Politics

When the race for State House District 16 began in the spring, many voters had never heard of me. I’ve never held an elected office; my life experience has been raising my family, serving my country, teaching kids and paying my bills. But I’ve also been paying attention to what goes on in Columbus. 

What I see are representatives in the Ohio General Assembly who seem to be most interested in taking care of special interests, raising campaign contributions, and furthering their own political careers. I am running for State Representative because I feel that we need a representative who will support our public schools, local governments, seniors and middle-class families.

Thank you to the Westlake | Bay Village Observer for giving me the opportunity to share some of the exciting work we've accomplished in this 130th General Assembly. I am serving my sixth year at the Ohio House as your District 16 State Representative representing Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Westlake. 

I currently chair the Economic Development and Regulatory Reform Committee and serve on the Ways and Means and Labor and Commerce Committees. In 2011, we were faced with balancing a budget with an $8 billion budget deficit. Our budget is now balanced and we enacted pro-job legislation, making us now a much stronger, productive Ohio.

January 1, 2011, was the day in which a voter-supported referendum designed to transform our government from a three-member Board of County Commissioner structure to a County Executive and Council form of representation went into effect. I am honored to serve you on our inaugural County Council. 

This was not the first time that I was elected to serve on an inaugural legislative body. In 2005, I was elected to serve on the first City Council of the City of Sandy Springs, Georgia. This experience and more importantly, this relative experience of forming a new governmental structure has proven invaluable as we forge forward in Cuyahoga County. This experience coupled with my professional executive background has afforded me the tools necessary to effectively represent this district and county.

What good is an online voter guide if you’re uncertain about how to use it? The Westlake-North Olmsted Chapter of the League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland will tackle this dilemma in two public sessions during October.

The free hands-on sessions will take place on Thursday, Oct. 9, at 1 p.m. and Monday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. in the Computer Lab at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road. Attendees from all local communities will be able to take home a printout of their selections to use as they cast their ballots for the Nov. 4 election.

Anyone who watches election returns knows that we Americans take our right to vote for granted. But just how fragile is that right?

Are you a white male landowner who's over 21 years old? When the United States was founded, that's what it took to vote in most states.  By the Civil War, most states had removed the wealth requirement, but you still had to be male, white and, in most states, 21.

Are you a naturalized citizen? You couldn't have voted until the 14th Amendment to the Constitution was passed in 1868.

This report, which contains observations and selected highlights of a meeting of the WCOG, is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Official minutes are prepared by Mayor Patton's office.

Present: Mayors Patton (Fairview Park), Summers (Lakewood), Bobst (Rocky River) and Clough (Westlake)

Absent: Mayors Kennedy (North Olmsted) and Sutherland (Bay Village)

Also in attendance: Dave Greenspan, District 1 Representative, Cuyahoga County Council; outgoing Fiscal Officer Steve Presley; incoming Fiscal Officer and Bay Village Director of Finance Renee Mahoney; Cuyahoga County Director of Regional Collaboration Jennifer Scofield

Mayor Patton called the meeting to order 9:35 in the Birch Room at the Gemini Center in Fairview Park. It adjourned at 11:00. The minutes of the June 11, 2014 meeting were amended and approved. Renee Mahoney was appointed Finance Director of the WCOG, and Steve Presley was thanked for his service.

Cuyahoga County Director of Regional Collaboration Jennifer Scofield:

Ms. Scofield spoke for most of the meeting. She has been employed in the office of the executive since December 2010. Previously, she served as Cuyahoga County Deputy Fiscal Officer. Her prior experience with regional collaboration includes the County Health Alliance, LakeStat involving the Lake Erie watershed and the Cuyahoga River, and the Center for Excellence in Local Government. She replaces Ed Jerse, who retired in December, and she will continue his economic development initiatives.

The combined western Cuyahoga County Democratic clubs will join forces for a Tuesday, Sept. 30, Candidates Night and early voting kickoff at 7 p.m., at the Don Umerley Civic Center in Rocky River. The sponsoring clubs include Bay Village, Fairview Park, Lakewood, North Olmsted, Rocky River, Westlake and Cleveland Stonewall. The Civic Center is located at 21016 Hilliard Boulevard. 

