The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
8 running for 3 North Ridgeville council seats Butkowski DeVries Hung
Eight candidates — four Democrats and four Republicans — are competing for three North Ridgeville Council-At-Large seats in the May 2 election.
The candidates are Democrats Jerry D. Armstrong, Trim Demiri, Lawrence S. Kamenec II, and Ray E. McLaughlin III; and Republicans Bernadine Butkowski, Kevin Corcoran, Martin DeVries and Michelle Hung.
The top three Democrats with the most votes and the top three Republicans will advance to the General Election in November. In North Ridgeville, at-large council members serve a four-year term.
The city of North Ridgeville will have 22,204 total voters registered to cast ballots on May 2, with 3,722 Democratic voters, 6,440 Republican voters, and 12,005 unaffiliated voters, according to Lorain County Elections Board.
Republicans
Butkowski wants to focus on improving the city’s flooding problem.
“The widening of Center Ridge and building the new schools will improve the run-off problems immensely,” she said. “There still will be some finishing touches to be done when the projects are completed and I will be ready to address them as soon as they are completed.”
With Riddell and University Hospital complex moving to North Ridgeville, Butkowski said she wants to continue bringing business growth to the city.
“We now have to continue the work to find other manufacturers and business to use the available land we have to improve our city and our financial growth. I will work to welcome new business into the city,” Butkowski said.
Corcoran
If reelected, Corcoran wants to focus on the biggest challenge facing the city, which is to accomplish the goals of the community while operating with reduced funding.
“We focus on safety, roads and flooding and many other areas,” he said. “We are fortunate that our city is growing and additional businesses such as Riddell and the University Hospital Medical Center will provide additional funding that will allow us to meet some of those goals.”
He wants to continue
with efforts to encourage new businesses to join the community and keep existing businesses located in North Ridgeville.
“We will continue to leverage other people’s money through grants to do more than we could on our own,” Corcoran said.
Corcoran’s history as a council member in North Ridgeville is what he feels makes him the best candidate.
DeVries has a background in business development and feels his experience dealing with business owners will be an asset when the road expansion project is finished and businesses look to North Ridgeville to be their new location.
“This will increase our tax revenue to further support our infrastructure,” he said.
Supporting the police and
fire departments is a priority to DeVries as is community quality of life. He also said he is focused on continued research and maintenance on the roads and sewage systems.
“We need to take care of our residence in the areas that have a history of sewage backup flooding,” he said.
DeVries hopes his expertise in business development and community collaborative will be considered when voters head to the polls.
“I want to bring people together, I am a relationship builder,” he said. “And that’s what I want to do here, I want to bring North Ridgeville together,” he said. Hung feels she is the best candidate available for the position because of her ability to be approachable and listen.
“It has been wonderful to have people that I don’t know, contact me or talk with me in person about issues important to them and our community,” Hung said. “It is vital that we talk to each other in our community and always be willing to listen.”
Ensuring North Ridgeville is making wise economic growth decisions in partnership with the widening Center Ridge Road project is very important to Hung.
“North Ridgeville has many projects in the pipeline that will promote economic growth and create jobs in our city,” she said. “I would like to help bring along existing plans and help to usher in new, steady growth for our city, while keeping our small town feel that our residents love.”
Democrats Armstrong
Armstrong did not return calls seeking comment.
Demiri
Demiri want to focus on a Community Recreation Center, increasing urban development, and increasing development to invest in the wonderful city, he said.
“I am the best candidate for the position because I am dedicated to North Ridgeville and I am dedicated to growing the city to make it comparative with other cities around like Avon and North Olmsted,” he said.
Kamenec
Kamenec did not return calls seeking comment.
McLaughlin
McLaughlin wants to work with the administration to provide smart growth as the city continues to grow.
“I want to look for ways to fund some type of community recreation facility, and try to expand our sidewalks to all parts of the city,” McLaughlin said.
He said that being a former council member and understanding the city will make McLaughlin the best candidate.
“I am a lifelong resident of the city and will continue to live here and raise my family. I am not a person to play politics,” he said. “I am for what is best for the city that we live in. Regardless of party, a good idea is a good idea. I am a former council member and I understand how to write legislation and research what is required to accomplish the job.”