WHO WILL BE THE NEXT MAYOR OF MAPLE HEIGHTS?

Maple Heights is coming up on a primary election and general election to pick a mayor to lead its city.

Seriously, come on,  are voters actually considering a bunch of lightweights going up against a heavyweight (Mrs. Neomia Mitchell)?  Far above those lightweights, Mrs. Mitchell (a 27 year Maple Heights resident) has devoted a large majority of her life to public service, which included serving on city council (at least 2 terms).*  City Council creates laws and policy that affect resident’s financial, business, and social lives.  Mrs. Mitchell, a retired Human Resource Officer, Payroll, Benefits Officer and Accounting Specialist; as well as a Financial Planner (27 years) and Tax Consultant (32 years), understands the importance of governance.

A graduate from Philander Smith College (an HBCU in Little Rock, Arkansas), Mrs. Mitchell is strong on education; and she has fought (even her former council colleagues) for a recreation center for Maple Heights youth.  At one time she even formed a youth group.

A great many of her supporters are seniors; and if you remember, those supporters were able to get the required number of signatures to get a charter amendment placed on the ballot that would allow the voter to decide if they wanted those speed cameras in their community.  Those supporters/seniors fought Maple Heights City Hall all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court (and won) to get that charter amendment placed on the ballot.  Had those cameras stayed, we all know where most of that money would have circulated and it wasn’t for community development.** Voters overwhelmingly decided to get rid of those speed cameras. So clearly Mrs. Mitchell has the clout and has demonstrated over and over again that she can get the job done. 

Mrs. Mitchell has a plan (and we’ve seen some of it) that will bring the big T (transparency to Maple Heights government), help circulate money within the community, bring diversity to government, attract grants and small business, help seniors and young people and homeowners; and will have the backing of various influential and “get the job done” members of state and federal government. 

In the past we’ve seen ugly attempts to sully her reputation, but this lady is classy and always tries to run a clean campaign. 

We could go on and on, but while we appreciate the competition, none of those competitors can hold a candle to  Mrs. Neomia Mitchell.



*Note: Bill Brownlee served 1 term on City Council.
Donald Grossmyer - police officer


**Various members of council are gearing up again to cram traffic cams down the throats of Maple Heights residents.

THE REAL DEAL PRESS APRIL 2015 OFFERS EXCELLENT INSIGHT INTO MAPLE HEIGHTS POLITICS

We've always been impressed with the high caliber and excellent reporting from The Real Deal Press.

Because we don't want to slow this website down loading the scribd file we're giving you a link to April's issue instead.

The Real Deal Press April 2015

A GAME OF POLITICS IN MAPLE HEIGHTS

More glossy postcards and what appears to be early (2015 election) campaign literature.  Aren't you sick of it?


If you want things to change in your city, one of the things you have to change is City Hall because those elected and appointed have enormous power.  Local laws, policies, procedures, leadership which impacts almost every area of your normal day to day life often originates in City Hall.  


The recent literature we saw from City Hall was what looked like a smear campaign against Mrs. Mitchell and Bill Brownlee.

Fact:  Mrs Neomia Mitchell has not been a Maple Heights voter elected city official since 2011, yet that has not stopped City Hall officials from making Mrs. Mitchell a political punching bag.

Fact:  Mrs. Neomia Mitchell has been active in trying to integrate the fire department with minority fire fighters (there has never been a Black fire fighter in Maple Hts) while City Hall appears to have done nothing of real import to integrate the fire department with minority firefighters.  

Fact:  Mrs. Neomia Mitchell has been active in trying to get more minority police officers in the police department, yet City Hall has no forward looking written plan to do it.  

Fact:  Mrs. Neomia Mitchell wants an Independent Citizen's Review Board  with subpoena power. City Hall officials have not even opened it up for public discourse.

  

Fact: Mrs. Neomia Mitchell has fought along side of the seniors who fought all the way to the Ohio Supreme Court (an won) to let the voters decide if they wanted speed cameras or not.  City hall officials did not want the voters to decide.

Fact:  Whatever you think of Bill Brownlee, he is the one who has made it a point to bring desperately needed  transparency to Maple Height's government by videotaping council meetings and other meetings and putting them on Youtube so you could see what goes on in these meetings.  The law director was caught taking down Mr. Brownlee's camera after Mr. Brownlee was removed from a council meeting.  Mr. Brownlee was the person responsible for the first question and answer public panel meeting to discuss the speed cameras after Mrs. Mitchell and her group took up the fight to let the voter decide about the speed cameras.  

Fact:  Mr. Brownlee and Neomia Mitchell are not responsible for Maple Heights being in fiscal watch.  Read the auditor's report.

Fact: Maple Heights government's full-time work force is full of way too many non residents.

Where does the buck stop?   Say it with us ... CITY HALL!!!!!

Related:
 Maple Heights Mayor Jeffrey Lansky sues councilman and his wife for defamation: Mark Naymik

EVENT: BLACK HISTORY CELEBRATION, WEDNESDAY, FEB 26, 2014, FEATURING THE GOSPEL CHOSEN FEW

Join in commemorating the success and visions of African Americans of today and yesterday.

