October is in full swing with community events, forums, and opportunities for service. Beyond the October 8th Bazaar Kirtland event at City Hall, the community is invited to take part in a city-wide Trunk or Treat on Wednesday, October 26. Stay tuned as details and locations will be posted on the City’s website and Facebook pages.
Furthering our City effort to develop collaboration and service opportunities, our civic organizations, area churches, and members of our City government will begin a day of community service at 8:00 am on Saturday, October 22 at City Hall. The day will consist of teams of volunteers performing yard cleanups for seniors and veterans as well as other projects around the City. Please email Teresa at [email protected] if you are up for joining me and assisting in the effort. Additionally, on October 22nd a professional paper shredding service will be available and onsite at the Kirtland Community Center (7900 Chardon Rd.) from 8:30 – 11:00 am.
Residents of Old Town recently received a notice from Lake County Utilities inviting property owners to the Kirtland High School Gym at 7:00 pm for a formal public hearing related to the upcoming sewer project. All residents of the neighborhood are urged to attend.
Last but certainly not least, on November 8th, I am asking all registered Kirtland voters to strongly consider supporting Issue 6. The passage of Issue 6 will enable us to put the road funding question behind us and get on with the business of continuing to make Kirtland one of the best communities in Northeast Ohio. Issue 6 is a requested City Charter amendment that would allow City Council to raise the current income tax by 0.25%. This adjustment will not affect retirement income and relieves our fixed income seniors from any additional financial burden.
The amendment is supported by all members of City Council, and if passed by our voters, stands to raise more than 30 million dollars over the next thirty years to fix and maintain our roads. The additional ¼ percent will be paid not only by those of us that live in Kirtland but also by those that live in other communities and work in our City. Based on the median Kirtland household income of $91,000, a family earning that amount would pay $237/year or about 63 cents a day. Another example might be an employed professor at Lakeland, earning $100,000/year, but commuting from Shaker Heights, would pay an additional $250 to the city of Kirtland for the use of our roads.
I am proud of the Administration, our community, and City Council for working together over the last two years to discern and identify a funding mechanism to fund a road plan well into the future. I am also proud and thankful for the nearly five miles of road rehabilitation that has been completed over the last few years. Thanks to measured City budgeting, as well as one-time federal ARPA funding, we were able to professionally engineer and contract repaving for Billings, Loreto Ridge, Shadowbrook, both North and South Locust, Prelog and Springer Drive. In addition to paving and planned maintenance, Wisner Road saw a major improvement as the pavement was recycled, repaired, and double chip sealed.
With the passage of Issue 6, we can continue to implement a real road plan and build on the progress achieved over the last few years. Leading up to November 8th, please feel free to call me or email me with any questions.
Thank you,
Mayor Kevin Potter