Meet the candidates: Hudson City Council at-large
Residents Nicole Kowalski, Sherif Mansour and Sarah Norman are competing to fill the unexpired at-large seat formerly held by Dan Williams. Williams vacated his term in March, and when council could not reach an agreement on who should replace him, the decision was left to voters in a special election concurrent with the Nov. 3 general election.
ScriptType posed three questions to candidates, who were asked to respond using no more than 250 words:
1. What are your qualifications for this position?
Kowalski: Business owner in Hudson, adjunct professor at Tri-C, member of the Hudson Environmental Awareness Committee, volunteer board member for Hudson Community First, member of Leadership Hudson Class of 2020, recipient of YWCA’s 2019 Distinguished Young Woman Award, “big sister” with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland.
Mansour: I don’t believe that there is anything elite or special about me. I am an immigrant and a long-term Hudson resident, who seeks to serve my neighbors. I want to protect their rights and liberties and provide them with a town they are glad to call home. I want to listen to their ideas for our collective future and provide my insight based on what I’m hearing from others. But outside of a desire to listen and serve honestly, I don’t believe that I am any more special or deserving than my opponents, both of whom are smart, capable, hard working women that I am happy to call friend.
Norman: B.A. (Art/History ) Goucher College, J.D. CWRU, former deputy county prosecutor, private law practice limited to historic preservation, public records compliance officer since 2013, 20-year Hudson resident and taxpayer, four children graduated from Hudson public schools, Hudson Cemetery Board and many other volunteer activities.
2. What issue or challenge facing Hudson needs immediate attention and action from council, and how do you plan to impact that if elected?
Kowalski: Recently, we have seen an increase in negativity and political infighting that has prevented our council from getting things done. Council needs to get back to the basics of serving Hudson and work towards common goals. We need a leader who can work with everyone, listen and find consensus. I am that person.
Mansour: The five most important issues facing Hudson, and the ones I plan on keeping top of mind are: connectivity, Velocity Broadband, Phase 2, diversity and maintaining our current form of government. If elected, I plan on serving as a unifying force for Hudson and promise to listen to my constituents and represent them honestly and fairly.
Norman: Hudson has spent money irresponsibly until very recently. This is a non-partisan issue: Everyone pays taxes; we all have an interest in air-tight accountability. I can insist on transparency and progress working with like-minded others. I am, by nature, a question-asker and a problem-solver. Hudson needs that courage in its leadership.
3. An issue that Hudsonites have varying opinions on is what should be done with the downtown Phase 2 area now that council and the city have moved away from the 2019 plan. What are your thoughts on developing this city-owned property?
Kowalski: I believe Hudson needs a creative solution that integrates citizen feedback, will add more income taxes so we are less reliant on property taxes, addresses the need for empty-nester housing and complements our existing downtown. To accomplish this, we need smart growth and to continue to be responsible fiscally. Developing this area should be looked at as an investment in ourselves. A great example of two times we have invested in ourselves is First & Main and the library. These are long-term investments that have served us well over the years, but at their inception caused fissures similar to those Phase 2 has caused. However we develop this area must provide the same value to Hudson that these projects have. Recently, I published a blog on this topic on my website, you can read it here: kowalski4hudson.com/blog.
Mansour: I believe that the P2 property is a valuable piece of real estate that should be very carefully developed at some point, but the time for that is not now. This issue has proven to be terribly divisive for the past two years, and I strongly believe we need time to heal before we try to come together and find the proper plan for all of our community.
Norman: We should start with phytoremediation (plants that “clean” dirt) for the short term. This project, however, is overdue to the taxpayers who approved Phase I. During that time of rest, we should look to “bridge” the existing development on all sides with our plan, not some scheme developed in a vacuum that would overburden the municipal infrastructure. 2020 provided a “hard reset” to everything, including our vision for this property.