As your Rocky River Ward 3 City Council representative, starting January 1, 2020 I will work tirelessly to serve our neighborhoods and all residents of Rocky River, to ensure that our city remains safe, secure, and financially sound. You can be represented and have your voice heard if you give me the privilege of serving you.
During my 25 years as a CPA and small business owner in northeastern Ohio, I have earned the trust of individuals, businesses, and charities, as their financial adviser. While working as a former Auditor, I have helped local city governments such as Willoughby, North Ridgeville and Bedford to remain compliant with competitive bidding and public transparency regulations. I have also helped them manage tax dollars wisely, so that resident tax dollars that are collected and earmarked for a specific purpose are in fact spent for that purpose, without exceptions.
Looking to Rocky River’s future, the decisions that City Council makes in the next 2 years with respect to capital improvements (Police Station, Bradstreet Landing, roads, sewers and other infrastructure), and the protection of the environment and green spaces, will affect the quality of life of residents for many many years to come. Unfortunately, current city leadership has increased both its income and property tax collections over the past 4 years without a comprehensive plan about how to spend it. Our city is not a bank: we should not spend money carelessly, but we should also not tax residents without any plan to repay them in the form of increased and improved city services.
We must remember that we are also all citizens of Cuyahoga County, Ohio and the United States. Partnerships with our neighboring West Shore communities and Cuyahoga County are very important, and make our city stronger. Also in some cases, city council can make Rocky River stronger by voicing opposition to any federal and state policies which serve to discriminate against individuals, take away the rights of women, cause social injustice, or reduce environmental protections. I am ready to apply common sense and help our city navigate these waters, in the spirit of promoting empathy and compassion for all, while respecting the rule of law.
New leadership on City Council is necessary, and that is why I am seeking your vote to serve as your ward 3 representative. Please vote for me, Democrat Robert E. McRae, on November 5, 2019.