Meet the Village Council Candidates

Four residents have successfully filed petitions with the Summit County Board of Elections seeking election to three seats on Richfield Village Council. Following are the candidates’ photos, short bios and their answers to four questions. Their answers were limited to a total of 275 words.  Following are the unedited answers of Bobbie Beshara, Marty Kruszynski, Jay Lawrence Nye and Sue Ann Philippbar listed alphabetically.

• What is your primary reason for running for a seat on Village Council?

Beshara: The primary reason is because I love Richfield and I want to continue to apply my skillset knowledge and experience to the council position in order to keep Richfield the best community in northeast Ohio. Thank you for your consideration and I respectfully ask for your vote on November 7.

Krusynski: Primary reason for running for village council: As a 32 resident, I’m very fond of our village. I feel strongly about issues that seem to be pushed aside, forgotten or overlooked.

Nye: My Primary reason to run for Village Council is to work towards limiting the power of Village Council. To learn how and why decisions are made and how we have gotten to an attitude in the Village Council they are there to rule over the rest of us.

Philippbar: I am running for council to serve my community openly and honestly. 

• What is your position on regulations and enforcement regarding unkempt properties?

Beshara: The village has ordinances in place to protect property values and I firmly believe that those should be followed by all property owners in the village. During my tenure as the village’s mayor I oversaw several demolitions of blighted buildings and facilitated turning those properties into community assets. A perfect example of this is the former BP gas station at the north end of town.

Krusynski: My position on regulations and enforcement on unkempt properties is: I believe it is imperative that homeowners stay true to their neighbors and themselves by keeping a clean, sightly property. Special circumstances withstanding, those being sudden or short term illness, calamity, or an act of God. I’ve always said, it doesn’t cost anything to keep your property clean. And think about your neighbor. Be reasonable. Enforcement wise, the village has kicked the can down the road for a couple decades. Now you have what you have. Uncertainty and dissolution. Zoning enforcement mayhem.

Nye: I believe this needs to be resolved on a case by case situation, does the property owner need help or are they in financial distress, what are the reasons the “said property” is a problem. Is it possible there are ways the village can be of help rather than a strong and intrusive power?

Philippbar: We need to impartially follow the zoning regulations outlined in our Village’s Codified Ordinances. I support issuing zoning violations when companies or individuals do not comply. If our zoning laws need to be updated or changed, this can be accomplished through legislation. 

• Would you favor ticketing by mail to help officers control speeders on Richfield roadways?

Beshara: In speaking with the police chief at a recent safety committee meeting this was a topic that was discussed, and the consensus is that these are revenue generators and it takes away from the personal contact a police officer would have with the individual, such as a new driver. Also, it isn’t the driver getting cited but rather the vehicle’s owner. Traffic stops can lead to other infractions that would be missed by ticketing by mail.

Krusynski: Would I favor ticketing by mail: Short answer, yes. But in certain areas. Say the Rt 21 corridor specifically, announced with signage. Our guys can’t run radar all day and night up there. There are a lot of speeding trucks/semis. I can attest to it. I live on the north end. Parking should also be enforced by writing tickets. Trucks park in no parking areas with no regard for village residents.

Nye: I do NOT agree with traffic camera’s. I would listen to the opinion of our police department however I would very hard to sway to blind ticketing.

Philippbar: I would be open to exploring the efficacy of ticketing by mail. However, the administration would need to fully vet this process before I would be in favor of it. Factors that are important to understand include: How accurate are the cameras? Do studies show this does help reduce speeding? What have other communities encountered using this system? One drawback I see is that this reduces the human factor in which a police officer can assess the person who is speeding.  (Is this a first offense? Are they under the influence? Is this a stolen vehicle?) Only a trained officer can make reasonable decisions when a person is pulled over.  Imagine that a camera picks up the license plate of a 16-year-old speeder and mails a ticket to his/her parents, but 2 miles down the road, the teen hits and kills someone. That would be a terrible outcome for the ticketing by mail system. In summary, I am open to exploring the pros and cons of ticketing by mail, understanding that advances in technology do not always result in more favorable outcomes.

•  What is the solution for the shortage of empty-nester housing?

Beshara: There’s not a single solution to this complex issue but as a member of Village Council I have voiced the need for a diversity of housing options that offer multi-generational choices so families can age in place without leaving Richfield. 

Krusynski: Solution for shortage of empty nester housing: This answer alone could consume 275 words (the maximum for the questionnaire answers). I guess more development like Faith Lane, but with a developer willing to create even smaller, quainter, affordable stand alone homes. Need a lot of luck with this one.

Nye:  For senior housing in Richfield, I grew up near the Richfield Hts area and there is housing in those areas that are affordable when available. I know if a person looks they are able to find housing in an affordable range however, I also understand those houses are very limited and quickly bought up. I would entertain, with an open mind other solutions to this potential problem, such as, condominium type area for 55 and older groups. This would need to be in the right spot to avoid that high density feeling which in general I am against.

Philippbar: I support finding a location to build senior housing in our community. Many residents have expressed an interest in staying in Richfield as they age. We need to respond to this request with a plan. ∞

Bobbie Beshara
Age: 67
Occupation: City Manager,
City of Rittman

Marty Kruszynski
Age: 66
Occupation: Machinery salesman

Jay Nye
Age: 54
Occupation: Self-Employed –
Nye Guys Construction

Sue Ann Philippbar
Age: 60
Speech-Language Pathologist/
Former Manager at Metro-
Health Medical Center