You treasure the right to vote, but are unfamiliar with the candidates? You care about your community and have questions? You are a responsible citizen and love Ohio and our country! Here's your chance to meet the candidates in person and ask questions. Let them know about your concerns and what you think. Speak up, speak out, be an informed voter!

On Monday, Sept. 15, Nan Baker and Todd LeVeck, candidates for Ohio House of Representatives District 16, along with candidates for Cuyahoga County Council District 1, Dave Greenspan and Mark Szabo, will participate in a non-partisan forum.

This evening is sponsored by the Bay Village, Fairview Park, Rocky River, and Westlake/North Olmsted chapters of the League of Women Voters, Greater Cleveland. The Candidates' Night will begin at 7 p.m. at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road. The event is free and open to the public.

The three local Leagues of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Area, Shaker Heights and Cleveland Area – have voted to merge, forming one single League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland. The central League now encompasses all of Cuyahoga County, with nine chapters – Bay Village, Westlake/North Olmsted, Fairview Park, Lakewood, Rocky River, Cleveland Heights/University Heights, Hillcrest, Shaker Heights, and Cleveland Area. This merger will help the organization better meet its mission of encouraging an informed and engaged electorate.

“A single strong League of Women Voters of Greater Cleveland will provide voters with more timely and complete information before every election in Cuyahoga County and its municipalities,” said the new League’s first president, Maryann Barnes of Cleveland Heights. “Our goal is to provide nonpartisan information about candidates before elections, but also to support and promote policies that match our good-government positions.”

This report, which contains observations and selected highlights of a WCOG meeting, is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Official minutes are prepared by Mayor Patton's office and posted on Fairview Park's website.

Present: Mayors Bobst (Rocky River), Kennedy (North Olmsted), Patton (Fairview Park), Sutherland (Bay Village), and Summers (Lakewood).

Absent: Mayor Clough (Westlake)

Also in attendance: Dave Greenspan, District 1 representative, Cuyahoga County Council; outgoing Fiscal Officer Steve Presley; and incoming Fiscal Officer Renee Mahoney.

Commission Reports:

RTA: Mayor Summers described progress on widening Clifton Boulevard and installing upgraded transit stations. A Next/Connect tracking system will enable riders to check stop-specific bus arrival times. He also expressed interest in the proposed bike pathway from W. 66th Street to downtown Cleveland.

State Representative Nan Baker has announced that Governor John Kasich signed into law House Bill 107, which creates a $1 million pilot project to provide grants to certain businesses for employing high school students to career exploration internships.

“As one of the nation’s top job-creators over the past three years, Ohio is once again attracting young, talented people looking for opportunities to start their careers,” said Baker, the sponsor of the legislation and chair of the House Economic Development and Regulatory Reform Committee. “This bill is an important step toward helping students in our state gain firsthand experience in fields that interest them, so that they may be better prepared to pursue those interests in a competitive jobs market. I was proud of the work that has been done with this bill, and I was happy to see the Governor sign it into law.”

This report, which contains observations and selected highlights of a meeting of the WCOG, is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Official minutes are prepared by Mayor Patton's office.

Present: Mayors Patton (Fairview Park), Summers (Lakewood), Kennedy (North Olmsted). Mayor Sutherland (Bay Village) arrived at 10:30 a.m.

Absent: Mayors Bobst (Rocky River) and Clough (Westlake)

Also in attendance: Dave Greenspan, District 1 Representative, Cuyahoga County Council; Fiscal Officer Steve Presley, Westlake Director of Purchasing Larry Surber, and Senior Transportation Connection Executive Director Janice M. Dzigiel.

Mayor Patton called the meeting to order 9:30 a.m. in the Birch Room at the Gemini Center in Fairview Park. It adjourned at 11:35 a.m. No quorum was present initially, so the minutes of the prior meeting and the budget were deferred until Mayor Sutherland arrived.

Commission Reports:

NOACA: Mayor Sutherland and Mayor Summers are on the board of directors. NOACA has $44 million in sustainable community funds for infrastructure repairs throughout the five counties included in NOACA: Lake, Geauga, Medina, Lorain and Cuyahoga. Cuyahoga County wants the funds distributed on the basis of greatest need, while the exurban counties want the funds distributed on a percentage basis. Current estimated need is $20 billion.

My name is Todd LeVeck, and I am ready to be the next representative of the 16th State House District. I am running for state representative because I feel that I am not being represented in Columbus, and I think we can do better for our schools, our communities and the families of the 16th District.

