Matt Lundy Talks Redistricting, Turnpike

The new Ohio legislative maps mean change is coming for Avon.

After this year, Matt Lundy will no longer represent Avon in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Lundy explained the new districts at his "Lundy Listens" town hall meeting at on Saturday.

Avon will be in the new 57th district, which will be represented by Terry Boose. The new district will go east from the border of Huron and Ottawa Counties across southern Lorain County, cut through part of North Ridgevile and go into Avon.

There is a legal challenge to the redistricting, Lundy said, as communities and wards are supposed to be kept intact. Grafton and Eaton Townships are split up, he said, and the third ward in North Ridgeville is also split.

Boose was a sponsor of House Bill 136, the controversial plan to expand school vouchers that is vehemently opposed by many public school districts, .

Also in the meeting, Lundy expressed frustration over reports that the opening of the Cleveland casino could be delayed until possibly June.

"I heard more than 30,000 people applied for those jobs," Lundy said. "And the ones who are being trained now, they're thinking they're getting back to work and there's a light at the end of the tunnel, now they're being told it may not happen soon."

Lundy also told those in attendance about his continued fight against the possibility of .

Lundy said that it would lead to increased tolls, diminished roads and services, more trucks using non-toll roads like I-90 and I-480, and foreign ownership of Ohio resources.

Ohio governor John Kasich is currying support for this plan in southern Ohio, Lundy said, by selling the proposed sale/lease as a way to spread the money all over the state.

"The opposition criticized us for taking (federal) stimulus money, calling it a short-term fix and one-time money," Lundy said. "That's exactly what selling off the turnpike and our prisons would be."

Lundy cited reported problems with the Indiana Toll Road as an example of why the Turnpike should remain in the state's hands.

He said that he believes Kasich is determined to make the Turnpike sale or lease happen.

"Then we'll just have to stop him just like we did with ," one man in the audience said.

"If you're opposed to it, you have to let the governor and all your representatives know now," Lundy said.