(Structure of County Government, County Finances and Urban Services were placed under one item, "County Government" at the May, 1979 County LWV Convention)

POSITION:

A. SUPPORT OF A STRUCTURE OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT THAT WOULD INCLUDE A SINGLE EXECUTIVE AND A RESPONSIBLE LEGISLATIVE BODY: The League of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Area will support the following measures to strengthen county government:

1. A clearer delineation of policy-making and administrative functions. It is inherent in the commissioner form of government that the Board of Commissioners performs both functions.

2. A single executive, preferably elected, responsible for all county departments. The Board of Commissioners at present has some control over the job performance of the elected department heads. An elected executive would become the spokesperson for the county and be responsible to the voters for the administration of county affairs.

3. A legislative body of moderate size (seven to eleven) to function as a policy- making body, elected in part from districts and in part at-large. The Board should represent various interests in the community, but not be so large as to be unwieldy. It should represent the broad interests of the county as well as those of particular areas. Since the Board of Commissioners would function as a policy-making body, the salaries of the part-time members should be less than those now provided in Sec. 325.10 of the Ohio Revised Code for county commissioners.

4. Appointment rather than election of some presently elected department heads.   This would allow the heads of county departments to be chosen on the basis of job qualifications and make them directly responsible to an executive head of  the county. It would also allow shortening the county ballot and eliminating overlapping functions.

HISTORY:

County government, its structure and function, has been a concern of the League for many years. It is the arm of the state through which a multitude of services are dispensed, and stands between the purely local interests of the municipalities and the impersonal state government. The Leagues in the county, both before and after the Inter-League organization, have studied county government, and have taken action to improve it. In 1933, the Ohio League of Women Voters worked successfully for the passage of the County Home Rule Amendment to the Constitution. In 1954, a study emphasizing the Board of County Commissioners led to publication of a booklet, Your County Commissioners - Board of All Trades. In 1959, the Metro proposal was placed before the voters after an exhaustive study of metropolitan problems by a Charter Commission. The League studied the Charter and supported it, but the issue was defeated on a city-suburb split. The League worked for the adoption of the Alternative Form, as permitted by the Ohio Revised Code, feeling that it was a step toward needed reforms. In 1963, the League cooperated with the Citizens League on a petition drive, but the ten percent of the voters that was then required was not obtained. In 1966-1968, the Leagues made a study of all county functions and published Here’s Cuyahoga County – a book that had wide distribution. In both studies, the League concluded that a clearer distinction between the policy-making and administrative functions of the county officials was needed.

A brief study in 1969 prepared the County League to make specific recommendations on the Alternative Form of County Government proposed for Cuyahoga County. In 1969 the County Commissioners appointed an advisory committee to recommend a plan for county re-organization. The League’s work in the field was recognized when its former president was appointed to the committee. The issue was narrowly defeated that year. Feeling that the voters had not had time to thoroughly understand the benefits of the proposal, the League, together with the Citizens League, spearheaded a petition drive, which now required only 3% of the voters, to re-submit substantially the same issue to the voters in 1970. Again the issue failed.

In 1974, a new study was undertaken under the title, Study of Possible Methods of Governing the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan Area. In 1975 at County Convention the word metropolitan was changed to regional, recognizing that many services were already being planned by inter-county agencies, and that all future alternatives should be considered. The first year of the study considered regional government in other cities. A conference on regionalism was held and a report was prepared by the Urban League.

In the spring of 1976, the twelve local Leagues joined together to discuss the possibilities of regional government and overwhelmingly once again accepted the two-tier structure of county government. These were not consensus meetings, but the following biases were apparent: regional or county control was favored for transportation, water supply, sewers; local control was preferred for waste collections, snow removal, police and fire. Local school control was preferred by a slim margin. In 1980, with the discussions on the alternative form of government proposal, these views were reaffirmed.

In 1978, the Citizens League approached the ILO again with the idea of promoting an alternative form for Cuyahoga County. However, it was felt that the time was not right. In 1979, with the problems of Cleveland uppermost in everyone’s mind, the League again discussed such a possibility with the Citizens League. They received financial backing to initiate a drive to put a charter proposal on the ballot. The League supported the attempt to have an alternative form of government passed in November, 1980. League members solicited signatures on the petitions and then worked hard to have the issue pass. The issue failed and League members felt that the defeat was because of the lack of knowledge on the part of the electorate as to what county government does.

In 1983, a new addition of Here’s Cuyahoga County was published to assist voters to become familiar with how their county government functions.

In 1995, County Commissioners appointed a Citizens Committee for County Government Reform, headed by Dr. Kathleen Barber, to evaluate the structure and powers of county government and to make recommendations regarding the possible benefits of a county charter. A proposal for a home rule charter was presented to the Commissioners to be placed on the ballot. The proposal included an elected executive, a seven-member council with two members elected at-large and five from districts, and the conversion of seven elected officials to appointed administrators. However, the Commissioners took no action on the proposal because of opposition by some and a general lack of interest in seeking change. The League followed the work of the Committee and at the suggestion of Commissioner Mary Boyle conducted a survey, to discover the voters’ level of knowledge about county government issues and their opinion of proposals for changing county government. The League found that although voters admit not having a solid understanding of county government, they do not believe that it is doing a good job. Three-quarters felt a need for change, but they were unclear about what they wanted. They did, however prefer electing administrative officials rather than having them appointed, and strongly supported electing a legislative body by districts. And they also selected the League of Women Voters as the organization they would trust to provide them with information on county government.

