Mayfield Heights City Council Candidates Say They Won't Raise Taxes

Bob DeJohn:

"Absolutely not, for me. I will not support raising taxes no way, no shape, no form. I will not raise taxes. I think we can balance our budget. We only have $950,000 in debt. There's going to be some dicey areas, I know, in the coming years, but I am not for raising taxes or cutting of services. We'll just have to balance the budget and work a little harder in not wasting money. As you can see, there's a lot of waste in government, wherever you look, at all levels. I'm a conservative type of guy, and I'm going to run Mayfield Heights like I run my household."

Susan Sabetta:

"Where we stand right now, according to the budget, we're in very good shape. So, tweaking would be what I suggest, not raising taxes. As Mr. DiCicco has said and we've heard from previous mayors, we do have a committee for building new business in the city. The only thing that would happen with that would be to extend and make that a design committee to make sure that we don't have to go to the residents and put the tax increase on their backs. No, I don't not agree that we are in need of a tax increase and I will not vote for one."

Michael Ballistrea

(friend Ron Kobunski spoke on his behalf, as Ballistrea was on vacation during the event):

"I'm talking for Mike, but I'm going to say something for my behalf—I don't like new taxes. On the other hand, I have to go back and talk about when (DeJohn's father, former mayor Ross DeJohn) when Landerhaven was a golf course and we turned it into an industrial park. Thank God that that happened. That industrial park really helps Mayfield Heights with the base of taxes. We have a lot of people working there and we receive tax dollars from them and from the businesses. So, I think we've got to thank his dad and everybody who was on council at that time for getting that industrial park in and operating … Let's just keep that industrial park full and operating."

Donald Manno:

"I was part of the council that put in that corporate parkway ... I was on council with Mayor DeJohn that voted to put that thing together. I would not consider a tax increase for this community in any way, shape or form, just like Mr. DeJohn. My feeling is this: If you have an administration, such as Mr. DiCicco's, that knows how to efficiently, economically run this city, there is no need for a tax increase. You have to work smarter and you have to work leaner. That administration can do that, and that's what I want to be a part of."

Joe Mercurio:

"I would agree that I would not endorse any type of tax increase … I think with decreasing expenses, you've got to get a little bit creative. One of the ways to do that, for example, is possibly partnering up with a Lyndhurst, a Mayfield Village to buy, for example, pool chemicals. You can buy them in bulk and that would help reduce the expense on that. Economic Development is another thing that we've talked about. We did lose the estate tax and there was the elimination of the (Ohio Commercial Activity Tax). But I think we're on the right track. Mayor DiCicco has implemented and council unanimously passed the Job Retention & Creation Grant program. That'll help (incentivize) some new businesses and hopefully they'll relocate to Mayfield Heights."