The plan - Part 1

To the citizens of Ward 18 (soon to be Ward 16) and the City of Cleveland,

We all know that Cleveland has been going through difficult times for at least the last decade, and these difficult times are only exacerbated by the state of the national economy. However, we must keep in mind that from every down-turn there proceeds a subsequent up-turn. Though the nation is in turmoil at the moment, the turmoil will not remain. As such, right now is when we as a city need to prepare to be in the best position for taking advantage of the forthcoming up-turn.

I believe there is a great deal of opportunity to be pursued in Cleveland, immediately and in the coming national up-turn. However, to realize the opportunity we must be efficient with our resources, balanced in weighing the plethora of competing city concerns and vibrant in our city leadership. We must also, every one of us, foster a sense of ownership in our communities so that we collectively take care of our neighborhoods.

We will discuss ways to foster community pride and ownership another time. Today, I would like to discuss reforming the structure of our government to ensure efficiency, balance and vibrancy.

If elected, I will propose to my fellow councilmen that we reduce the size of city council to 11 and institute term limits. In my proposal, the 11 council members will consist of 6 ward council representatives, 4 city representatives elected at-large and a council president elected at-large. Term limits in the proposal will allow a maximum of 3 terms per position. That is, 3 terms as a ward councilman, 3 terms as a city councilman at-large, and 3 terms as council president, for a total of 9 terms for any one individual in city council.

The new council will be more efficient. A reduction in the size of council will save the city nearly $600,000 per year in salary alone. Further, all Cleveland residents will benefit from the representation of up to 6 councilmen, 1 dedicated ward councilman and 5 at-large councilmen. The current system only provides 1 dedicated ward councilman for residents to turn to.

The new council will be more balanced. Breaking the council into ward representatives and at-large city representatives will promote balance in council between the needs of any one ward with the needs of the city as a whole.

The new council will result in a more vibrant leadership structure. My proposal to reduce the size of council and adopt term limits offers practical solutions to foster the development of dynamic leaders in our city. Human nature is such that stagnation is virtually inevitable for politicians who hold office for their entire career. We must counter this tendency and ensure the City of Cleveland can benefit from a continuous stream of fresh talent, fresh perspectives and new ideas. What better way to compel new leaders to get involved than to demonstrate to our youth that their involvement is necessary and that the opportunity to lead and make a difference in our community is built into the very structure of our council?

There are plenty of other upsides to reducing council and setting term limits. I hope to discuss these with you, and any other questions you may have as I meet you door to door this summer. In the interim, if you have any comments please feel free to contact me at 216-939-2382 or demas4w16@blogspot.com.

Thank you, and I hope to meet you soon.

Sincerely,

Chris