Long-time council member opens views

Long time council member shares his view on serving the city

Willowick City Council President Bob Patton says whether residents agree or not, he still will tell them his views.

Bob Patton was a 37-yearold father of young children when he and his wife decided to settle down in Willowick.

It was at that time he got to know now Judge John O’Donnell who was a Willowick City Council member and the late Richard Bonde who was the mayor.

“Just in knowing them I wanted to get involved in the city,” Patton said. “I thought that Willowick was at a fork in the road in terms of its development and how it was managed and I wanted to see it go in the right direction, so that’s why I ran for city council.”

It was in 2005 when Patton, now the current council president, was seated as the Ward 3 council member.

He said his desire to see the city continue in the right direction has been the driving force behind his decision to remain on council.

“I really like that job and I’m familiar now, when you have been doing it as long as I have,” Patton said. “I like being in the position of serving the residents and protecting their tax money. I just enjoy it. I like being involved.”

For Patton, the most memorable part of being on council was learning how the budget works and understanding the budgeting process.

“I think really it comes down to the budget. There is a lot that goes into putting the budget together and a lot of understanding with respect to how money can be spent,” Patton said.

He admits the topic can be dry and boring but said he believes council members are paid to wisely spend the residents’ money.

“It’s not our money.” Patton said. “I have said that publicly before. This is not our money, it’s the taxpayers money and so we are limited on what we can do with it. And that was the biggest part of the learning curve for me when I started.”

According to Patton, one of the key things he has learned in his 13 years on the city’s council is to stand firm.

“I think really it comes down to the budget. There is a lot that goes into putting the budget together and a lot of understanding with respect to how money can be spent.” — Willowick City Council President Bob Patton

“I think the most important thing for me is to think about your position, state it publicly and stand by it if you thinks its right,” Patton said. “I believe that as a leader one of the things I get paid to do is to be knowledgeable on these issues ... do my research and give my opinion publicly because I think that the people who are paying my salary have every right to know what I am thinking, whether they agree with it or not, or whether they like me or not.”

Patton said he believes in doing research before forming an opinion and than articulate your reasoning for the opinion and to being up front about it.

“If the residents don’t like my opinions or if they don’t like my reasoning, it’s perfectly in their right to vote me out of office. But, I think I have an obligation to let them know what I’m thinking,” he said.

According to Patton, the transition from council member to council president brought about a transition in his way of thinking about things.

“I’m more mindful with doing things in the right way, and following the procedural component,” he said. “Whenever we have controversial issues, it has been my practice to put them on for three full readings so any resident has a minimum of a six-week period to come to a council meeting, hear what our discussions are and voice their opinion about what we are going to do, whether its the budget or some of the other issues we have had over the years.”