In 1998 the League of Women Voter of Cuyahoga County published a pamphlet, Government of Cuyahoga County: What It Is, and a History of Efforts to Change It.

In 2003 and 2004, League of Women Voters members participated in a nonpartisan research coalition, informally known as the Kaufman group (its convener was Steven Kaufman, President of the Cleveland Bar Association). Partners in addition to the League of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Regional Area and the Cleveland Bar were the Cleveland State University College of Urban Studies and Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Greater Cleveland Roundtable, Bliss Institute of the University of Akron, John Glenn Institute of Ohio State University, and the Citizens League. In 2004, the coalition, with the research assistance of League members, published a White Paper as a vehicle for further countywide discourse: Jobs and Economic Development : Our Goal; Community Resolve: Our Need; Cuyahoga County Governmental Reform: A Means? The coalition also sponsored three City Club luncheon forums with speakers from other counties with different forms of county government. The forums examined issues of representation, accountability, and alternative models. The League of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Regional Area requested Mr. Kaufman to continue his work, but the coalition was dissolved.

In 2003, the Cuyahoga County Republican Party went public with a draft County Charter, which featured, among other things, an elected executive and a representative council. Because of its partisan origins, Leagues remained neutral on the plan. Subsequently the Citizens League cast its lot with the Republicans and re-drafted the charter hoping to gain more support. They gathered signatures to put it on the Spring 2004 ballot, but so many of the petitions were invalidated that it did not make its way to the ballot. The Leagues found themselves with internal organizational problems that precluded their ability to come together to advocate for the charter.

In 2004 and 2005, the LWV County government committee turned the knowledge it had gathered into a power point program for presenting a program on county government. Twenty-three organizations invited the committee to make this presentation. The Leagues hoped to spur community interest in county government reform. The topic that aroused the most critical attention was the patchwork of over 43 autonomous authorities, boards, commissions, and special districts to which the Commissioners had the appointing power.

From 1998 to 2006, members of the County Government Committee observed and reported on the weekly meetings of the County Commissioners. The reports were shared with all Leagues in the county.

B. SUPPORT OF A FINANCING PROGRAM THAT WILL PROVIDE FOR INCREASING COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES, ADEQUATE MAINTENANCE AND LONG-RANGE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. (1963)

The League of Women Voters of Cuyahoga County will support the following measures to insure adequate financing for county needs:

1. Additional sources of revenue to finance increasing county responsibilities. In view of the increasing demands for county services, and the fact that property taxes provide the main source of local revenue for both municipalities and school districts, the League believes that tax sources other than the property tax should be utilized for financing of county services.

2. Long-range planning for the development of county capital improvements. A capital improvements plan should set priorities for public improvements, document the necessity, estimate costs and anticipate means for financing each project.

3. Adequate maintenance of county facilities.  There whould be provision in the annual budget for adequate maintenance of the county's capital assets.

HISTORY:

The League in Cuyahoga County studied Sources and Uses of Revenue from 1960 to 1963 and as a result adopted the three support positions under financing and a fourth in support of the county welfare program. The members analyzed state statutes pertaining to county finance and studied the budget-making procedure. County officials including officials of the courts, must annually submit their budgetary requirements at hearings held before the county tax budget is adopted in July and the appropriation measure the following March. The League believes its support positions above can best be implemented by noting these hearings and using them as opportunities to testify.

When the General Assembly made available to counties certain excise taxes in 1967, the League testified in favor of levying the additional sales tax and county motor vehicle fee. The League supported the bond issue for a Justice Center in 1968 (defeated) and in 1970 (passed) as part of the long-range capital improvements program planned for the county. In 1971, the League supported the County Hospital Improvement Levy as part of a long-range plan for the development of County Hospital facilities and services.

In 1972, the League supported a general levy for expanded services for mental health, retarded persons, drug programs, improved criminal justice procedures, and airport safety. While the levy was planned to support a number of services of League interest, the fact that it was a general levy, under the responsibility of the County Commissioners, rather than one earmarked for a specific purpose, added to the reasons for League interest. The League believes that responsible government requires the responsibility for financing programs. Since it is apparently easier to pass an earmarked levy, the levy lost.

Since then, the League has investigated each levy proposed by interviewing County Commissioners and then decided whether to support it on the basis of its findings.

C. SUPPORT OF ASSIGNING THE PROVISION OF URBAN SERVICES TO THAT LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT THAT PERMITS EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT PERFORMANCE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CITIZEN PARTICIPATION. (1968)

The League of Women Voters of Cuyahoga County will support such governmental organization for the provision of urban services to the citizens of the county as will meet the following criteria:

1. The government unit responsible for providing any urban service should be of a size to enable the benefits from that service to be used and paid for primarily by the people who live within its jurisdiction. (Benefits derived from, or ill effects from not providing, should have a minimum of spillover).