 

 

BLACK HISTORY CELEBRATION, featuring "The Gospel Chosen Few"

 

 

Where:  Lamplight Inn of Maple Heights, 5500 Northfield Rd, Maple Heights, OH 44137

 

 

When: Wednesday, February 26, 2014

 

 

Time: 1pm


FREE EVENT

 

 

Guest speakers, food, fun and music

 

 

Strip steak, fried perch, baked potato, seafood salad, roasted zucchini and dinner roll, strawberry shortcake and celebration cake

 

 

Sponsored by

Neomia Mitchell 

Lamplight Inn

Breaking News: Early Endorsements for Maple Heights City Council 2013

Breaking News from the Maple Heights African American Gazette:

The next Maple Heights City Council elections will be held November 2013, and the Maple Heights African American Gazette is supporting the following for council seats:


-

Dee Price, if she decides to run for the district 4 seat

Edwina Agee, unless Mrs. Neomia Mitchell decides to run again for the district 7 seat (if Mrs. Mitchell decides to run again, we will back her 100%)

At present, we will not be supporting Charles Crews Jr. as district 5's council person. Mr. Crews was appointed councilman to fill a vacancy created due to  the passing of an elected, but not sworn in official.  Mr. Crews' appointment should be a temporary appointment. 

Residents in District 5 want a special election to be held this year which will enable them to vote for their own council person (and not one picked by other members of council).  It is their constitutional right to vote for their own council person.

Maple Heights Residents Meet to Voice Concerns About Their Local Government_January 3, 2012

Yesterday was the first meeting of Maple Heights residents who are up in arms about what the Mayor, Members of Council, and the law director are doing in regards to them picking District 5's council representative, instead of the voter's in District 5.  They say it's legal, ... we say it's unconstitutional, and it's unjust.  See previous post & remember, Jim Crow Laws were also legal.

Our esteemed and gracious (Ohio) State Senator Nina Turner honored us with her presence at the meeting.  Senator Turner delivered a powerful message that we all needed to hear. 

Considering we had bad weather and a holiday weekend, we were happy to see that there are still  people who care about their city, and they were more than willing to sign hard (paper) petitions. (Again see previous post)

Maple Heights Residents (& 1 Cleveland resident) Paper petition signers (addresses are private):

  Theresa Smith

  Essie Cloud

  Alphonso Bostick

  Edward Sankey

  Yvonne Stoudenmire

  Sandra Jackson

  Alonzo Sistrunk

  Mareia Colley

  Carolyn Gamble

  Derrick Whatley

  Judy Knight

  Beverly Crawford

  Kenneth Pierson

  Ruthie Benson

  LueJessie Williams

  Adriane Williams

  Pamela Dawson

  David Dawson

  Charlene Hayden

  Doris Hendrix

  George Hayden

  Aurelia Ray

  Leonard Ray

  Renata Matthews

  Eddie Hullum

  James Ford

  Angela Robinson

  Anthony Robinson

  Gaylord Hayden

  Elizabeth Pritchard

  Elayne Barnes

  Maurice Wilson

  James Evans

  Charlie Hendrix

  Sharon A. Oliver

  Fred A. Oliver

  Catherine Board

  Grayland E. Smith Jr 

We will continue taking signatures online along with paper petitions.

If you haven't already signed our voting rights petition, please do so now:
Stop This City Council From Trampling on Our Voting Rights

or Martin Luther King Would Be Outraged and You Should Be Too!

or you can sign one of our paper petitions - just call 216.202.4083, or email us at mhaagazette@gmail.com  and tell us you want to sign a paper petition.

Those in attendance also had issues related to distribution of monies regarding the railroad settlement fund.

People in attendance were also not aware that Maple Heights department heads, the administration, law director, finance director, (those who hold leadership, high salaries, & positions of power) were with rare exception, Caucasian.  In addition, there has never been an African American fire fighter in Maple Heights, and the police department's record for hiring minorities (as police officers) has been almost as dismal.  For a city of 70+% minority, people were very upset when they learned these facts. 

[Percentage of Maple Heights residents living in poverty in 2009: 13.2%(8.7% for White Non-Hispanic residents, 15.7% for Black residents, 13.3% for Hispanic or Latino residents, 0.0% for American Indian residents, 0.0% for other race residents, 24.1% for two or more races residents)]

Got a question: Why is the Mayor touting that we have a population of over 26,000 people, when the 2010 census said 23,138? [Update 7/2012: mayor finally corrected population figure]

Among those present, were our strong beautiful African American women who have never given up trying to bring justice and equality to Maple Heights.   Those women are:  Neomia Mitchell, Dee Price, Edwina Agee ... we love them and thank them for their service and dedication.  

We also want to embrace and encourage Aaron Mitchell, who is doing some great things for the youth in our community.  He is an awesome leader.

We are urging every resident to attend Maple Heights City Council meeting January 18th (7pm, Maple Heights Senior Center).  We'd also love for you to quietly sit in caucus (6:30pm) at the Maple Heights Senior Center (next to the Maple Heights Library).

Remember, government serves you.   You are the employers of those who serve you.   NEVER FORGET THAT!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email us:  jadeisnumbr1@live.com

We'll be holding meetings on a regular basis so those who are interested in their government, can become familiar with their government, and find out how they can affect positive change in their own lives, and the  Maple Heights community.  (CHECK THE CALENDAR PAGE FOR THOSE TIMES, AND OTHER EVENTS)