Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Cuyahoga County officials warn against paying third-party vendors when the service is available for free through the county.
If you're looking for assistance in appealing your property valuation, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald warns against using third-party companies. The county offers assistance for free at the County Fiscal Office and the Board of Revision, according to a press release. ValueAppeal, LLC of Seattle and Tax Compliance Services, LLC, a company with a Cleveland mailing address, are two of many companies mailing letters to Cuyahoga County taxpayers indicating the county’s value of their property might be in incorrect and that "the owners could be overpaying by thousands of dollars," the press release states. Some companies offer "a custom or specialized report" for a price, said Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer Wade Steen. "However, the …
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Apply online, by mail or in person to get your dog licensed now.
Beginning Dec. 1, dog owners can access applications online or in person for their 2013 dog licenses. Dogs must be licensed annually by Jan. 31. Licenses are $20 each, and beginning Jan. 31, late fees are $20 per Ohio law. To buy yours online, click here. There are also more than 25 locations, including Discount Drug Mart in Highland Heights, where you can purchase it in person for a 75-cent surcharge.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Council members vote down again on Cuyahoga County anti-poaching protocol
With tensions bubbling to the surface in council chambers, Mayfield Heights’ governing body continued to block the mayor’s push for the city to sign Cuyahoga County’s anti-poaching protocol with a 5-2 vote against during Monday’s meeting. Council members Nino Monaco, Donna Finney, Diane Snider, Paul Sciria and Gayle Teresi reiterated their unwillingness to sign the pact with the same five standing firm on their Feb. 13 vote. Council president Anthony DiCicco and Joe Mercurio voted for the measure. Mayor Gregory Costabile publicly criticized dissenting council members for resisting a measure that he believes will help the city grow its economy, saying he’s “slightly disappointed” council hasn’t asked him more questions about the project or …
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Mayfield-Hillcrest area ahead of Cuyahoga County's 9 percent pace
Home values in Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village, Gates Mills and Highland Heights dropped in the 2012 county-wide property re-appraisal, according to the Plain Dealer. Gates Mills had the lowest drop at 2 percent, followed by Highland Heights, 4.9; Mayfield Village, 6.1 and Mayfield Heights, 6.4. Although these preliminary re-appraisals lowered the values of homes in Cuyahoga County, our four-city area kept above the pace of most Cuyahoga County cities where values dropped by an average of 9 percent. To illustrate the fluctuation between cities, Chagrin Falls had the highest increase at 9.5 percent, while Maple Heights floundered with a 33 percent fall. It should be remembered that these are preliminary averages, and the Plain Dealer …
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
On May 13, Joe Murray will begin his 1,670-mile journey.
Joe Murray, a Kent State University journalism teacher and pilot, will take flight on an adventure never done by anyone else — stopping in Cuyahoga and Ohio's other 87 counties on the way to the Wright Brothers Airport. "Murray ... will fly 1,670 miles across Ohio, landing in all 88 Ohio counties, after taking off from Kent State University's Andrew W. Paton Airport. He estimated the flight will cover about 26 hours in the air and take about a week to complete," according to a Hudson Hub Times story. “Professor Murray has combined his avocation — aviation — with his professional expertise in digital storytelling several times in the past, with great results for students and the school. He received significant grants and won awards for a …
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Costabile says vote against county plan could hurt future funding.
Mayor Gregory Costabile continues to push Mayfield Heights City Council members to sign the county's anti-poaching protocol. On Feb. 13, council voted 5-2 against signing the agreement, designed to keep Cuyahoga County communities from competing against each other to attract businesses. By signing on, cities pledge not to approach companies to move from elsewhere in the county. At Monday's council meeting, Costabile said he talked recently to county officials Nathan Kelly, deputy chief of staff economic development, and Ed Jerse, director of regional development. He wanted to see if the $100 million county fund for economic development could be used to offset costs of the city's strategic plan and any public/private initiatives that come …
Friday, March 9, 2012
Former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora was found guilty on 33 of 34 counts in an Akron court today. Here is our roundup of the headlines.
Jimmy Dimora is guilty. That's big news in Cuyahoga County, where he was a county commissioner for years. Here's a roundup of stories about today's guilty verdict. See a good story about the Dimora trial or verdict? Tell us in the comments, and leave a link, and we'll add it to the list.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Find out what county seats are up for election in the primary on March 6.
There aren’t many county races on the March 6 primary ballot in Cuyahoga County, but there is a lot of competition for the county prosecutor's seat. Five Democrats are seeking their party's nod to run in the general election in November. Other seats up for election are to the recently formed County Council. If the candidate has a website, we’ve linked to it. Just click on their name to check it out. County Prosecutor Subodh Chandra, (D-Cleveland) Stephanie N. Hall, (D-Richmond Heights) James J. McDonnell, (D-Cleveland Heights) Timothy J. McGinty, (D-Cleveland) Robert J. Triozzi, (D-Cleveland) County Council, District 6 Incumbent Jack Schron, (R-Chagrin Falls) Voters in Cuyahoga County also will see on the March 6 ballot a request to renew …
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Members say that they see no benefit to city.
Mayfield Heights will not being part of the county's effort to bring communities together on economic development. City Council voted 5-2 Monday against having Mayor Gregory Costabile sign on to the county's anti-poaching protocol, an effort to have communities pledge not to approach businesses to move to their city from elsewhere in Cuyahoga County. "I see no benefit to the city. I think the county ought to focus their efforts on fixing that bridge instead of doing this right now," Councilwoman Donna Finney said. Councilman Nino Monaco said he was concerned that Beachwood and Westlake, two major players regarding economic development, were not among the 20 communities that have signed on. He also said the city would not directly benefit …
Monday, February 13, 2012
Agreement with county on agenda for tonight's meeting.
Mayfield Heights could be the 21st of the county's 59 communities to agree to an anti-poaching protocol, but some City Council members have doubts about the value to the city. Ed Jerse, county director of regional collaboration, attended a council committee meeting last week to explain the protocol, regional economic development and a $100 million county fund set aside to assist businesses. Jerse said the idea behind the anti-poaching protocol is to have cities stop battling each other for businesses and to show companies that area government entities can work together. Communities that sign the protocol pledge that they will not approach businesses in other participating cities – something Jerse said officials all claim they don't do …
Pat
9:29 am on Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Kylie, interesting how you single out Finney. The vote was 5-2 (Finney, Snider, Monaco, Teresi, Sciria voted No). Only Costablie's two yes-men (DiCicco and Mercurio) voted Yes. And Kylie, name ONE company that Mayfield Heights has ever poached? Mayfield Heights doesn't need to poach. The city practically sells itself because of its great services and very low tax rate. more ›