2. The unit of government should be large enough to provide the service with maximum economy. (Unit costs tend to go down as the output increases).

3. The unit of government providing a service should represent a geographic area that lends itself to effective performance. (If the area relates to the service, such as a watershed area, the government or agency must have political control of the area to be effective).

4. The unit of government performing a function should have the legal authority and administrative and financial ability to carry out the service assigned to it.

5. The unit of government should be responsible for a sufficient number of functions to be able to balance conflicting interests, assign priorities and plan for the future. (Since services depend on one another, no single interest should be allowed to dominate. A government with varied duties can better cope with overall needs).

6. The performance of functions by a unit of government should remain controllable by, and accessible to its residents.

HISTORY:

The League supports local provision of services when they can be handled efficiently and effectively. However, when the entire metropolitan area needs to be served, provision of the services through an area-wide approach is indicated.

The League recognizes that increased inter-relatedness of governments requires concern on the part of the state and federal governments for efficient and effective administration of urban services. Their appropriate role includes setting and enforcing minimum standards, providing financial and technical assistance and providing needed enabling legislation for new approaches.

League members were asked to consider the level of government that would be appropriate to provide each of the services required by residents in this urban area. The members agreed that a two-level governmental approach could be useful in dealing with some services. However, some sort of criteria were required for individual decisions as to which level of government was most appropriate for rendering a particular service. In 1968 the County Convention adopted a program item called Urban Services: Development of criteria to determine which services should be county-wide and which should be local. It was believed that agreement on criteria would enable the local Leagues to agree on action to be taken in areas such as transportation, health services, etc. – services extending beyond local boundaries. The League studied several sets of suggested guidelines to determine the particular combination of local/county government that should be used to dispense a particular service, and the set of criteria selected were suggested in a report of the President’s Advisory Commission on Inter-governmental Relations, Performance of Urban Functions – Local and Area-wide. (1963)

In August 1970, the County board used this position and the criteria to judge the validity of a proposed merger of the Cleveland Public Library and the County Library System. The Board determined that the League could support the merger, and testimony was given. In May, 1971 another opportunity for public comment arose and the LWV of Cuyahoga County restated its position. At this time, however, the Cleveland League spoke officially against the merger. The result was adverse publicity for the Leagues and a crisis situation between the Cuyahoga Inter-League and the Cleveland League. The source of the specific controversy was eliminated when the library merger was turned down by the Cleveland Board of Education. However, the crisis caused by the attempted use of the criteria on Urban Services led to a realization that the use of the criteria was not going to be effective in resolving the type of controversy they had been designed for. Discussion led to county-wide League agreement and a series of procedures to be used for implementing the urban services position. These procedures are as follows:

WHAT LIES AHEAD? The League’s concern for improving county government will continue. A temporary solution has been the creation of independent authorities to manage specific services. The League of Women Voters - Cuyahoga Area voted at its 2006 annual meeting to study the general accountability and public visibility of the Authorities, Boards, Commissions, and Districts in Cuyahoga County.

 PLANNING*

Support of measures designed to promote understanding and responsibility in the diverse and multi-racial, multi-cultural community of Cuyahoga County.

Support of quality public education in Cuyahoga County.
Support of providing sufficient funding for quality public education.
Support of continued monitoring of educational facilities, allocation of resources, programs and educational methods.
Support of long-range planning of finances, facilities, staffing and educational methods along with citizen input.

Support of Cuyahoga Community College as the public two-year higher education institution in the County that provides accessible and affordable educational programs and services that meet the needs of the County’s population.

POSITION:
The League of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Area supports Cuyahoga Community College in its goal of providing for the county an institution that will offer up to two years of education beyond high school.

1. Cuyahoga Community College offers the first two years of a baccalaureate degree program and associate degree and certificate occupational and technical programs.

2. Because community colleges are supported by state and local funds as well as student tuition and fees, the League will support the necessary local funding to permit the College to serve the community.

In December, 1961 the Leagues in Cuyahoga County adopted the agenda item The establishing of a Community College for Cuyahoga County for a 1962-1963 study. League interest developed during the study by the League of Women Voters of Ohio of Education beyond the High School. It drew attention to the lack of public higher education facilities in the County. The County League study logically followed the March, 1961 position of the LWVO that stated in part, Ohio needs to expand its facilities for public higher education, and League support should be given to permit the establishment of two-year community colleges and technical institutes to supplement public universities and their branches.

State legislation in 1961 provided for the establishment of community colleges and permitted them to offer academic or university parallel courses. On October 23, 1961 the Board of County Commissioners declared Cuyahoga County to be a community college district, the first in Ohio. On January 16, 1962 the first Board of Trustees for the community college was appointed.

After consultation with the LWVO, the Cuyahoga County Government Committee determined that its study need not establish the need for a community college in Cuyahoga County. The Commissioners’ action already had brought the college into being. The LWVO position supported the general need for community colleges. In order to be able to take action on Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), however, the Leagues in the county had to do a county study that included analysis of need, number of potential students, location and/or locations, financing, scope, and type of educational programs that should be provided in such a college for Cuyahoga County.

