Fairview Park to have primaries in Wards 1, 3 for City Council posts

Published: Friday, July 08, 2011, 12:03 PM

By Kate Gluck, Sun News

FAIRVIEW PARK — The candidate petition filing deadline for municipal elections has come and gone and the slate of candidates is now set.

Because more than two candidates filed in Ward 1 and Ward 3, a nonpartisan primary election on Sept. 13 will determine the final two candidates for those wards.

All candidates for council president, council at-large and council wards 2, 4 and 5 move directly to the general election on Nov. 8.

Per a charter amendment that was passed in November 2009, beginning with the election this fall council members’ terms in office increase from two to four years.

When all is said and done, at the very least come January, there will be two new members of council.

Longtime Ward 3 Councilman Fred Gauthier, who missed a number of meetings toward the early part of this year due to health reasons, decided not to run again. He said that although he expects his doctor to sign off on a clean bill of health, with the extended term limits now taking effect he didn’t think it was in his best interest to continue on council.

“I have no desire to be like Strom Thurmond and keep going until I am 100,” he said.

Ward 1 Councilman Pat Manning also decided to step down, citing his forthcoming marriage as the reason.

The only council seat where an incumbent is being challenged is in Ward 2, longtime incumbent Bill Minek faces a challenge from school board member Dennis Rehor.

Rehor was a leader in the Gemini Project and also served as school board president.

Minek has served on council in a variety of capacities since 1985.

Asked why he decided to run, Rehor said that he looks back at what has been accomplished through the Gemini Project and during his tenure on the school board, and feels that he could “do some good.”

Matthew Hout, Dan Jones and Paul Wojnar have all thrown their hats into the ring for the Ward 3 seat. Ed Gorbett, Brian McDonough and Nathan Studeny are seeking the Ward 1 seat.

Gorbett, a retired plumber who is president of the Fairview Park Democratic Club, said that he has always wanted to run for council but, between work and family, he never had the time. Now he does and wants to help move the city forward.

McDonough, an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor, said he fell in love with Fairview Park, his wife’s hometown, when he moved there seven years ago. He said it would be an honor to continue keeping Fairview Park a great place live.

“It is an exciting time for Fairview in terms of future development. I would be happy to help keep moving he city forward in that regard,” he said.

Studeny is an attorney in private practice. He was appointed by Mayor Eileen Patton to the Board of Zoning and Appeals in 2010. Studeny said that he decided to run for the Ward 1 council seat to give back to his hometown and also use his background and experiences “to help city government attack and solve the complex financial issues that small municipalities such as Fairview Park now face.”

Hout, who is vice chair of the zoning and appeals board, said that he has called Fairview Park home for 25 years and looks forward to his future in the city.

“I am running for Ward 3 council because it matters,” he said.

Wojnar has served as secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Union Local 407 for the past nine years. He said, “With the retirement of Mr. Gauthier, I believe I can bring a fresh perspective to council. There will be many serious challenges for Fairview Park in the near term and, if elected, I will work hard to respond to the concerns of the constituents of Ward 3.”

Jones could not be reached for comment.

Council President Mike Kilbane, Councilwoman-at-large Peggy Cleary, Ward 4 Councilman John Hinkel and Ward 5 Councilman Pete Matia are all unopposed.

Three competing to succeed longtime Council member Gauthier

Three residents are vying to succeed Fred Gauthier, the second-most senior member of the Fairview Park City Council. The 74-year-old Gauthier, who was appointed to represent Ward 3 and won re-election six times, is not running again due to health reasons.

Matt Hout, 33, currently serves as vice-chairman of the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals. The Democrat has been furloughed from his job at United Airlines and is a full-time student at Cleveland State University.

Hout said, if elected, he would work on continuing economic development along Lorain Road, particularly Fairview Centre, which is expected to be sold in the near future.

Hout believes the city should attempt to attract small businesses, such as mom-and-pop stores, to Lorain Road, while larger corporations should be encouraged to locate along Brookpark Road.

For two years, the city has hosted a workshop real estate agents designed to promote the city’s features for homeowners. Hout thinks the city should sponsor similar workshops for developers.

“Have a week where we focus on the development of Fairview Park,” Hout said.

Paul Wojnar, 51, is secretary and treasurer for Teamsters Local 407. The union executive, who previously was a driver for UPS, said he leans toward the Democratic Party stances on issues, and is a strong supporter of labor.

Wojnar, who has an accounting degree from Cleveland State University, said financial issues are his primary concern.

“First and foremost, we have to fix the budget crisis,” he said, regarding the city’s declining revenue stream.

