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A SERVICE OF OHIO'S PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATIONS
A SERVICE OF OHIO'S PUBLIC BROADCASTING STATIONS
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Ed Esposito, news director, WAKR/AkronNewsNow.com; Rachel Dissell, reporter, The Plain Dealer; Kevin O'Brien, editorial writer, The Plain Dealer.
Audit Blasts Recorder:
A recently-completed report by State Auditor Mary Taylor calls the Cuyahoga County Recorder's office overstaffed, overpaid and underworked. Taylor's report echoes earlier reporting by The Plain Dealer that Recorder Frank Russo's office underperformed others around the state that have smaller staffs. Further, the pay is higher.
County Revises Revision Board:
The Cuyahoga County Commissioners this week revamped the Board of Revision and told members it's time to roll up their sleeves and get some work done. The Board will now conduct hearings all day, instead of just half a day. It's the panel that hears citizen complaints about property tax assessments. The Board has come under fire recently because of revelations that one member did little work and another made unauthorized changes in tax valuations.
Dark Day for School Taxes:
If this week's poll result on local taxes is any indication, voters are in a surly mood. Special elections in seven school districts produced just one winner, an additional operating levy for the Copley-Fairlawn district. Issues in Norton, Avon, Buckeye local, Rootstown, North Olmsted and Highland all failed, as did an income tax increase in the city of Pepper Pike. In some cases, the issues will reappear on the fall ballot.
LeBron's Thank You Note:
Ex-Cavs star LeBron James took out an ad in the Akron Beacon Journal thanking his hometown neighbors for their love and support. "Akron is my home and the central focus of my life. It's where I started, and it's where I will always come back to," said the ad. While James embraced his hometown, the ad made no mention of Cleveland or the Cavaliers with whom he spent the first seven years of his NBA career.
Gay Marriage Ban Struck Down:
A San Francisco federal judge this week overruled California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, setting up a likely showdown in the U.S. Supreme Court. Voters passed the ban in 2008. Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the ban discriminatory and not a legitimate interest of the state. The ruling does not apply to other states and has no immediate effect in California. Vaughn stayed the ruling in anticipation of appeals.
August 6, 2010