In December, 1962 the State of Ohio granted Tri-C a charter to operate a public community college consistent with the provisions of Chapter 3354 of the Ohio Revised Code. The Cuyahoga County Leagues re-adopted Continued Study of the Establishment of Cuyahoga Community College at the Annual Meeting in June 1963.

By consensus, League members in Cuyahoga County agreed that Tri-C was a satisfactory beginning toward meeting the higher educational needs of the County. They also confirmed the LWVO position that such colleges should be permitted to include technical-occupational curriculum in their educational programs. (In 1963 the community college law was amended by the legislature to permit the offering of two-year technical occupational programs).

The program item Support of the Continued Development of Cuyahoga Community College was first adopted at the 1964 Annual Meeting and subsequently re-adopted. In 1979 the wording of the item was changed to Support of Cuyahoga Community College as a unique education institution in order to avoid giving blanket support to expansion without study. At the 1999 Annual Meeting the wording was changed to: Support of the Cuyahoga Community College, the two-year higher education institution in the County that provides accessible and affordable educational programs and services which meet the needs of the County’s population. The new wording clarifies the intent of the consensus reached in 1963. The word "unique" had created interpretation problems. The words, "County’s population" indicates the role of business and industry.

For a number of years the League sent observers to the meetings of the Board of Trustees. Until the mid-1980s a League member served on the Board of Trustees.

Cuyahoga Community College - 2006:
Tri-C now serves 55,000 students each year at three traditional campuses, two Corporate College locations in Westlake and Warrensville Heights, 50 off-campus sites, and via television and the Internet. More than 700,000 county residents have passed through Tri-C’s doors, representing one in five county residents.

Students can choose from nearly 1,200 credit courses in 130 career, certificate and university transfer programs. Credit courses are available at various locations, on cable television, and via the Internet; and over 300 non-credit workforce and professional development courses, seminars and workshops are offered through Corporate College and Workforce Development and on the three campuses. All the campuses have state-of-the-art technology and advanced educational equipment.

The open-door admissions policy extends educational opportunities to everyone. An individual, who does not have a high school diploma or a GED, may attend if he/she meets the requirements of the specific program he/she is interested in. The ages of the students range from 15 to 93 with an average age of 30; 75% are working; 61% choose technical career programs; 36% are preparing for transfer to a four-year institution. Over 80 percent of Tri-C’s graduates find jobs in the county.

LEAGUE ACTION:
The College is financed primarily by county tax levies, student tuition and fees, and state funds. Since 1963 the League has reviewed proposed tax levies as they have been presented. After review, the League has supported the levies since the financial support was shown to be needed.

OUTLOOK:
Future federal and state financial support for higher education is uncertain. The need for accessible and affordable education and workforce training continues.

There are two county tax levies helping to finance the College:
-- 1.6 mill replacement levy approved in November 2001 will expire December 31, 2010.
-- 1.2 mill replacement levy approved in November 2005 will expire December 31, 2014.
The League should be prepared to evaluate any future funding proposals for Tri-C.

POSITION:
Support of the best possible public library services that reflect the needs of the community being served. Support of continued evaluation of financing and of future development. Support of cooperation between public libraries and school systems.

POSITION:
Support of enforcement of local housing codes to protect the health and safety of citizens within Cuyahoga County including, but not limited to:
a. Routine inspection of every dwelling.
b. Mandatory inspection of all rental dwellings and mandatory re-inspection at a specified period of time.
c. Point of sale inspection.
d. Adequate staffing and training of impartial housing/building inspectors within Cuyahoga County. 
Support of easy access to information about programs that offer assistance in the correction of code violations.
Support of sufficient housing that meets the varying needs of residents, including housing assistance programs for those of limited income.
Support of an adequately funded and efficient housing court, if applicable.

POSITION: Support of comprehensive planning, improved bail system, rehabilitation of offenders, alternative handling of some ‘no-victim’ crimes, improved police-community relations, uniform code of training and conduct, and adequate financing.

1. Comprehensive, system-wide planning, preferably including use of data-processing, but with care taken that computerization not result in impersonalization or decreased personal accountability.

2. Improved bail system, minimizing the role of the bondsman, and utilizing a court operated cash deposit plan and release on recognizance as possible consistent with protection of society.

3. Emphasis on rehabilitation using halfway houses, work release programs, adequate probation services adequately staffed by trained officers, increased community acceptance, and job opportunities.

4. Alternative handling of some ‘no-victim’ crimes; e.g., handling of drug addiction and drunkenness as social or medical problems, and removal of some offenses from the law; e.g., homosexuality. Support for changes in laws dealing with gambling and prostitution.

5. Improved police-community relations, including citizen support for law enforcement and crime prevention and a uniform code of training and conduct for police departments throughout the county. 

6. Adequate financing, with funds used to best advantage and with greater emphasis on prevention and rehabilitation than on institutionalization.

