Welcome to the 2022 Voter Information produced by the League of Girls Voters and Akron Beacon Journal with funding from the Knight Basis.
There are two races for Summit County Council on the Nov. 8 poll, a six-way race for 3 at-large seats for full phrases and a two-candidate race for an unexpired time period in District 6 ending in 2024. District 6 consists of southeast Akron and Tallmadge.
Responses aren’t edited, vetted or corrected by the League of Girls Voters or Beacon Journal to permit candidates to talk in their very own phrases.
Interactive Voter Information
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2022 Election:Summit County Voter Information
County Council District 6
Nick DeVitis
Social gathering: Republican
Candidate didn’t reply.
Christine Wiedie Higham
Schooling: I’m a graduate of Tallmadge Excessive College, acquired a bachelor’s diploma in legal justice from Kent State College and grasp’s diploma in enterprise administration from Tiffin College.
Coaching/Expertise: Since 2015, I’ve been with Mustard Seed Market and Café, a domestically owned and operated enterprise, as their Director of Human Sources and Administration. Previous to that, I served as Deputy Director of Human Sources for the late County Govt Russ Pry. I started my skilled profession in Columbus, the place I labored for the Ohio Home of Representatives. After returning to Summit County, I spent ten years in social companies each in consumer companies and administrative roles. I serve my group via present and previous involvement in quite a few organizations together with: Rotary Membership of Tallmadge, Previous President; First Congregational Church of Tallmadge, Christian Schooling Committee; Akron Space Society of Human Useful resource Administration; Tallmadge Little League Softball Board, Secretary; Summit County Planning Fee; and Akron Summit County Conference and Guests Bureau. I served as Tallmadge Civil Service, Commissioner; Venture Study, Board Member; East Akron Board of Commerce, Secretary; Akron Boards of Commerce Council, Treasurer; Get Out the Vote Committee, Alcohol, Drug and Psychological Well being Service Levy, Co-Chair. I presently serve on Summit County Council and the next committees Personnel and Intergovernmental, Chair; Planning, Constructing and Financial Improvement, Vice Chair; Finance and Guidelines.
Present Occupation: Director of Human Sources, Mustard Seed Market and Cafe
Web site: electhigham.com
Fb: Councilwoman Christine Wiedie Higham
Why are you the very best candidate for the workplace? I’m the very best candidate as a result of I labored in social companies for 10 years, spent over 10 years working in state, county and native authorities and presently work for Mustard Seed Market and Café, a domestically owned, household enterprise as their Director of Human Sources. I perceive and might deal with the problems impacting our group from quite a lot of views. As an HR skilled, my job is to attach folks to the sources they want. As your County Council consultant, I’m right here to information, help and reply questions on our Summit County authorities. I’m captivated with service whether or not it’s Rotary Membership, Little League, my church or the number of different tasks I’ve been concerned with over my lifetime. As your County Council consultant, I’ll take that very same ardour to serving your wants and to struggle for what’s greatest for our group.
What options do you intend to deal with challenges within the healthcare system together with maternal and baby well being? Girls and kids want entry to high quality well being care. Higher well being care for ladies of childbearing age means higher well being for his or her kids. The County should proceed to work with and help Summit County Public Well being and different accomplice packages, on initiatives and schooling to enhance maternal well being and cut back stigmas related to it, together with lowering maternal despair. Moreover, we are able to proceed to advertise collaborative initiatives just like the Full Time period First Birthday Higher Akron that promote wholesome full-term pregnancies and work to cut back toddler mortality charges.
What do you see as the best want for Summit County infrastructure spending? Summit County Council not too long ago licensed the County Govt to enter right into a council of governments settlement to design and function a 125-130 mile high-speed fiber optic ring, surrounding the County, in addition to a knowledge heart. The funding on this infrastructure addresses challenges with web entry, affordability, and reliability in addition to public security wants all through the County. Moreover, the County is working to safe federal funding for repairs and enhancements to county-owned bridges and roads.
How will you guarantee county authorities performs a task in serving to residents receive reasonably priced housing in Summit County?The County has created packages utilizing CARES Act funding to offer $56 million in lease, mortgage and utility help in each group in Summit County together with Tallmadge and Akron. Summit County continues to offer that assist to people in want. The County is creating a first-time house purchaser mortgage program that will likely be earnings and placement dependent to focus on assist to these most in want. Moreover, we are able to proceed to help initiatives for homeless veterans like Summit Liberty Home in Akron which homes homeless feminine vets and their kids.