I was born in Cleveland and grew up in Northeast Ohio before enlisting in the Navy in 1990. During my enlistment, I served in the first Gulf War and earned BA and MS degrees in preparation for a career as an educator. I left active duty in 1998 and have served in the Navy Reserve for most of the past 15 years, serving as the Senior Enlisted Leader in my last two units. In my career I earned three Navy Achievement Medals and was chosen as the Navy Reserve Sailor of the Year for the Cleveland Reserve Center in 2005. I will officially retire from the Navy Reserve this summer.

State Representative Nan Baker announced that she has filed her petitions to serve a fourth term in the Ohio House of Representatives. Rep. Baker was first elected to the 16th Ohio House District in 2008 and was reelected in 2010 and 2012. 

"There's an excitement to filing your petition as it will be an honor to have the opportunity to continue to serve the constituents of Ohio House District 16, which includes Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Westlake," Rep. Baker said.

This report, which contains observations and selected highlights of a meeting of the WCOG, is not an official statement of the League of Women Voters. Official minutes are prepared by Mayor Summers' office.

Present: Mayors Bobst (Rocky River), Clough (Westlake), Patton (Fairview Park), Summers (Lakewood), Sutherland (Bay Village)

Absent: Mayor Kennedy (North Olmsted)

Also in attendance: Dave Greenspan, District 1 Representative, Cuyahoga County Council; Steve Presley

Guest: Jeff Capretto, Special Agent in Charge (SAIC), Westshore Enforcement Bureau (WEB) Narcotics Task Force

SAIC Capretto presented copies of the WEB Narcotics Task Force's most recent (2012) annual report, detailing prosecuted cases, drug and prescription medication seizures, other activities of the WEB drug unit, and activities of the Westshore Young Leaders, a WEB-sponsored network dedicated to preventing substance abuse "through collaborative problem solving and leadership development."

This month marks two significant anniversaries in the history of our country: President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Gettysburg Address – to help dedicate a National Cemetery in that small town in Pennsylvania 150 years ago this Nov. 19, while three days later, Nov. 22, it will be 50 years since President John F. Kennedy was hit by an assassin’s bullets, tragically taking his life. These events, one inspiring and one tragic, live forever in American history. It’s right that we pause to recognize and reflect on them this fall.

LINCOLN

The cemetery to be dedicated in Gettysburg in November 1863 would hold the bodies of those United States soldiers who gave their lives in a three-day battle there, almost five months earlier, in the first three days of July 1863. The main speaker at the dedication was to be Edward Everett, a renowned orator who specialized in such occasions. President Lincoln was also invited almost as an afterthought to offer a few “appropriate remarks.” This was to be a state – and not a federal – event so no insult was intended to or taken by Lincoln. Each state was honoring its own dead.

Following are the results from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections for the contested races and issues on the Bay Village and Westlake ballots.

BAY VILLAGE
Mayor
Marty Mace ... 2566
Deborah Sutherland ... 3089

Council Ward 2
Cledith Miller ... 435
Paul Vincent ... 613

Council Ward 3
Walter Halun ... 277
Karen Lieske ... 921

Council Ward 4
Thomas Henderson ... 815
Michael Young ... 622

Issue 6 (Zoning Amendment)
*a majority Yes vote citywide AND in Ward 2 required for passage.
Citywide
Yes ... 2920
No ... 2180
Ward 2
Yes ... 605
No ... 668

WESTLAKE
Council Ward 1
Lynda Appel ... 1116
Shamus Cusick ... 387

Council Ward 2
Nate Cross ... 738
Nick Nunnari ... 973

Council Ward 6
Mark Getsay ... 877
Robert Koenig ... 565

Board of Education
*two seats open
John Finucane Jr. ... 3806
Brad Lamb ... 3557
Barb Leszynski ... 4983

Issue 88 (School Levy)
For ... 4705
Against ... 5388

Issue 73 (GetGo Sunday Liquor Sales)
Yes ... 208
No ... 137

Issue 74 (Speedway Sunday Liquor Sales)
Yes ... 206
No ... 117

REGIONAL
Rocky River Municipal Court Clerk
Deborah Comery ... 15512
Jeanne Gallagher ... 9516

I’m Dave Tadych, running for my sixth term as Bay's Ward 1 Councilman.   