League interest was aroused in 1970 by passage of the bond issue for the Justice Center, which the League supported on the basis of its support of a financing program that provided for increased county responsibilities, adequate maintenance, and long-range planning for capital improvements. The League published The Administration of Justice in Cuyahoga County.

In 1973 the Evaluation of Justice for Juveniles in Cuyahoga County was added to the original study topic. During the rest of the decade the League joined with other organizations and coalitions to monitor and reform the county’s juvenile justice system. During the 1980s the impact of HB 440 was of concern. Juvenile Court personnel were interviewed. Local expungement and the separation of adult and juvenile offender practices were investigated as well as the availability and use of local resources for youth.

The League has continued to monitor Juvenile Court practices in cooperation with other organizations such as the Federation for Community Planning and the Court’s Citizens Advisory Board. The League monitored the planning for a new detention facility and investigated best practices and model facilities. When the County Commissioners proposed a high-rise facility behind the Juvenile Court, the League opposed the decision and urged the selection of a larger site for a state-of-the-art facility.

1. Although the position relating to adult justice is dated (especially items 1 and 2), there are significant parts that may be relevant today. However, before any League action can be taken, current practices need to be investigated. As a first step, the publication should be updated and a new edition published. League members may have gained significant insights working with the LWVO and LWVUS Judicial Independence project when most of the Common Pleas, Appellate, and Municipal judges were interviewed. The adult justice positions need to be updated.

2. Juvenile Justice should be added to the position. In 2004 and 2005, following the recommendation of the League of Women Voters of Ohio, the Juvenile Justice County Study Committee studied the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. Information was obtained including case load, functions, operations, and rehabilitation resources. All of the judges were interviewed. An informative membership meeting was held. Local action can be taken under the LWVO position.

POSTION: Support of a health care delivery system that provides adequate health care to all citizens of Cuyahoga County, and effective comprehensive health planning by bodies representative of consumer interests as well as health professionals. Continued evaluation of health care services for all in Cuyahoga County with particular attention to financing, delivery, distribution and availability.

The League of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Area believes:

• All citizens of Cuyahoga County should have access to adequate health care.
  
• For health care to be adequate, a comprehensive range of services must be available for preventive, acute and long-term care.
  
• More emphasis needs to be placed on preventive medicine in order to safeguard the health of county residents and reduce the overall costs of their care.
  
• More ambulatory and home health services should be developed in order to obviate or reduce the institutionalization of patients in hospitals or long-term care facilities.
  
• The responsibility for assuring high-quality health care must be shared by health professionals, who know what can be provided, and consumers, who understand the public’s demands for care. Government assistance is needed to relate the services of providers with the needs of consumers and to regulate and finance parts of the health care system.
  
• Economical and fair health care delivery requires effective comprehensive health care planning. Bodies charged with the responsibility for making decisions on health care should be properly representative of the constituency served. The League’s support of increased powers for comprehensive health planning bodies is contingent upon proper representation of consumer interests in decision-making boards and committees.
  
• Patients have the right to be fully informed about their illness, its treatment and its financial costs when they receive health care at any delivery point.
  
• In 1997 the League deleted its support for the "privatization of the MetroHealth System" from the League’s Health Services Position.

The study of Health Care Delivery Systems in the county was undertaken in 1983-75 because the League is periodically requested to support tax levies for health and welfare services. A thorough understanding of the whole system was needed in order to relate specific funding requests to total needs.

Resource materials published by the study committee, Collected Papers on Health Care Services (1974) and Health Care at the Crossroads (1975), were used by League members for information leading to the above position. A study of a proposed capital improvement levy for the County Hospital system in 1974 resulted in a report, Cuyahoga County Hospital – Financing and Development.

Meetings of the Metropolitan Health Planning Committee were regularly monitored. Particular emphasis was placed on participation by health care consumers in decision-making.

In May, 1980 the LWVUS adopted a study of Health Care Systems. With the local County study as background, local Leagues in the county can relate county-supplied services to federal programs.

In April, 1982 in compliance with direction given by the delegates to the 1981 convention, the Health Committee presented a program giving its findings on health services in Cuyahoga County. The Committee visited health centers and interviewed health officials in order to gather the information.

A new study, Study of mental health services in relation to facilities, treatment, and aftercare was adopted at the May 1983 Convention.

In 1999 League members participated in a coalition (Community Partners for Affordable and Accessible Health Care) to lobby for the retention of the pharmacy at MetroHealth, the public hospital that services a large percentage of the poor in the county. The efforts were successful.

The League continues its participation in the coalition which monitors MetroHealth and supports its mission to provide health care for the uninsured and underinsured. It is also represented on the Community Advisory Council to MetroHealth that was created by the Coalition.

The League must continue to support the Cuyahoga County Health and Human Services Levy, which provides funding for a part of the MetroHealth budget.

TAXATION AND REVENUE SOURCES*

POSITION:

Support of taxes that are fair and equitable.
Support of taxes that provide adequate resources for government programs while allowing flexibility for financing future program changes.
Support of taxes that are understandable to the taxpayer and encourage compliance.
Support of taxes that are easy to administer.
Support of continual evaluation of governmental tax resources and allocation.

