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By Gina Mace
Special to the Beacon Journal
POSTED: 03:06 p.m. EDT, Oct 29, 2009
STOW: When one candidate decided he would try to change the face of Stow City Council, he didn't merely throw his hat into the ring.
At-large candidate Brian Lowdermilk also recruited people to run for some of the seven seats up for re-election.
''We need a change, and I think there are people in this community who could do a better job than some of the people running,'' Lowdermilk said. ''It doesn't do any good to have just a body in there. We need people with business experience and the right ideas.''
Lowdermilk recruited his brother-in-law, Joe Hickin, to run in Ward 4. The two of them persuaded Hickin's brother and business partner, Mark Hickin, to run against Jim Costello in Ward 2.
Family ties don't stop there.
Current Ward 1 Councilman Matt Riehl's uncle, Elgie Underwood, is running for an at-large seat, as is Riehl's friend, Mike Rasor.
Underwood, Lowdermilk, and Rasor are trying to unseat at-large representatives Ron Alexander, Janet D'Antonio, and Sara Drew.
Alexander and D'Antonio have held their seats for 14 years. Drew is in her fourth year.
All of the challengers say it's time for new leadership on the Stow Council.
''Council is completely out of touch with the economy,'' Underwood said.
He owns Skyline Chili on Steels Corners Road near Stow Municipal Court. Rasor attends the University of Akron law school and writes a sports blog for the Beacon Journal. They are political newcomers.
Lowdermilk, a salesman for MacTac, is a regular at the microphone during council meetings. He unsuccessfully ran in Ward 3 two years ago.
All three challengers say the purchase of Fox Den golf course and inviting the municipal court to move from Cuyahoga Falls to Stow have made a bad economic year worse.
Lowdermilk said council members didn't have all the financial information they needed before agreeing to host the court. That was a huge mistake, he said.
The court is expected to cause a budget deficit of at least $250,000 this year.
''When you're going to spend 25 percent of your budget on a project, you'd better know how you're going to pay for it,'' Lowdermilk said.
The incumbents disagree with their opponents' assessment.
Drew, who chairs the Economic Development committee, said the city has more to gain than lose from hosting Stow Municipal Court.
''The court has brought in economic development and put us in a position to have a voice in this county,'' Drew said. ''It's a linchpin for the future development of that area.''
Stow Municipal Court's income will be about $250,000 less this year because of income lost to Cuyahoga Falls mayor's court.
''Obviously to have Cuyahoga Falls create a mayor's court hurt us,'' D'Antonio said.
Additional income was lost when the judges decided in January to reduce basic court costs from $89 to $50.
Underwood said his opponents should have seen the economic crisis coming.
''I'm just a Skyline Chili store owner, but I review every financial report I can get my hands on,'' he said. ''Before we faced headwinds, there were already published reports from the East Coast and West Coast saying real estate was imploding.''
Those reports were enough for Underwood to begin making cuts at his own business, he said. The City Council could have read the same reports and drawn the same conclusions.
''As a local business owner, you say, 'What if?' '' Underwood said. ''You have to be forward-thinking.''
D'Antonio said the economic crisis is a reason to re-elect her and her collegues.
''I thought seriously of not running,'' D'Antonio said. ''But the economy is in such bad shape. My experience at having been finance chairman for three years and my history on council help me to make financial decisions that will benefit the city.''
Drew said the crisis has challenged the council to come up with more creative solutions to economic problems.
''The biggest challenge is economic development,'' he said. ''We're focusing on trying to attract emerging sectors, like new energy and health care, so 20 or 30 years down the road, we still have jobs for the citizens of Stow.''
Underwood and Rasor say one money-saving solution would be to rescind 3.25 percent raises the council granted to nonbargaining employees earlier this year.
Rasor also proposes leasing or selling Fox Den and implementing a 40 percent cut in the council's $16,600 annual pay. He would use those savings to replace retiring police officers, he said.
The incumbents say their challengers are taking advantage of the fear the recession has caused.
''We're supposed to help people deal with that fear and help them find solutions,'' Alexander said.
While the city has dipped into unencumbered funds to pay the bills, Stow is not broke. There are still more than $2 million in unencumbered funds and a rainy day fund of $1 million.
''We're dealing with challenges as tough as every other city right now,'' D'Antonio said.
STOW: When one candidate decided he would try to change the face of Stow City Council, he didn't merely throw his hat into the ring.
