ISSUE 1: Medina given green light to move municipal court on square

MEDINA — It was a fiercely fought battle for Issue 1 in the city of Medina. After some stern words and accusations, the city's Preserve and Make Medina History Committee was successful by garnering 679 yes votes, or 54 percent, compared with 577 no votes, or 46 percent, according to unofficial results from the Medina County Board of Elections. That will pave the way for the city to move Medina Municipal Court to the 1969 portion of the Medina County Courthouse. Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell was happy with the results of the primary election Tuesday. "I am thankful and appreciative that the Medina city voters passed Issue 1," he said in a statement. "We have been working on a resolve for space and safety issues at the Medina Municipal Court for over two decades. "This approval will permit the city to partner with Medina County, which makes the most sense both operationally and fiscally for both the city and the county. Thank you to the Medina city voters." The city's campaign prevailed by borrowing campaign slogans from its opponent, which didn't go over big with the Stop Government Waste Committee. It placed 100 campaign signs around the city, which advocated to Save the Courthouse and Stop Government Waste. "That is exactly what we are doing," Medina at-large Councilman Paul Rose, chairman of the committee, said previously. Attorney Pat Walker, who has spearheaded the nonpartisan Stop Government Waste Committee (the original Save Your Courthouse Committee), wanted to thank all the people who support transparency in government. "No matter the results of this election, the Medina County citizens have already won," she said in a statement. "The citizens have already saved the 1969 courthouse from being demolished and saved the Medina County Law Library. Further, the citizens of the city of Medina have told the city that taxpayers do not want city-owned property to be given away." She said she is disappointed by the outcome, even though it was by 102 votes. Walker said she was also disappointed that the city had a vote when many in the community weren't even aware there was an election. It won't be the last the city hears from her committee, she said. "Absolutely not," Walker said. "We'll continue watching out for government waste and how the city spends its money." Last November, Issue 7 was defeated by a 2-to-1 margin, which prevented the city from spending any money on the shared courthouse project. After that election, the city regrouped and got another issue on the ballot. It's expected to cost about $5 million to move the municipal court to the courthouse on the square, with $4.3 million coming from the court's special projects fund. If the city renovated the current municipal court building at 135 N. Elmwood Ave., projections said it would cost as much as $9 million to $11 million. "We are not going to have to borrow any money (to move to the 1969 courthouse)," Rose said. Walker had taken shots at the city regarding the Liberty View apartments, first saying the city was going to give the developer, Rose Co., the land in which to build. "That's not factual," Hanwell said. He said it's a land lease and Rose will have to pay $4,000 a year for 50 years to build on that property. Also, Walker said tenants from the apartments would get reserved parking spots in the city's parking garage, which city officials said is also not true. The deck cost the city $3.8 million to build, but $1 million came from a state capital grant. The rest of the deck will be paid through a TIF, which is special financing. Originally, the county was going to demolish the 1969 courthouse, but changed its stance. The Save Your Courthouse Committee fought against it, even after it wasn't going to be torn down. Hanwell said another issue with Walker's group was that it said the county wouldn't move forward with the project unless the city was involved, but that wasn't true. The county is starting the project as early as next month. "We spend 90 percent of the time fighting misinformation," Hanwell said. "Talk about government waste." Walker has filed numerous lawsuits against the city over the matter, some going to the Ohio Supreme Court. There are several proposals for what will happen with the municipal court building, including a community center named after former Council President Wilda Howard Bell. Contact reporter Bob Finnan at (330) 721-4049 or rfinnan@medina-gazette.com.