I started my political journey in 1999 after retiring from Mr. Coffee’s corporate headquarters in Bedford Heights as Vice President, Information Systems. In 1999, then-Mayor Tom Jelepis appointed me to the Community Services Advisory Board. Adele Wheeler, Director of Community Services, guided the board. In 2001, Adele urged me to consider a run for Ward 1’s seat. I was successful.

Researchers for the 2012 presidential campaign discovered that simply asking people what time of day they plan to vote and what route they plan to drive makes it more likely they will follow through.

Whether you're a Red, Blue, or United Stater, take a moment to visualize heading to the polls on your way to work ... stopping by at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. to avoid the crowd ... doing your patriotic duty on the way home ... sitting down today to fill out that vote-by-mail ballot.

Hello, my name is Marty Mace, and I am running for mayor of Bay Village. I have spent 37 years as a public servant as a firefighter and paramedic.   I also served as an appointee to the Ohio EMS Board, appointed by Governor George Voinovich. I pledge the same dedication in my approach to the issues that affect our community as mayor. 

Bay has been a great place to work, live, and raise a family. We pride ourselves on community involvement and civic awareness. However, the community spirit and high level of city services have slowly eroded. City ordinances have been increasingly passed by emergency measures, bypassing public debate; problems in our infrastructure, including electrical brownouts and residential basement flooding have evolved from nuisances into public safety issues. Vital city services have been cut, leaving gaping voids with no solution to deal with the aftermath.

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shamus Cusick and I humbly ask for your consideration in my request to serve as your Ward 1 Council Representative. Even though this is my first attempt at public office I feel that you can Trust I will and do bring the most to the table for Ward 1 Residents.

What sets me apart is my experience. I am a 31-year member of a large Northern Ohio Construction Association and Affiliated Councils. As an active member I have had the privilege to serve as Delegate, Sergeant-at-Arms, Trustee, Examining and Executive Boards, Recording Secretary, Business Representative and currently as President. A number of these offices I ran successfully as an independent candidate which speaks to my diligent service to my constituents.

Thank you Ward 2 residents for selecting me as a candidate for City Council and to my fellow primary candidates, Marie Novak, Steven Presley and Brian Thompson, for joining my campaign. I appreciate your support and I humbly ask for your vote on Nov. 5.

A near lifelong Westlake Ward 2 resident, I’m prepared to serve as your voice on City Council. I attend city council meetings regularly and build solid working relationships. I’m well versed on residents’ concerns and passionate about community service. I want to ensure that our tax dollars are used responsibly and maintain the sense of pride in Westlake by helping to envision a plan to keep our city moving forward, ensuring future stability and growth.

Thank you for your time. My name is Paul Vincent and I am running for Ward 2 City Council. As your city councilman, I will encourage public debate; increase government accessibility and give residents a better understanding of what is taking place in Council and who represents their interests. I’m concerned that too few tools are available for residents to stay apprised of Council issues. I would like to change that. 

I will implement measures for more citizen involvement on all issues. By utilizing social media and email, I will ensure that each resident has the opportunity to understand what is taking place in Council. When residents are engaged, our city flourishes. I am committed to improving citizen involvement by means of broadcasting council meetings and increasing lines of communication.

I am honored to serve as your current Ward 3 Councilwoman.

I hold a public administration master’s degree, the degree most often held by city managers. I also have held executive and administrative positions in local government, the nonprofit sector and higher education. I have gained a great deal of experience serving as your Ward 3 Councilwoman. I served 12 years on the Bay Board of Education – 3 as president and 3 as vice-president.

Woodrow Wilson said that “the ear of the leader must ring with the voice of the people.” I have been going all over Ward 3 on my bicycle, talking to you, and listening to what you say. Residents have expressed concerns about the city’s finances.

It’s about Bay. My name is Walt Halun, and I am running for council in Ward 3.

During my business career, I worked as the Director of Purchasing for American Ship Building Company for another Bay resident, George Steinbrenner.

We are facing an economic crunch in Bay, but to use Steinbrenner’s words: “Don’t tell me what we can’t do, tell me how you are going to make something happen.”

In 2012, I was unanimously appointed to the Westlake Board of Education from a field of 19 applicants. I have worked diligently to be a productive board member and am running to retain my Board seat in an effort to continue my work on behalf of our excellent schools.