County Council At-Massive (elect 3)
Shane R. Barker
Social gathering: Republican
Coaching/Expertise: Retired Sheriff’s Captain from the Summit County Sheriff’s Workplace. Throughout my profession I used to be a commander within the Patrol Bureau and the Corrections Division. Throughout my time on the Sheriff’s Workplace, I discovered and took part in lots of aspects of county authorities. I used to be a member of state huge boards that represented Summit County to the whole state. I managed multi million greenback tasks for upgrades to the Summit County Jail. I’ve additionally served as a member of the Metropolis of Macedonia Council for over 9 years.
Schooling: Woodridge Excessive College, Kent State College, American Flyers Skilled Pilot Program, Ohio Peace Officer Coaching Academy.
Present Occupation: Retired Sheriff’s Captain – Summit County Sheriff’s Workplace
Why are you the very best candidate for the workplace? Having served as a member of the Summit County Sheriff’s Workplace and on the Macedonia Metropolis Council, I’ve discovered the interior workings of native authorities. However extra importantly, that native authorities can have a drastic and speedy affect on its citizenry. The selections made by native authorities to fund or approve or not fund or approve an area venture or program can and does affect a group for higher or worse far quicker than selections made on the state or federal degree. I believe this is a crucial distinction. I reside in the neighborhood and will likely be conscious of the residents and their elected illustration. I perceive that Summit County is a big and numerous group. From Clinton to Reminderville to the bigger communities in between of Akron, Cuyahoga Falls, and Barberton. Being an at giant council individual provides the very best alternative to assist probably the most residents.
What options do you intend to deal with challenges within the healthcare system together with maternal and baby well being? Within the final two years, I’ve sadly come to grasp the significance of the well being care system. I simply spent 36 days within the Cleveland Clinic Well being Care System. This gave me an enormous perception into the dedication of well being care employees. Summit County is fortunate to have so many nice well being care services. I might suggest an ongoing committee be created by county council to deal with these points. This committee would come with members of the general public, well being care professionals, and group elected officers. Creating this committee would enable native consultant’s a greater understanding of what our well being care suppliers want to deal with maternal and baby well being care.
What do you see as the best want for Summit County infrastructure spending? I imagine a serious problem is storm water and sewage disposal. I do know the county is presently trying into these points internally and with different authorities entities which should be continued and expanded upon. We additionally want to make sure that funds proceed to be made out there for county owned and maintained roads which additionally consists of county owned snow elimination tools.
How will you guarantee county authorities performs a task in serving to residents receive reasonably priced housing in Summit County? I imagine in direct communication. I might make it a degree to attend native authorities conferences every year (over 30 political subdivisions in Summit County) to listen to their issues on reasonably priced housing amongst different points they could have. I might additionally encourage these native leaders to deal with Summit County Council on the weekly conferences. Getting points out within the open results in higher outcomes and options to any problem.
Anthony DeVitis
Social gathering: Republican
Candidate didn’t reply.
Erin Dickinson
Social gathering: Democrat
Coaching/Expertise: Enterprise Litigator for 9 years
Schooling: B.A, Vanderbilt College; J.D., College of Michigan College of Regulation
Present Occupation: Keep-at-home Guardian; Summit County Councilwoman
Fb: https://www.fb.com/DickinsonForSummitCounty
Why are you the very best candidate for the workplace? Since I joined Council, I’ve been working laborious to signify the folks of Summit County with laws that can make our County a good higher place to reside, work, and play. With 9 years of expertise as an legal professional working towards enterprise litigation, I’ve the skilled data to assist handle our county. I’ve expertise bringing collectively events with conflicting pursuits, serving to them attain mutually helpful agreements. I’m a frontrunner who will get previous politics to work to realize shared targets for our group. As the one lawyer on Council, I’ve the experience and coaching to craft efficient, common sense laws. As a dad or mum of younger kids, I additionally convey a recent perspective to our work. Households deserve illustration in our authorities from somebody who understands firsthand what it’s like to lift kids at present. I’m lively in our group and accessible to the folks I signify. I’m all the time listening and searching for methods to make our County even stronger.