At-large candidate Brian Lowdermilk also recruited people to run for some of the seven seats up for re-election.
''We need a change, and I think there are people in this community who could do a better job than some of the people running,'' Lowdermilk said. ''It doesn't do any good to have just a body in there. We need people with business experience and the right ideas.''
Lowdermilk recruited his brother-in-law, Joe Hickin, to run in Ward 4. The two of them persuaded Hickin's brother and business partner, Mark Hickin, to run against Jim Costello in Ward 2.
Family ties don't stop there.
Current Ward 1 Councilman Matt Riehl's uncle, Elgie Underwood, is running for an at-large seat, as is Riehl's friend, Mike Rasor.
Underwood, Lowdermilk, and Rasor are trying to unseat at-large representatives Ron Alexander, Janet D'Antonio, and Sara Drew.
Alexander and D'Antonio have held their seats for 14 years. Drew is in her fourth year.
All of the challengers say it's time for new leadership on the Stow Council.
''Council is completely out of touch with the economy,'' Underwood said.
He owns Skyline Chili on Steels Corners Road near Stow Municipal Court. Rasor attends the University of Akron law school and writes a sports blog for the Beacon Journal. They are political newcomers.
Lowdermilk, a salesman for MacTac, is a regular at the microphone during council meetings. He unsuccessfully ran in Ward 3 two years ago.
All three challengers say the purchase of Fox Den golf course and inviting the municipal court to move from Cuyahoga Falls to Stow have made a bad economic year worse.
Lowdermilk said council members didn't have all the financial information they needed before agreeing to host the court. That was a huge mistake, he said.
The court is expected to cause a budget deficit of at least $250,000 this year.
''When you're going to spend 25 percent of your budget on a project, you'd better know how you're going to pay for it,'' Lowdermilk said.
The incumbents disagree with their opponents' assessment.
Drew, who chairs the Economic Development committee, said the city has more to gain than lose from hosting Stow Municipal Court.
''The court has brought in economic development and put us in a position to have a voice in this county,'' Drew said. ''It's a linchpin for the future development of that area.''
Stow Municipal Court's income will be about $250,000 less this year because of income lost to Cuyahoga Falls mayor's court.
''Obviously to have Cuyahoga Falls create a mayor's court hurt us,'' D'Antonio said.
Additional income was lost when the judges decided in January to reduce basic court costs from $89 to $50.
Underwood said his opponents should have seen the economic crisis coming.
''I'm just a Skyline Chili store owner, but I review every financial report I can get my hands on,'' he said. ''Before we faced headwinds, there were already published reports from the East Coast and West Coast saying real estate was imploding.''
Those reports were enough for Underwood to begin making cuts at his own business, he said. The City Council could have read the same reports and drawn the same conclusions.
''As a local business owner, you say, 'What if?' '' Underwood said. ''You have to be forward-thinking.''
D'Antonio said the economic crisis is a reason to re-elect her and her collegues.
''I thought seriously of not running,'' D'Antonio said. ''But the economy is in such bad shape. My experience at having been finance chairman for three years and my history on council help me to make financial decisions that will benefit the city.''
Drew said the crisis has challenged the council to come up with more creative solutions to economic problems.
''The biggest challenge is economic development,'' he said. ''We're focusing on trying to attract emerging sectors, like new energy and health care, so 20 or 30 years down the road, we still have jobs for the citizens of Stow.''
Underwood and Rasor say one money-saving solution would be to rescind 3.25 percent raises the council granted to nonbargaining employees earlier this year.
Rasor also proposes leasing or selling Fox Den and implementing a 40 percent cut in the council's $16,600 annual pay. He would use those savings to replace retiring police officers, he said.
The incumbents say their challengers are taking advantage of the fear the recession has caused.
''We're supposed to help people deal with that fear and help them find solutions,'' Alexander said.
While the city has dipped into unencumbered funds to pay the bills, Stow is not broke. There are still more than $2 million in unencumbered funds and a rainy day fund of $1 million.
''We're dealing with challenges as tough as every other city right now,'' D'Antonio said.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Tepplin, DC
Posted 03:29 PM, 10/29/2009
Stow might not be broke now, but check back this time next year.
Posted 04:20 PM, 10/29/2009
While Stow may need new leadership (as with most cities in Summit County), and while I don't personally know anything about the candidates, I just cant see it as a good idea to have a City Council comprised of family members. If you think things are rubber stamped now....