 NATURAL RESOURCES

NATURAL RESOURCES (1966, 1999)
Support for the restoration and preservation of Lake Erie and its tributaries.

POSITION:
The League of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Area Supports:
1. A coordinated water management program that will provide:
a. An adequate pollution control program with strict enforcement
b. An adequate flood control program
c. An adequate storm drainage control program
d. Governmental units with enough geographic area and enough power to plan and
administer the control of pollution, flood and storm drainage.
2. Implementation of the position to restore and preserve Lake Erie and its tributaries
through pollution control, abatement and prevention and through improved planning
and management of water and related land resources.

Founded in 1966, the Lake Erie Basin Committee consisted of about 70 local and area Leagues in the five-state Lake Erie watershed in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. There has been joint testimony on such concerns as drilling for oil and gas in the lake, dredging and drainage.

The Cuyahoga County League supported the efforts of the Coastal Resource Management Project that has worked toward the goals of the original federal Coastal Zone Management program. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources cooperated with representatives from the League, Regional Planning Agency, Sierra Club, Great Lakes Tomorrow, and the Trust for Public Land. Foundation funds were sought to establish a commission of experts from different areas in Ohio for the purpose of establishing goals and means toward better planning and use of Ohio’s north coast.

At the Cuyahoga County League Convention in 1999, the delegates voted to remove the connection with the Lake Erie Basin Committee from the League’s position. This was the culminating event after years of discussion over jurisdictional and procedural matters. However, the substance of the League’s position has not changed.

With the realization of how important Lake Erie is as a source of clean water to the citizens who live in its basin, the Clean Water Act is even more important today. The League will continue to monitor and take action when appropriate.

POSITION:
The League of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Area supports the continued development of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and its restoration and preservation as an open green area.
Specifically, the League supports:

• Continued acquisition of the designated and needed land.
  
• Efforts to increase public understanding of National Park Service methods of operation, such as land acquisition, relocation assistance, and boundary adjustments.
  
• Adequate funding for land acquisition, development and operation.
  
• Citizen participation in major plans and decisions of the CVNP by such means as public hearings and citizen advisory groups.
  
• Agreements between the CVNP and area communities regarding methods of and compensation for road maintenance, fire fighting, rescue and law enforcement.
  
• Achievements of highest water quality standards through the combined efforts of all concerned communities, enforcement agencies and the National Park Service to assure recreational use of the Cuyahoga River and its tributaries.
  
• Community efforts, by such means as a council of adjacent communities, to work together on such common problems as standards for development and zoning and good land use on the periphery.
  
• Development of a transportation plan for the CVNP and environs. Such a plan would include public transport access from the Cleveland and Akron areas, valley trains, periphery parking and shuttle buses.
  
• Development of facilities and programs that keep the valley natural, peaceful, unpolluted and uncrowded. For example:

…environmental education and nature study.
…interpretation and preservation of the valley’s historic past.
…trails for such activities as hiking, biking, horseback riding.
…primitive overnight campsites without direct motor vehicle access.
…non-motorized water activities such as canoeing, canal boat rides.

The League opposes developments that destroy natural areas, intrude on the historic settings, or are noisy and polluting. For example:

• ... high tension wires and towers
• overnight camping for trailers and motorhomes.
• motorboating, snowmobiling, and motorcycling.

 

The Cleveland Metroparks:
The Cleveland Metroparks was established on July 23, 1917, by the Ohio General Assembly, to provide for "the conservation of natural resources by the creation, development and improvement of park districts." Thus the Cleveland Metroparks is a separate political subdivision of the state of Ohio. The park district is governed by a board of three commissioners appointed by the presiding judge of the Probate Court of Cuyahoga County.

In 1920 the Park District held title to just 109 acres of land in Rocky River and Big Creek; by 1930 it had acquired 9,000 acres in nine large reservations: Rocky River, Huntington, Big Creek, Hinckley, Brecksville, Bedford, South Chagrin, North Chagrin, and Euclid Creek. Today the Emerald Necklace encircles Cuyahoga County and extends into Hinckley Township in Medina County. It includes nearly 20,000 acres of land in fourteen reservations, over 100 miles of parkways, and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

Despite the post World War II building boom, the Cuyahoga River Valley between Akron and Cleveland remained an oasis of quiet towns, farms, woodlands, and metro parks. The high bridges of new highways didn’t disturb the scene below nor did the development of Hale Farm Museum and Blossom Music Center.

However, in the late sixties and early seventies Nick Miletti planned and built the Coliseum. This rallied area residents who became concerned about the issues of conservation and preservation and the development that would surely follow a popular sports facility. Citizen groups and coalitions soon formed to study the issues involved. Leagues in Akron and the Cleveland area were active participants.

How can we avoid suburban sprawl and the air and water pollution that would result? How do we preserve this rare and lovely area between two large cities? How can we save the evidence of past centuries; the canal, historic buildings, traces of early Indian settlements? A large public park seemed the answer. The State of Ohio thought the park idea a good one, but could not fund the purchase of a large enough tract of land.

