As a resident of Cuyahoga Falls, I want the same things from City Council that you do: transparency, effective collaboration, and efficient services for all our neighborhoods. Since I have been serving as an at-large councilmember, I’ve had a chance to work with our safety forces, to see the impact that road repairs and infrastructure investments make in our quality of life, and to understand all the factors that contribute to the economic health of our city and employers of all sizes.
I worked with Mayor Don Walters for several years. As a part of his team, I dug into the functional issues we all care about: containing costs, maintaining a beautiful community, offering services to those who need it, and ensuring we can all be safe as we live in, work in, and visit Cuyahoga Falls.
Together, we can build a city where people from all walks of life and with all points of view can be welcome. We can focus on what really matters: those issues that impact your quality of life:
– Your parks, library, roads and other city infrastructure;
– Our downtown district, and a vibrant and healthy Front Street;
– The health of our small businesses, and our ability to attract new employers.
We invest in these things because they are an investment in the future of all of us. These kinds of investments are much more than financial decisions: they are decisions that move us toward better outcomes for our kids, better employment options for our families, and better neighborhoods for all of us.
I worked as a part of Mayor Walters’ team to increase the economic opportunities available in Cuyahoga Falls, including Front Street, Portage Crossings, and projects like moving the Developmental Disabilities Board of Summit County into Cuyahoga Falls, bringing more than a hundred jobs to our community. As the city’s law director, I had a leading role in negotiations like the DD Board moving to Cuyahoga Falls, developing relationships with the major employers in our community, and connecting with all the local stakeholders in economic development. I have also served as Chief of Legal Services for the Ohio Attorney General, dealing with complex legal issues facing our state and our communities.
COUNCIL COMMITTEES SERVED
COMMITTEES SERVED AS PART OF MAYOR WALTERS’ TEAM
My experience as the city’s law director, and as the current at-large councilmember, gives me the knowledge and relationships that a councilmember needs to be effective in service to our city. In all the negotiations I’ve led for Cuyahoga Falls, I’ve made sure that everyone has a seat at the table, and that every voice is heard. That collaborative approach has helped us reach some big wins, like being able to negotiate with our City employee unions; the contracts we developed were approved by the unions and unanimously by City Council.
This November, I’m asking you to return me to City Council where I will be a tireless steward of our tax dollars with investments to improve our local economy, support emergency services, and ensure better public health.
Education
Community Service
Keeping me on council means I can continue finding solutions that implement good government practices and making functional investments that meet your family’s everyday needs.
I’m Russ Balthis, and I’m asking you to vote this November to keep me on Cuyahoga Falls City Council.