What options do you intend to deal with challenges within the healthcare system together with maternal and baby well being? Supporting households with younger kids is a matter expensive to my coronary heart, and it’s vital for the way forward for our County. The primary in Ohio to offer paid household depart to all mother and father, Summit County is a frontrunner on this problem, however there’s a lot we are able to do to proceed to help wholesome households. We should proceed to speculate the opiod settlement funds specifically into significant, evidence-based healthcare initiatives of all of our county places of work. We have to deal with maternal and baby well being specifically by working with our communiy companions on an built-in strategy, combining demand aspect interventions on the group degree to enhance girls and their households’ data and provide aspect interventions, together with across-the-board entry to expert, skilled employees, and prime quality care with obligatory provides.
What do you see as the best want for Summit County infrastructure spending? The best want for infrastructure spending presently is broadband web entry for our communities. The pandemic revealed how deep the digital divide is. It’s time that we be sure that each pupil, each academic establishment, and each small enterprise in Summit County has equal entry to high-speed, reasonably priced web. in order that our college students and our companies can compete in our more and more digital world. I’m proud to be part of making this aim a actuality via the County’s broadband community venture.
How will you guarantee county authorities performs a task in serving to residents receive reasonably priced housing in Summit County? As a member of the Govt Board of Neighborhood Authorized Help, I’ve seen how essential entry to reasonably priced housing is to the folks of our communities. County authorities has a vital function to play in persevering with to spend money on group companions which can be doing the work on the bottom to assist our residents receive reasonably priced housing. The difficulty isn’t just offering reasonably priced housing, nevertheless – it’s protecting folks of their properties as soon as they’ve obtained them. Housing stability is vital to our households and communities – particularly to minority girls and kids, who’re almost certainly to be evicted and that suffer many related opposed outcomes. Summit County has been a frontrunner in Ohio all through the pandemic in utilizing federal funds responsibly via our lease and utility help packages to maintain our residents of their properties. We should proceed this good work and proceed to accomplice with companies that present continuity of care.
John A. Donofrio
Social gathering: Democrat
Coaching/Expertise: Former County Treasurer, County Fiscal Officer, Present County Councilman At Massive
Schooling: Attended Valencia Junior Faculty Florida and Akron College
Present Occupation: Summit County Councilman At-Massive
Web site:www.waltersforohio/meet-the-team
Why are you the very best candidate for the workplace? I imagine my expertise, background and data of county authorities and its inside workings make me a powerful candidate for re-election. I served as your elected Summit County Treasurer and Summit County Fiscal Officer for a mixed complete of over 32 years. I’m presently serving as Summit County Councilman At Massive for the previous 8 years. I’ve acquired six nationwide awards from the Nationwide Affiliation of Counties for modern packages. Served as President of the Ohio Treasurer’s Affiliation, State Director for the Nationwide Affiliation of Treasurer and Finance Officers. Additionally served on the Summit County Finances Fee, Board of Revision and Inner Audit Committee. At the moment Chairman of County Councils Finance Committee and serve on the Personnel and Intergovernmental Committee, Lengthy Time period Planning Committee and Public Works Committee. I’ve all the time had a powerful willingness and need to achieve out to all taxpayers inside our county to help in anyway attainable.
What options do you intend to deal with challenges within the healthcare system together with maternal and baby well being? Summit County, via its collaborative partnerships with group companies has traditionally invested important {dollars} in packages to help maternal and baby healthcare. The County spends roughly $1.5 million yearly to cowl medical insurance claims for youngsters in Summit County who don’t have well being care protection and who’s households earn an excessive amount of cash to qualify for Medicaid protection. Summit County additionally runs a self-insured regionalized healthcare program for workers of native authorities companies which gives important funding for wellness visits and encourages early detection and screening for plan contributors. Just lately we additionally funded $2.5 million to help centering packages at Summa Hospital and Cleveland Clinic AGMC, to help pregnant mothers battling opiate addictions. I’ll proceed to help and push for funding for packages akin to these I’ve outlined.
What do you see as the best want for Summit County infrastructure spending? As a County we’re investing closely in a number of areas of essential infrastructure. Summit County’s capital enhancements plan outlines the funding of $93 million in highway and bridge enhancements over the following 6 years, together with $203 million in regional sewer investments. Moreover the County plans to speculate $19 million stormwater and water high quality tasks and almost $75 million in center mile broadband. This broadband funding is being designed to spur an extra $300 million in personal sector investments to convey excessive pace fiber to each house and enterprise in Summit County. These distinctive approaches to leveraging one time funding from our federal authorities are one thing that I’ve supported and can proceed to push for.