Congressman John Seiberling sponsored a bill to establish the Cuyahoga Valley National National Recreation Area. It passed both the Senate and House. At the last minute President Ford threatened a veto because of budget considerations. Local phone trees got busy, and park supporters deluged the President with pleas for support with all the reasons that a national park should be where the people are. The President listened. In 1974 the park became a reality. The Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area was created as an urban park of the National Park System. In 2000 the recreation area became the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The National Park Service manages the park in cooperation with others who own property within its boundaries, including Cleveland Metroparks and the Metro Parks serving Summit County, both of which administer several units within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Together they protect the natural landscape, preserve remnants of the area’s human history, and provide a place for recreation and education in a beautiful outdoor setting.

The Coliseum stood empty for several years and was finally demolished. A developer hoped to build a mall there, but the acreage was bought by a coalition of groups spearheaded by the Trust for Public Land. Today young trees, grass, and wild flowers mark the vanished buildings and parking lots that so recently appeared to be a permanent part of the Ohio landscape.

On November 12, 1996, the Ohio & Erie Canal achieved designation as the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor. Congress may designate a place as a national heritage where natural, cultural, historical and recreational resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally distinctive landscape arising from patterns of human activity shaped by geography. The Ohio & Erie National Heritage Corridor celebrates the canal that enabled shipping between Lake Erie and the Ohio River and vaulted Ohio into commercial prominence in the 1830s. The canal and towpath trail pass through agricultural lands and rural villages into industrial communities, such as Akron, Canton, and Cleveland that trace their prosperity to the coming of the canal.

The Ohio & Erie CanalWay is one of just 27 National Heritage areas. It is not a traditional park where land is owned by one organization. Instead, it is a lived-in region where the natural, cultural, historic and recreational resources combine to form a nationally significant landscape. Historic buildings have been rehabilitated. An environmental studies camp has been established. An active interpretive center educates and entertains. New trails have been built including the popular bicycle and hiking trail on the Canal towpath. An old fashioned passenger train between Akron and Cleveland delights tourists of all ages. Congressman Regula continues in Congressman’s Seiberling’s footsteps and promotes legislation that supports the Heritage Corridor. Metroparks, Hale Farm, and Blossom have a cooperative relationship with the national park. This will be a vital link as the 89 mile canal corridor between Cleveland and Zoar is developed.

The Ohio & Erie Canalway Association (OECA) is the organization designated by Congress to plan and manage the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Canalway. The OECA board consists of eighteen members that represent all four counties within the corridor (Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark, and Tuscarawas). Six represent the Ohio Canal Corridor, the Cuyahoga County non-profit, and six represent the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, which represents the other three counties. The remaining six are independent representatives of the Canalway.

FUTURE ACTION:
The area Leagues must continue to monitor and support the development of the parks.

POSITION:
Support of public recreation programs for people of all ages, based on the needs of the community served.
Support of continued evaluation of financing, programs and facilities.

POSITION:
Support of mass transit as a public service, publicly controlled, with operating costs subsidized, to meet the transit needs of all residents of Cuyahoga County, including the special transit needs of senior citizens and handicapped persons.

HISTORY:
A LWVUS study of air pollution resulted in a position statement in 1971 that gave high priority to the reduction of automobile caused air pollution and encouraged the development of alternate transportation systems. The air quality position together with the access to employment and housing position formed the basis for the League’s transportation position. The statement emphasized citizen participation in decisions and opened the way for action by all Leagues at state, regional and local levels. In 1972, the LWVUS synthesized the two positions into a unified transport statement and issued guidelines for action under Human Resources and Environmental Quality positions. In the same year a study of Transportation Needs in Cuyahoga County was independently undertaken. Local Leagues agreed that an area-wide transit system, publicly supported, was needed, and worked for the establishment of a Regional Transit Authority (RTA).

The Regional Transit authority was established in November, 1974, but the passage of a one percent sales tax was necessary to bring it to life. With active participation of all Leagues the sales tax was approved in October 1975, and RTA became a reality. Fares were to remain at an agreed low rate until 1981, all public transit lines in the county had been or were being acquired by RTA, the Shaker Rapid had been rehabilitated, and plans for rehabilitation of the Airport-Windermere Rapid were awaiting sufficient capital improvement money for completion. Community Responsive Transit and extra life service for the elderly and handicapped fulfilled some of the school, medical and social needs for transit. Senior citizens with RTA identification rode at reduced rates. Students with RTA identification could buy tickets at their schools at reduced rates. Seniors paid 25 cents to ride between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and 40 cents during rush hours on local buses. Students and everyone else paid 85 cents for local bus fare and $1.00 for express buses and rapids.

In 2004 RTA had an annual operating budget of $224.5 million and 2,660 employees. It covered 458 square miles, 59 municipalities and served 1.4 million people. It had 650 buses, 1,500 shelters, and 8,423 bus stops. The Red Line Rapid Transit had 60 heavy-rail cars and 18 stations; the Blue/Green Line Rapid Transit had 48 light-rail cars and 34 stations. There were 77 paratransit vehicles. There were eleven community circulator routes with 55 vehicles.