Wojnar said, if elected, he would work with the administration and council to attract more businesses to the city. He said he believes he’s good at working with others toward achieving common goals.

Wojnar also said he believes he’s representative of many Ward 3 residents.

“I grew up blue collar,” he said.

Dan Jones, who also filed as a candidate in the Ward 3 primary, is out of town until mid-July and could not be reached for comment.

Gauthier has not issued a formal endorsement, but said Jones is a neighbor and past political supporter. When Gauthier thought about not running again in a past election, he spoke with Jones about being a possible candidate.

The top two finishers in the Sept. 13 primary will proceed to the Nov. 8 general election.

Fairview Park mayor, most council members plan to seek re-election

Published: Friday, February 25, 2011, 12:19 PM

By Kate Gluck, Sun News Sun News

FAIRVIEW PARK Although the November election is months away, players in the municipal elections are already starting to line up. The filing deadline is June 15 for city candidates and Aug. 10 for school board.

Mayor Eileen Patton said she plans to seek re-election. She is expected to make a formal announcement on March 3. So far, she is the only person to express an interest in the mayor’s position.

The following incumbent council members said they intend to seek re-election this fall: Bill Minek, Ward 2; Fred Gauthier, Ward 3; John Hinkel, Ward 4; Pete Matia, Ward 5; Councilwoman at-large Peggy Cleary and Council President Mike Kilbane.

Ward 1 Councilman Pat Manning is the only incumbent who may not run again.

Matthew Hout, a longtime Fairview resident, tossed his hat in the ring for the Ward 3 council seat, filing a petition with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. As yet, he is the only new face in the mix.

Hout, who is vice chairman of the board of zoning and appeals, has been a regular attendee at City Council meetings for the last five years. He said that he has wanted to run for council that entire time and feels this is the time to step up.

“I am passionate in understanding the concerns and ideas of those who live not only in Ward 3 but those in the city. I am anxious to address their concerns and will strive to assure those who live in Ward 3 that I will work to preserve the integrity of the community while addressing its role in the future of the city,” he said.

“I have called Fairview Park my home for 25 years and look forward to my future here. I am running for Ward 3 council because it matters,” he added.

Manning recently became engaged and said that while his wedding plans were still not concrete, he would not want to run for an office if he did not feel he would be able to see the whole term through.

“It has been a great experience for me. It has been great to be a participant in a really incredible revival of the city ... like no other time than the 22 years I have been in the city,” Manning said of his time on council.

A common theme among the incumbents is that they are running for re-election because they want to continue to move the city down its current path of redevelopment, build upon the successes of the last several years and help navigate through a tough economic climate.

Gauthier, who missed a number of meetings in the past year due to illness, said that so long as he gets a clean bill of health from his doctors (which he anticipates) he intends to run again.

“Essentially there is so much potential for redevelopment for Fairview. I have been involved with a portion of it and I would like to stay involved,” he said.

Asked what he would hope to accomplish in his next term, Kilbane said he would like to see more collaboration with Cleveland and the surrounding communities.

“There is so much duplication of services occurring in communities that are right down the road from each other. I think we need to get busy looking at the different areas where collaboration between cities and in association with the county government would make sense. I believe that this is the only way to remain a viable community in the current economic environment in America today,” he said.

As for school board, because of staggered terms, three of the five seats are up for election this fall.

Board President Brad Lamb and board member Joe Shucofsky both indicated that they intend to run again. Board member Marcy Starks said that with the filing deadline still months away, she had not yet given much thought to whether or not she would seek re-election.

All three said that they are very happy with how things are going in the district, particularly with the fiscal stability, the ability to maintain and exceed the pledge of no new taxes for five years.

“We have reached that goal and now look to extend the pledge,” said Lamb. “I believe our district is the most financially stable that it has ever been.”

Shucofsky said he wants to run again because while great strides have been made, the job is not done. When he first ran years ago, he wanted to see Fairview receive an excellent rating as a district on the school report card and see the culture of the district change both academically and fiscally, he said.

“I think we have done a phenomenal job turning around the district and culture of the district academically and fiscally, but it is still a work in progress. It is always a work in progress as we keep reaching for moving targets from the state standards. We have a phenomenal academic program and we are constantly striving to improve that program and curriculum. We are second to none in terms of our fiscal stewardship. We have added so much value to our program and facilities at the same time we are making cost-cutting measures.”

Depending on the number of candidates who file, a nonpartisan primary could take place on Sept. 13.

Gluck is a freelancer from Bay Village. Contact her at kate.gluck@sbcglobal.net.

Election results rolling in for several Cuyahoga, Summit communities