I want to thank the people of Rocky River and my Campaign Treasurer Tom Spagnoletti for making my visit to the Cleveland Plain Dealer Interview/ Endorsement Thursday, September 06, 2007 @ 10:30 for Mayor of Rocky River possible. 

• Your support brought me to this point in my effort to become your next mayor of Rocky River and I am deeply grateful to you all.

I also want to thank The Cleveland Plain Dealer and its ‘Editorial Board’ for their interest/interview and their effort to endorse one (1) of the three (3) candidates for Mayor of Rocky River in 2007. 

• The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s effort to interview/endorse for Mayor of Rocky River in 2007 tells me Rocky River matters! 

So what transpired at said interview? 

• ‘To the best of my knowledge’ I will tell you what the Cleveland Plain Dealer wanted to hear from us regarding some very good issues that matter to Rocky River residents, Rocky River businesses and surrounding communities and I will tell you what my answers were to the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s ‘Editorial Board’ as well.   Finally, I can only speak for myself.

My reason for running for Mayor of Rocky River: 

• I want to see Rocky River city government spend less, cut real estate tax, and I want to refund surplus city money back to the taxpayers annually.  With a population loss in Rocky River our city is not doing well I want residents and businesses who are equal in importance to feel it benefits them to come to and stay in Rocky River.   During this week’s council meeting I spoke to the President of the Rocky River Chamber of Commerce and told him that the businesses are just as important as residents in Rocky River and as Mayor I would ask you and residents, what can Rocky River city government do for you to make your stay in Rocky River better?  That is what I already do at Cuyahoga County Probate Court is to ask people, what can Probate Court do for you.  It is all about Public Service!

What I will do for residents as mayor:

1. I’LL CUT PROPERTY TAX by allowing residents to vote annually on either renewing or voting down property tax levied against their property through the Rocky River charter.  Residents have already asked me, Mr. Sokol could you please cut our property taxes?  I told them sure, but I thought how was I going to do that?  I found on Rocky River City Government’s Website that some property tax was levied through the charter and could be taken off by the vote of the people as according to the Cuyahoga County Budget Commission. 

2. GUARANTEE JOBS for Rocky River residents as city infrastructure construction occurs in Rocky River a certain percentage of the jobs will be guaranteed for Rocky River residents and a certain percentage will be for residents that are already unemployed. 

3. CUT SPENDING of Rocky River City Government.

4. I’LL BRING STRONG LEADERSHIP to Rocky River as Mayor..

5. I WILL HELP NEEDY ROCKY RIVER RESIDENTS - WITH MORE PROGRAMS.   (2.) AS MAYOR I’ll DONATE 1O% OF MY YEARLY INCOME TO PAY TOWARDS FEEDING THE HUNGRY IN ROCKY RIVER BY DOING THIS I WILL BE SETTING AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER RESIDENTS TO DO THE SAME.  

My background in community work and my ability to be Mayor: 

• I have been involved in community work for 23 years since 1984.  I have worked with communities, residents and governments on issues that matter to them.  I have worked in Cleveland, Lakewood, Grafton and Rocky River.  I never held an elected or appointed position in Rocky River city government yet I have applied many times to be elected or appointed for positions in Rocky River city government but was never picked.  Yet I attend council meetings since 1993 and attended charter review meetings in the past as well.  I have worked in Cuyahoga County Probate Court for 25 years and was honored by The Cuyahoga County Bar Foundation and recognized by several other government levels on my public service.  As quoting John McCain in his latest debate, “I am not here to manage I am here to lead!”   Lead I will and I am the person for the job of Mayor of Rocky River.

Does Rocky River City Government have surplus money?

• The question above was asked by the Cleveland Plain Dealer ‘Editorial Board’ in reference ‘to my statement’ that I as Mayor will refund Rocky River city government surplus money back to taxpayers annually.

• Said question was not posed to me but to another one of my Rocky River mayoral opponents.  The answer?  Yes, Rocky River City Government does have surplus money.  

Additional I-90 inter-change in Avon, Ohio: 

• It is Avon’s time to develop and I as mayor of Rocky River would not get in their way to do that.  Sure it will affect Rocky River we already have lost population and business yet we need to be more competitive ourselves Rocky River is a municipal corporation a business, so we need to be competitive and work together and give people and business more reason to come to and stay in Rocky River.  

Regionalization in the Western Suburbs: 

• I believe in being ‘a good neighbor’ to other communities and as mayor I will do everything I can to help other communities develop - if it does not affect the city of Rocky River!

Would You Hand Over the ‘Rocky River Wastewater Treatment Plant’ to the ‘North East Ohio Regional Sewer District’?  