How will you guarantee county authorities performs a task in serving to residents receive reasonably priced housing in Summit County? In 2020 County Council and the Govt established the Summit County Inexpensive Housing belief fund with the funding of $1 million. We’re persevering with to discover alternatives so as to add funds to this funding which is being managed by the Western Reserve Neighborhood Fund. We additionally proceed to speculate federal Dwelling {dollars} into housing tasks such because the Valor Dwelling and Liberty Home tasks. As a councilman I’ve continued to search for new and distinctive methods to encourage funding in reasonably priced housing and to push again on our state legislator once they contemplate punitive methods to dis-incentivize a lot of these investments as was beforehand proposed within the final state finances invoice when a proposal to tax backed rental property at fmv appeared to realize some floor.
Elizabeth Walters
Social gathering: Democrat
Coaching/Expertise: Sitting County Council President; Liaison, Summit County Govt Ilene Shapiro’s Council on Range and Inclusion; Advisory Council, United Approach of Summit County’s Monetary Empowerment Facilities; Founder, Cuyahoga Valley Group; American Council of Younger Political Leaders; Lady Scouts of Northeast Ohio “2020 Girls of Distinction”; Accomplice, Truman Nationwide Safety Venture; Grassroots Chief for the Obama-Biden Marketing campaign, Congresswoman Betty Sutton, and We Are Ohio.
Schooling: Cuyahoga Falls Excessive College Graduate; B.A., Historical past, Saint Vincent Faculty, Latrobe, PA; MPA, Cleveland State College, Cleveland, OH
Present Occupation: Summit County Councilmember, At-Massive; First Girl Chair, Ohio Democratic Social gathering
Web site: http://waltersforohio.com/
Fb: www.fb.com/lizmwalters
Twitter: twitter.com/lizmwalters
Why are you the very best candidate for the workplace? I need Summit County to proceed to be a fantastic place to reside, work, and play. County authorities gives an avenue to affect these areas that households traverse day by day. I’m working for reelection to proceed to struggle for a powerful native economic system, help Summit County communities and households, and make good investments for a brighter future for our residents. I work tirelessly to innovate with a collaborative spirit, whereas sustaining fiscal accountability and protecting an open ear to the wants of our most susceptible. Serving to folks is my ardour and I’m honored to have the ability to give again to the communities, neighborhoods, and individuals who make Summit County the very best place to name house.
What options do you intend to deal with challenges within the healthcare system together with maternal and baby well being?By the restricted powers county authorities holds over our healthcare system, I search for methods to help our households. I handed Paid Parental Depart, offering county workers monetary safety upon the delivery, adoption, or tragic late-term lack of being pregnant. I supported a decision against 2018 modifications in Title X federal fund allocation and can proceed to struggle for entry to complete household planning and associated preventative well being companies, no matter earnings or sources. I steered federal {dollars} in direction of all public colleges to advertise well being and security for our households all through the pandemic. I allotted thousands and thousands of {dollars} for opiate abatement. By my work on the Racism as Public Well being Disaster taskforce, we’re main the laborious conversations to impact change and transfer in direction of a extra antiracist and inclusive authorities that may enhance the wellbeing of the whole Summit County group. I’ll proceed to work for many who are most susceptible in our group.
What do you see as the best want for Summit County infrastructure spending? On council, I supported a countywide funding increasing entry to broadband web, together with the added hotspots and laptops for our senior group members. I labored to consolidate our dispatch system for extra environment friendly emergency companies whereas saving taxpayer cash. WE should present vital help for group particular wants as we rerouted Akron Peninsula Street and repaired the Kungle Street Bridge. We restructured our sewer charges for extra truthful distribution of bills. I’ll push laborious on constructing out the Environmental Sustainability taskforce, making issues for the growth and restore of our infrastructure programs to make sure that the county is doing all that it may possibly to mitigate local weather change on the native degree. We have to proceed to spend money on our folks, by offering job coaching alternatives and persevering with collaborative partnerships with organizations just like the United Approach, ACF, Chamber, Neighborhood Motion, Authorized Help, Mustard Seed Housing, EANDC, and iPromise.
How will you guarantee county authorities performs a task in serving to residents receive reasonably priced housing in Summit County?All through the pandemic council supported over 7,000 households by allocating over $20 million protecting households of their properties and utilities turned on. I purported an appropriation to assist begin the primary feminine veteran homeless shelter in collaboration with Veterans Stand Down. Summit County has declared intention to grow to be an age-friendly group. We should proceed to help our seniors by guaranteeing that there’s reasonably priced housing that matches their wants.
Maria E. Williams
Social gathering: Republican
Candidate didn’t reply.