My husband, Ed, and I have lived in Westlake for 33 years. Our 3 children are WHS graduates and we have 4 grandchildren currently attending Westlake City Schools. I am an active volunteer in the community, and currently tutor special needs students at Dover Elementary.

It has been an honor to serve the West Shore Community over the last 18 years. Since I started in 1996, the Rocky River Municipal Court has become one of the most well respected courts in the State of Ohio. Much of that is directly related to the advancements that I have been directly involved in such as installing a state-of-the art computer system, installing an imaging system so all of our documents are available real-time on our website where ePayments have been the norm for 10 years.

EFiling has been in use for the last four years and we are currently upgrading that service to be even more user friendly. Being the keeper of the Court Record, we continue to implement the latest technology as it becomes available to insure that all records are kept accurately and completely.

I believe the FACTS support the passage of the Westlake City Schools Operating Issue 88.  

• Issue 88 is needed for Westlake City Schools to remain fiscally sound for the next five years. Without Issue 88 the district will be forced to make cuts that will change the face of our school system.
• Westlake City Schools is a good steward with our tax dollars. Even with the passage of the Issue 88 in November Westlake is in the bottom 25 percent of schools taxes in Cuyahoga County. 
• Westlake City Schools are a top performing district. Our students have performed in the top 4 to 7 percent of all schools districts in Ohio for the past 10 years.
• The district has not received new operating funds since 2006, and has lost $11 million in federal and state funding in the past seven years.

The Westlake/North Olmsted and Bay Village chapters of the League of Women Voters-Cuyahoga Area recently held candidate forums to allow voters to ask questions and hear directly from those seeking election Nov. 5. Full-length videos of both forums are available on the LWVCA website (scroll down the the Candidate Forum Videos section).

The Bay Village chapter will also be screening the videos on Thursday, Oct. 17, 1-3:30 p.m., at the Bay Village Branch Library, 502 Cahoon Road, and on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 1-3:30 p.m., at Dwyer Senior Center, 300 Bryson Lane.

Election season is upon us and the Observer has partnered with the Bay Village and Westlake/North Olmsted chapters of the League of Women Voters-Cuyahoga Area to bring you comprehensive, non-partisan voter information.

Westlake voters: Visit the Observer website’s Westlake Government section to read questions and responses from candidates running for Mayor, City Council and Board of Education, or download the Voters’ Guide in PDF format.

Bay Village voters: Visit the Observer website’s Bay Village Government section to read questions and responses from candidates running for Mayor and City Council, as well as position statements on the Proposed Zoning Amendment, or download the Voters’ Guide in PDF format.

If you can't be at the League of Women Voters Bay Village Candidates' Night on Oct. 2, 7 p.m. at Bay High School, see the video:

• Oct. 17 at 1 p.m., Bay Village Branch Library meeting room, 502 Cahoon Road
• Oct. 23 at 1 p.m., Dwyer Senior Center, 300 Bryson Lane
• Online at LWVCuyahogaArea.org under Voter/Citizen Info - Voter Guides

I am a dynamic community member and have devoted much of my public life to community service. I eagerly stepped up to help with Relay for Life the first year it came to Westlake, securing Deacon Dave Kinzel as the honorary chair and helping to educate the community about what Relay for Life is.

From 1999-2003, I lived with my family in Wisconsin, but we were eager to return to Westlake. We did not look at any other communities, we had confidence in the city government and the schools, we knew this was where we wanted to raise our family.

My name is Tom Henderson and I’m asking for your vote as Ward 4 Council Representative. My wife, Melissa, and I moved to Bay five years ago and look forward to raising a family here. I’ve entered this election because I believe Bay is Cleveland’s premier suburb and I want to lead our city towards a bright future while protecting its unique character. 

As your representative, I will listen to opinions, research facts, make informed decisions and communicate openly. Bay will thrive if it is a community where young people choose to move, families choose to live and seniors choose to stay. This requires our city to provide services, facilities and infrastructure we desire while holding taxes steady.

Since 2009, I have had the privilege of serving on Westlake City Council – Ward 6. As a resident of Westlake, I have seen it grow into the great community it is today. My father was a minister, and he taught my brother and me how important it is to give back to your community. A lesson I am teaching my two sons.

