John Plecnik Willoughby Hills Council

Date Questionnaire Completed: 9/19/13 Office Sought: Willoughby Hills Council-at-Large IV Political party: Republican Name: John Plecnik
Age: 29 Date of birth: 12/16/83 Place of birth: Lincolnton, North Carolina Home address: 2890 Bishop Rd. Willoughby Hills, OH 44092 Length of residence in that community: Over 3 years. Twitter: @plecnik Facebook: www.facebook.com/NeighborsForPlecnik Campaign Web site: www.JohnPlecnik.com Occupation: Law Professor Employer: The Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University Business address: 2121 Euclid Ave., LB 222 Cleveland, OH 44115 Elected office experience: I was elected to a two-year term on the County Central Committee in 2012 by the voters of Willoughby Hills precinct DD. Non-elected office experience: I was appointed to the Recreation Commission for the City of Willoughby Hills in 2011 and currently serve as its Chairman. In that capacity, I volunteer for the Willoughby Hills Pancake Breakfasts, Easter Party, Corn Fest, Craft Show, Halloween Party, Winter Fest, and Breakfast with Santa.
I serve as Vice President of the Library Board of Trustees for the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library System, an Ohio government subdivision with a $5 million dollar annual budget and 100 employees at four locations. In that capacity, I vote on property taxes, union negotiations, new hires, capital projects, and everything required to maintain our public libraries. I also volunteer as a Board Member of Slovenska Pristava, a nonprofit corporation and cultural farm that was founded to preserve Slovenian heritage. At Cleveland State University, I was elected to a two-year term on the Graduate Council, which oversees curriculum at the graduate level and determines which faculty members are eligible to teach graduate level courses. Education: LL.M. in Taxation, New York University Certificate in Business Excellence, Columbia University Law Degree, Duke University (graduated cum laude with the Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Taxation & Estate Planning) B.A. in Accounting, Belmont Abbey College (graduated summa cum laude and co-Valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA) Marital status: Single Name of spouse: N/A Name and age of any children: N/A Organizations: Life Member, Willoughby Hills Historical Society Life Member, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Alumni Association Life Member, American Mensa Kentucky Colonel, Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels Member, North Coast Lions Board Member, Slovenska Pristava Parishioner, St. Vitus Church Should you be elected, what are three specific areas you'd like to change, address, improve or further research, and how specifically would you go about it? The number one issue facing Willoughby Hills is the budget. Every year, we have higher expenses, and recently, we have lost major sources of revenue, including Eaton Corporation. In 2010, the Mayor proposed hiking the city income tax by half a percent, and Council (all but one Member) voted to put it on the ballot. We cannot go back to the same well and ask taxpayers to pay higher income or property taxes again. Instead, there are three specific areas I would like to bring to the table to address the problem.
First, I want to bring fiscal responsibility to Willoughby Hills City Council. I have experience managing my small business, but it takes a lot more to manage a multi-million dollar government budget. With degrees in Accounting, Law, and Taxation, I am uniquely qualified to look at our budget and make it work without raising taxes. Moreover, I already have experience overseeing a $5 million annual government budget as Vice President and Trustee for the WilloughbyEastlake Public Library System. During my tenure, our public libraries have maintained and improved services without a single tax hike or bond issue. I don't just say I am fiscally responsible, I have a track record that proves I am ready to bring fiscal responsibility to Willoughby Hills. Second, I want to bring real, strategic long-term planning. To address the budget, we cannot budget one year at a time. We need to have multi-year plans and consider long-term trends in order to prepare for difficult times. Looking back to my role with our public libraries, we put tax money to the side every possible year in order to meet both foreseen and unforeseen expenses. Third, I want to bring good, quality businesses and a sense of safety back to The Shoppes at Willoughby Hills and Chardon Bishop Plaza, formerly known as Loehmanns Plaza. The budget has suffered from losing business after business to other cities. My home is a stone's throw from the plaza, so I understand the scope of the problem. Hiking taxes in 2010 made it more difficult for businesses. However, we also have a real and perceived safety issue. We have a real safety issue, in that, a murder, three bank robberies, and several business robberies occurred in and around the plaza last year. We have a perceived safety issue because, despite all of that, our crime rate is still lower than that of many surrounding communities. I will advocate for more patrols and a police substation by the plaza to increase both real and perceived safety. Whether for past accomplishments or future goals, why should voters elect you? Our campaign slogan, READY to SERVE, is much more than just a motto. I respectfully ask for my neighbors' votes because I truly believe that we need at least one Councilman with a strong background in accounting, law, and taxation to balance our budget without cutting critical services or raising taxes. We need to elect a candidate with actual experience managing a multimillion dollar government budget. We need someone who is READY to SERVE on day one!

John Plecnik Willoughby Hills Council

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Date Questionnaire Completed: 9/19/13 Office Sought: Willoughby Hills Council-at-Large IV Political party: Republican Name: John Plecnik

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