• The question above was asked by the Cleveland Plain Dealer ‘Editorial Board’ in reference ‘to my statement’ that, “I as Mayor will handover the Rocky River Wastewater Treatment Plant to the North East Ohio Regional Sewer District.”

• The Cleveland Plain Dealer ‘Editorial Board’ made reference that it was my idea and they asked said question not to me but to the other Rocky River mayoral opponents.  You will have to ask my opponents what their answers were.

• After my opponents negative answer to the question, I then gave my full reason why I want to handover the Rocky River Wastewater Treatment Plant to the North East Ohio Regional Sewer District. 

• (My Answer)  The city of Rocky River needs to have their sewer lines replaced and I stated this fact since I ran in 2003 as a candidate for council-at-large.   In August a major rain hit Rocky River and basements were flooded and manhole covers flew off their base.  I was even told that in certain areas of Rocky River ‘wet carpeting’ was being placed out in the front yards of Rocky River residents to be thrown away.  There are areas of Rocky River that have some very old sewer lines and it is time to take care of this issue.  YET I WANT THE NORTHEAST OHIO REGIONAL SEWER DISTRICT TO TAKE OVER THE ROCKY RIVER WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT - AND THEN HANDLE THE SEWER REPLACEMENT!  The questions I want answered before any kind of sewer replacement takes place are the following:  “WHAT” needs to be done, ‘HOW MUCH’ will it cost, ‘WHO’ will pay for it, ‘HOW’ will this be accomplished and ‘HOW LONG’ is it going to take?  These questions need to be answered before I feel the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (that is already doing this kind of work in Garfield Heights) would handle the replacement of Rocky River’s sewer lines in a way that ‘would not’ greatly impact the city and neighborhoods of Rocky River because residents do not like change.  

Rocky River Waterlines handed over to Cleveland:  

• I understand the taxpayers of Rocky River have spent approximately $5 Million Dollars according to Rocky River records, to purchase and then to lay the waterlines that are now in place in the city of Rocky River.  So the taxpayers of Rocky River should decide anything to do with the Rocky River’s waterlines and handing them over to Cleveland.  Why?  The taxpayers paid for them!

Rocky River to tax share with Cleveland: 

• I am against it.  Rocky River taxpayers want their taxes cut, they do not want their taxes shared with other cities.

Regionalize Rocky River’s Fire Department with other community’s Fire Departments: 

• I support the Central Dispatch that is already in place.  I support communities sharing their different types of Fire Fighting Equipment with other communities that can’t afford to purchase said Fire Fighting Equipment.  Also, Rocky River and other communities already have a State of Ohio mandate to help surrounding communities in case of a fire.  Yet I want to protect our Rocky River Fire Chief and to keep him operating and fighting Fires in Rocky River.  Why?  A Fire Chief best serves his community when he knows the area, the homes, the buildings and how to deal with any fire or situation he or she may face.  You leave him in his own element.  My In-Laws have Fire Fighters in their family.  They usually are assigned and stay at a certain fire station for almost as long as they are fire fighters.   They know the area and how to operate in any given situation in that area.   

Stop Abortion in Rocky River: 

• In 1999 and into the year 2000 Rocky River city council was rocked with a very contentious issue, “to pass a city ordinance to govern ‘abortion facilities’ in Rocky River.”  It was a very hot issue.  I was at the meetings as well.  The discussion of people going up to council at the time was either they were for or against abortion.  Many letters and postcards were sent to council and to the administration from many people who were very concerned about what was going on in Rocky River at the time.  I listened very carefully to what everyone was saying.  So as these contentious meetings were nearing an end I went up to talk to council myself.  I never said I was for or against abortion.  I just said to council that I feel the people have spoken on this issue and I think you already know what you have to do.  You now have to make a ‘Solomon Style’ decision here on this issue that is why you are getting paid as elected officials for.  My comment about getting paid was not meant to be contentious or insulting.  I simply meant it is council’s job to make this decision and it is a tough one to make.  Then I was verbally attacked by an elected official that is not in office anymore.  As I see it, I was the only person throughout those weeks of contentious hearings that was ever attacked by an elected official of Rocky River.  That tells me this person already knew what the people wanted (no abortion) and knew I knew it also, and (in my opinion) wanted to try to steal my thunder on what I was projecting to council and to the people at the meeting.  Then I recently got a copy of the minutes of the night that the council passed the city legislation and a copy of the ordinance itself.  I was amazed it gave such ‘a pass’ for someone to have an abortion in Rocky River. 

• Finally, I feel the ordinance does not go far enough as Mayor I will make the ordinance to go further and legally limit abortion further in Rocky River.

Thank You For Listening.

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