LEAGUE ACTION:
At the May 1981 convention, delegates voted that all 12 Leagues would share observation of the RTA Board on a monthly basis. It was agreed that different observers each month would give evidence of wide interest and strength to members of a tax supported transit system still in its developmental stages. Certain publicly important changes in RTA Board policies had been achieved; e.g., a democratically run Citizens Advisory Committee and public hearings regarding service and fare changes held in accessible locations at times convenient to the public. To assure that the RTA programs remain viable, it is most important that monitoring of the RTA Board meetings continues.

Jetport—LERTA (Lake Erie Regional Transportation Agency) grew from the dream of a few Cleveland businessmen in the late 1960s into a $4 million study funded by FAA grants for the feasibility of a Northeast Ohio Jetport. After exploring various land sites, with often adverse reaction from neighbors, the study centered on building a 10,000 acre island in Lake Erie four miles north of downtown Cleveland. Making this a transportation hub would bring prosperity and new jobs to the area. The Jetport would be sufficiently isolated by water to keep it from being a noisy neighbor, but would be quickly accessible to downtown.

Disadvantages would be the enormous and expensive engineering problems, the large amount of energy needed, faulty need estimates, expensive access routes, Lake Erie weather and duplication of other adequate transportation facilities.

A coalition of Northeast Ohio Leagues was formed to study the concept and decided to formally oppose the Jetport. In the summer of 1977 the FAA announced that Cleveland would get no funding for the Jetport because it was low on the national priority list. LERTA records were formally transferred to the Greater Cleveland Growth Association. A proforma annual meeting was held to keep the Authority alive, but there has been no further action toward the Jetport.

Because every once in a while the subject of the Jetport arises, the League feels it necessary to keep the position in place. It would be advisable that an update be presented to League members should the Jetport become a viable issue once again. Latest information (June 1982) is contained in Here’s Cuyahoga County.

• A comprehensive plan to discourage sprawl.
  
• Policies to be used by appropriate agencies to maintain roads rather than favor new construction.
  
• Allocation of transportation dollars in a manner that offers incentives to encourage maintenance of infrastructure, farmland, and open space and disincentives for unmanaged growth.
  
• A comprehensive intermodal transportation system that takes into consideration pedestrians and bicyclists.

HISTORY:
At the 1997 LWV of Cuyahoga County Convention, the delegates approved a two-year study on "The Impact of Transportation Policy on Outmigration from Cuyahoga County." Cuyahoga County cannot, on its own, develop policies of taxation, of allocation of resources, or make decisions relegated to local government entities. It, therefore, has become imperative that the County government work to exert influence on local, regional, state, and federal agencies as much as the law will permit.

Resource material prepared by the Study Committee was sent to every League member in the County. The material was used by members at informational/consensus meetings held during March, 1999.

On July 7, 1999, the LWV of Cuyahoga County board adopted the position statement based on the consensus reached at the meetings.

In April, 2000, the LWV of Cuyahoga County published a booklet, Land Use and Transportation Policy in Cuyahoga County, based on the study materials. The booklet was distributed not only to League members, but also to local, county and state officials and many other agencies and organizations.

As a follow-up project, a self-contained high-school lesson plan, Sprawl Gets Personal, was developed. This plan consisted of teacher-friendly background material, individual lesson plans, cartoons and other visuals, articles, a glossary of terms, an array of special project suggestions, and a website list and bibliography.

In the spring of 2004 over 80 copies of the lesson plan were distributed to local high schools, public and private, in Cuyahoga County. Several schools were visited. League committee members participated in a two-day Cleveland State University teacher in-service training in October 2005, and made several presentations to civic groups in the area. A humorous skit about lawn care was developed, Mother Earth Takes on Lawns, which is available for use in presentations.

1. The League will continue to pursue grassroots educational projects based on the new position and use the published booklet.
2. The League will monitor the activities of the various tiers of government involved in the issues and encourage the County Government to work toward implementation of the League’s positions.

 ACTION BY CHAPTERS OF THE LWV – CUYAHOGA AREA

* Program items marked with an asterisk refer to the consolidation of the individual support positions held by the Leagues before their merger with the League of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Regional Area, now the League of Women Voters – Cuyahoga Area.

These item are: Planning, Public Libraries, Housing, Taxation and Revenue Sources, and

Public Recreation.

The Bylaws of the LWV – Cuyahoga Area state that:

Article VIII, Section 6: Chapter program shall consist of those local issues selected by the chapter members with concurrence of the LWV – Cuyahoga Area at the annual meeting, in accordance with Article X, Section 3 of these bylaws:

Article VIII, Section 7: Chapter members may speak or act in the name of the LWV only when authorized to do so by the LWV – Cuyahoga Area Board of Directors…Action related solely to the particular concern of a chapter may be taken locally with the knowledge of the LWV – Cuyahoga Area President and in accordance with procedures outlined in Article X of these bylaws.

Article X, Section 3, D: A proposed program item that relates only to specific jurisdictions may be considered, if prior to the annual meeting;

1) A majority vote of the members from those specific jurisdictions adopts the program item;

2) A majority vote of the members at the annual meeting who reside outside those jurisdictions indicates their concurrence.