Sutherland: Numbers show a successful year
By Jeff Gallatin
Bay Village
Published May 21, 2008

For Mayor Debbie Sutherland, despite a variety of problems and issues, the numbers still add up to a successful year for Bay Village in 2007.

Both during and after her state of the city address May 13 to the West Shore Chamber of Commerce, Sutherland said rising costs in a variety of areas as well as different ideas on how to balance this year’s budget made for a contentious few weeks.

“It was tough for all of us,” Sutherland said afterward. “But the bottom line to me is we’re still in good shape. We were able to put together a budget by having a lot of people with good intentions and different ideas come together and give a little to get this done.”

Sutherland said one area which drew a lot of attention and a wide range of ideas was receiving a one-time estate tax windfall of $15.4 million. Some — including the mayor — had advocated using a portion of the funds to fight the rising costs in fuel, health care insurance, employee salaries and other costs. Others did not want the city to use the money in that manner, saying taking part of the money would cut into future funds earned from interest and other utilization of the money.

Ultimately, City Council decided against using the funds for the budget, and instead implemented a new quarterly trash fee, a one-time shifting of other funds, making some positions part-time, putting in more user fees in recreation areas and charging insurance companies for ambulance runs to their clients’ homes and businesses.

“It was a balancing act,” Sutherland said. “How we place the funds in the budget and how the estate tax is accounted for can be confusing for people.”

In addition, income tax revenue dipped 0.6 percent, which can be tough at any time, she said.

Despite the contentious budget process, city officials received its 15th consecutive year with an unqualified opinion, or clean audit, from the state auditor’s office. Moody’s also reaffirmed Bay Village’s bond rating of AA3.

She also praised city safety forces for their wide range of activities in serving the community. She cited police work in regional investigations and activities which resulted in recovering money and items taken from city residents and a first place in the state in the statewide SWAT competition for the Westshore Enforcement Bureau team.

Fire department members responded to 1,394 medical and fire calls. It also purchased new mannequins for CPR classes, installed new breathing fill stations, put new insulated doors at the fire station and houses the new HAZMAT vehicle for the Westshore Hazardous Materials team. It also received an $80,697 FEMA grant and took part in a wide range of training activities.

She also praised work done by the building and service departments in keeping the city moving forward. Overall, 21 commercial building permits were issued with a total valuation over $4 million, nine new homes with a value of more than $3 million were constructed and residential alterations of nearly $6.4 million were done. In addition, there were 12 HELP home improvement loans of $244,845 and four Heritage Home loans of $113,956 were done.

Service department workers kept themselves busy, she said.

“They like to do a lot of projects in-house,” she said.

Sutherland cited completing pavement repairs and resufacing work at Reese Park, a walking path in Bradley Road and Cahoon Memorial parks, a Bryson Lane street lighting project, and parks paving in Bradley Road, Bay Lodge, Cahoon Park and Reese Park areas. Also done were a new roof and exterior Lighting on the Dwyer Center, stamped concrete walkways around the Rose Hill Museum and Osborn House and improvements to the Service Garage fuel area. Major road projects were also done, such as resurfacing Cahoon and Lake roads with state workers and reconstructing Bassett Road with Cuyahoga County.

She also praised the Community Services department for providing a wide range of services to many residents, such as Meals on Wheels, transportation, vaccinations, Adopt-a-Family, Dwyer Center work and volunteerism.

Recreation programs continued to expand in many sports and activities, and Family Fun nights remained popular, she said.