Four council seats up for grabs in Brunswick

BRUNSWICK — City Council will have at least three new faces next year as Brian Ousley, Patricia Hanek and Valerie Zak all chose to not run for reelection this year. Ousley and Hanek, both at-large members, had been on Council since 2012 and 2010, respectively, with Valerie Zak having served as Ward 3 councilwoman since July following the death of former Councilman Frank Raso. Though the term does not expire until the end of 2023, because Zak was chosen to replace Raso in the middle of the term, she would have needed to run again in May and November to retain that spot. Zak, who spent 19 years as the assistant clerk of council before retiring in 2019, said the experience of serving as a councilwoman was "rewarding" but that she wants to spend more time with her family. "I just felt, for personal reasons, to put another two-year commitment (to Council) wasn't fair to my family," Zak said. "It has nothing to do with serving on Council because I do enjoy it. I never would have went for it if I didn't and I have enjoyed the time I've been there." As of Wednesday's filing deadline to appear on the May 4 primary ballot, two candidates have, unofficially, filed to run for the Ward 3 seat. James Brandon Lambert, owner of Geeked Out Pub and Grille in Brunswick, and Joseph Stephan will vie for that seat. Councilman Joe Delsanter, who has been on Council since 2003 when he was Ward 3 councilman, before serving in his current position since 2018, will once again run for his at-large seat. Three others also, unofficially, filed with Kristy Piper, Keri Russell and Tim Smith joining Delsanter in running for the three open at-large seats. Smith is a former councilman and economic development director for Brunswick as well as a former county commissioner. He is looking to rejoin council after his five-year stint from 2003 to 2008 and said he hopes to promote the city in a way he feels hasn't been done in recent years. "I know we're putting a lot money into the roads but I would like to see more put into it," Smith said. "Pay attention to the industrial park. People in the industrial park are not getting paid attention to enough. I'm a big parks and rec guy, too. I'd like to see the parks improved. I'd like to see a special-needs park here in the city." Above all else, Smith said his experience with the city and with the county is what sets him apart from the other candidates. "I think I would be vastly more qualified than anyone else running," Smith said. "With the council experience, economic experience and the county experience, I've seen the city from a resident's point of view, a council point of view and from inside the government. I bring, I think, a unique perspective that nobody else would ever bring to it." In other news Brunswick Mayor Ron Falconi, who has held that position since 2014, will be running for a third term unopposed as no other candidates officially filed before Wednesday's deadline. Two local issues will also be on the ballot as Brunswick Schools will make a fourth attempt to pass an emergency operating levy and the Brunswick Hills Police Department will put a replacement levy on the ballot. After three consecutive failures and numerous cuts made to the school district, this operating levy is a last-ditch effort by the district to avoid even more drastic staff, busing and operational cuts. In the past, the levy's millage has remained at 5.5 mills over 10 years. Now, the millage has been bumped up to 5.9 mills over 10 years, would bring in $7.53 million over the life of the levy and cost homeowners $17.21 a month per $100,000 property valuation. The increase in millage would allow the district to avoid any further cuts and also bring back high school busing, which was cut in May following the levy's second failed attempt. The Brunswick Hills police levy is a 2.5-mill levy that will replace the levy expiring at the end of this year, last for five years and bring in just over $800,000. The previous levy, which had the same millage and time frame, originally cost homeowners $87.50 a year per $100,000 property valuation. As more people moved into the township, that cost eventually got bumped down to $73.52 a year. This replacement would reinstate the $87.50 a year cost to residents, which comes out to approximately $7.29 a month. The levy would help fund expenses such as new vehicles, outfitting those vehicles and buying other needed equipment for the station. The department's payroll is funded by two continuing levies that bring in $516,000 and $799,200, respectively. Should the levy run out at the end of this year without the replacement, Brunswick Hills police Chief Tim Sopkovich said there probably will need to be cuts to make up for that lost revenue. Contact reporter Jack Kopanski at (330) 721-4063 or at jkopanski@medina-gazette.com.