I came to Westlake to work for a local accounting firm as a CPA, and in 2005, I went to a Westlake company as the Chief Financial Officer. Through the years, I have served on numerous boards, including the West Shore Chamber of Commerce, North Coast Health Ministry and the City’s Civil Service Commission.

As we head into the fall election season, I would like once again thank the voters in Ward 2 for selecting me as your top choice in the recent primary election for Westlake City Council.  Your support has given me increased enthusiasm to work harder so I can continue to earn your vote in my effort to become your elected council representative in November.

If selected as your next councilman, I plan to continue my leadership role in the community to address issues or concerns in Westlake, and specific to Ward 2 – based on my strong qualifications, and relevant experience.

My wife and I moved to Westlake to raise our family. Growing up in the West Park neighborhood of Cleveland, there were many communities we could choose. We chose Westlake. Westlake is one of those communities that has a little of everything. What really sets Westlake apart from other cities is the community’s support for its public schools. The families of Westlake invest in their schools because they know it will continue to make their city a great place to live.

Last year our investment in our schools earned us two nationally recognized Blue Ribbon Schools, and because of the support of the community of Westlake, we now have a new high school and middle school for our children. We are fortunate to have great schools, which in turn makes it a great community to live in.

Can you name your Clerk of Court? Many residents are unaware of who they are and what they do. Many municipalities have appointed Clerks but the Rocky River Clerk of Court is an elected position.

I am currently serving the citizens of Cuyahoga County as an assistant bailiff in the courtroom of the Honorable Judge Kristin W. Sweeney. It is in this capacity that I have learned just how vital the Clerk position is to the operation of the Court. A wrong order could result in garnishment of wages or liens on property or assets. Untimely-filed documents could result in dismissals of important cases. These are issues that most don’t think about until it directly affects them. These are issues that are important to me.

Bay Villagers can expect to see a lot of orange and red this autumn, and not only in the season’s changing leaves. The field of four candidates vying for the office of Bay Village mayor was narrowed to two in Tuesday’s primary election, with incumbent Deborah Sutherland and challenger Marty Mace receiving the most votes.

The blue-and-white campaign signs favored by Claire Banasiak and David Volle will soon be removed from yards, with Sutherland’s red and Mace’s orange signs likely to fill the landscape. Sutherland was the top vote-getter in the Sept. 10 contest, with 1,299 votes, just over 45 percent of the 2,859 voters in the Observer’s unofficial tally of election results posted at the city’s five polling locations and the vote-by-mail figures available on the county board of elections website immediately after the polls closed. Marty Mace received 940 votes (32.8 percent) for a second-place finish. David Volle came in third at 549 votes (19.2 percent) and Claire Banasiak had 71 votes (nearly 2.5 percent).

Sutherland and Mace will square off in the Nov. 5 general election.

See the unofficial breakdown by precinct after the jump.

The Westlake and Bay chapters of the League of Women Voters - Cuyahoga Area will present candidates' nights in advance of the Nov. 5 General Election. A classic LWV format will be used, with each candidate in a contested race giving short opening and closing remarks and an LWV moderator posing audience questions that have been screened for duplication, clarity, relevance and appropriateness.

The Westlake forum will be held Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 6:45 p.m. at Westlake Porter Public Library, 27333 Center Ridge Road. The candidates for Board of Education will appear first, followed at 7:30 p.m. by the contested candidates for Wards 1, 2 and 6.

The Bay forum, to be held on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Bay High School auditorium at 29230 Wolf Road, will begin with the two Primary Election-winning candidates for mayor. The three uncontested City Council candidates will speak for three minutes each to introduce themselves and their views. Finally, the six candidates in the contested elections for City Council Wards 2, 3 and 4 will discuss their visions and plans for Bay Village.

The LWV General Election Voters' Guides for Westlake and Bay Village will be published in the Oct. 1 issue of the Westlake | Bay Village Observer and will be available online at wbvobserver.com through Election Day.

Provisional ballots are a good thing. But you don't want to be handed one.

In response to problems during the 2000 presidential election, Congress passed the Help America Vote Act of 2002. Provisional ballots were created to record a vote when there are questions about the voter's eligibility. Once the questions are resolved, the vote is either counted or disqualified. Provisional ballots are a good thing because they can preserve voters' rights.