Stow, OH
Posted 04:56 PM, 10/29/2009
Look for a tax hike next year to 2.25 % like Twinsburg has to do. It *****
Hudson, Oh
Posted 06:58 PM, 10/29/2009
Both the incumbents and insurgents are not understanding the problem. Taxpayers can see through gimmicks like reducing council salaries and other similar gimmicks. That won't solve squat other than to discourage even marginally qualified candidtates from running. If Mr. Loudermilk really wants to advocate for positive economic development, the real estate tax rates are way too high in Stow; there are ineffective housing development and small business development incentive packages; and real estate owners are getting assesses to death for "improvements." Other City's are providing micro loans, improvement incentives and marketing assistance to help local businesses survive. Rerfering new businesses to the Chamber of Commerce is all well, but the City could, if it wished, be an agressive marketer of its community generally, and its businesses specifically in collaboration with businesses. Talented city officials should use thier positions and talents to tie needed Stow improvements to County and State-based programs (streets, sewers, etc). Anybody not-for-prime-time-candidate can come up with regressive ideas like "tax the property owner" to make improvements or raise money. However, it takes a leader and a politically savvy and creative elected official to leverage Stow's existing assets and tax base with County and State programs to make it less expensive to operate in Stow. This once desirable and affordable community is missing the boat in many ways. Knock off the gimmicks--40% of a $16,000 council salary is about $6,000 and change; times four or five councilmember is less than $30,000 per year. Big whip! That is not too creative. Now if these insurgents planned a way to leverage and finance the City's assets and reduce the budget by 40%, or figure out how to reduce the tax rate by 40%, I would say these are creative insurgents. Insurgents, or incumbents, please exert some more brain power please.
Uniontown, Oh
Posted 08:08 PM, 10/29/2009
You got to be kidding me...sell or lease Fox Den Golf Course ! That golf course has made money ever year, its been a welcome addition to the city of Stow and its citizens. The alternative would of been a land development, with houses setting empty with no money coming in to the city of Stow. Lets not rush to judgement, the second things go bad. Lets not also put family members on council with no experience, or someone who runs a chili joint, that panics when the wind blows. Lets get the facts straight....the golf course is a money maker for the city of Stow.
cuyahoga falls, oh
Posted 08:45 PM, 10/29/2009
willgolf4food - try looking at the state auditor's report on Fox Den. http://www.auditor.state.oh.us/AuditSearch/Reports/2009/City_of_Stow_08-Summit.pdf
The State Audit report states the following:
Golf expenses were $1,328,960 for the year, which were offset by the $888,706 in charges for services generated by
the Fox Den Golf Course through user fees.
Hudson, OH
Posted 09:18 PM, 10/29/2009
''The court has brought in economic development and put us in a position to have a voice in this county,'' Drew said. ''It's a linchpin for the future development of that area.''
Sara Drew is either lying, delusional, or not very bright. The court was losing money hand over fist when it was in Cuyahoga Falls, yet Stow City Council and the mayor brought the court to Stow.
Guess what? The court is going to be an even bigger loser for Stow. Stow will be suffering for many years to come.
No one in their right mind believes that the Stow Muni Court will be a winner for Stow. There were many articles in the beacon alone proving that it won't be. The only people who pushing that nonsense are the politicians and their familes who benefit from it.
Sara Drew and the rest of the Stow Council should stop lying and admit they made a mistake.
They all need to be voted out.
Akron, Oh
Posted 06:35 AM, 10/30/2009
Tony --
Don't stop there. If you're going to hold people accountable, hold Hoover and Coats accountable as well for the financial mess the court has caused, and vote both of them out of office!
Munroe Falls, Oh
Posted 01:53 PM, 10/30/2009
Don't you just love the family affairs both sides bring in? Not just some incompetence but double the stupidity.
Tallmadge, Oh
Posted 03:58 PM, 10/30/2009
I live in Stow - for now. My house is on the market and I can't wait to get out. It's a nice area in which to reside, However a terrible city (if that makes sense). The draconian leadership, over-bearing police force, crowded new housing developments, rediculously hight property taxes and utility rates and congested traffic patterns are forcing me out. I find it too stressful to live in stow. I fault the "career politician leadership" we now have.
VOTE THEM ALL OUT!!!!
