ proposals will do this.”  

 

1. ‘Lower Property Tax’ by 3.00 mills approximately $2 million dollars taxpayers will not pay.  I will seek to repeal the 3.00 mills now levied against Rocky River property owners yearly, that goes to Rocky River city government’s ‘general fund’.  (information from Rocky River City Website, also information from Cuyahoga County, Ohio) Approximately $2 million dollars per year will be saved by taxpayers not paying this tax and after 10 years that total saved will go up to approximately $20 million dollars.

 

2. Cut city government spending by 25 percent. (1.) I will cut my pay as mayor by 25 per cent.  (2.) I will spend smart and cut the fat.  (3.) I will offer buyouts to city employees.  Everyone currently working at city hall will be offered a job.  No one will be fired.  (4.) Finally there will be no ‘membership fees’ for city residents for city programs.  City residents pay taxes for city programs no need for ‘membership fees’.

 

3. Send surplus back to taxpayers annually.  (1.) Residents are ‘shareholders’ in Rocky River.  (2.) Taxpayers entrust their money with the city government what the city does not spend goes back to taxpayers.  (3.) It’s taxpayers’ money.  (4.) With 25 per cent cut in city spending there will surely be surplus and a refund check back to taxpayers at the end of the year.

 

4. Do what residents want!  (1.) All the Rocky River Wards 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be given a ‘separate spending fund’ and each Ward Council Member and Ward Residents will have money to together decide and pay for maintaining their wards and their neighborhoods.  (2.) My intent here is ‘one step problem solving’ with residents and their elected officials.  (3.) Finally, I have been a 'Public Servant' for Cuyahoga County Probate Court, for The Officers of the Court and for The Public for more than 25 years. (4.) As Mayor at Rocky River City Hall I will be a 'Public Servant' for residents as well. 

 

5. Clean House at city hall!   (1.) No Nepotism, No Favoritism, and a Total ‘Independent Financial Audit’ to see ‘who got what’ of every nickel and dime spent of ‘taxpayer money’ from 1990 through 2007 by Rocky River City Government,  (2.) also Rocky River City Department Heads will mostly be hired and advanced from ‘within the city department they already work in’.  (3.)  Not all city department heads will be replaced yet some will be.  (4.) Again, everyone currently working at city hall will be offered a job.  (5.) No one will be fired. 

 

In closing, this is why we need change in Rocky River and how I propose to do it. 

 

• JUST FOR ONE MOMENT, IMAGINE WHAT ROCKY RIVER COULD BECOME WITH: (1.) property tax cuts, (2.) sending city government surplus back to taxpayers annually, (3.) doing what Residents want, (4.) new leadership, (5.) city government spending cuts, (6.) cleaning house at city hall, (7.) and making Rocky River Number One again, (8.) so we can give people and businesses "reason" to move to and stay in Rocky River! 

 

• JUST FOR ANOTHER MOMENT, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: Is Rocky River and Residents doing better than four (4) years ago? 

 

Finally, you will decide the next mayor on Tuesday November 6, 2007 that has the best proposal either (1.) to move Rocky River forward to better the lives of residents and businesses, (2.) or to keep Rocky River the way it has been … choose well.

 

Fred I. Sokol - Resident – Rocky River, Ohio - 440-521-5452 + scrdhrt2@cox.net  + www.votesokol.com

 

CC: Rocky River City School District, Rocky River City Government, Rocky River Chamber of Commerce, WestLife , West Shore Sun, Plain Dealer Newspaper. Westlaker Times, Fred Sokol’s Weekly E-Mail Recipients +  www.votesokol.com     

 

Paid by: Vote Sokol Committee - Thomas J. Spagnoletti, Treasurer - 1459 Prospect Avenue, Rocky River, Ohio 44116