State of the Village 2012
By John M. Licastro, Mayor

Dear Bratenahl Residents,

I am pleased to submit to you the 2012 State of the Village of Bratenahl Report, an annual requirement under the Ohio Revised Code.

As in past years, I must state how fortunate the Village is to have the employees and staff that work for us. The Police Department, under Chief Rich Dolbow’s leadership, continues to improve its function and raise its level of professionalism while keeping us safe. The Service Department, under Director Joe Zalar, makes certain the streets and sidewalks are clear in the winter and the Village is clean and beautiful year- round. Village Hall staff, including Julie Kreiner, Clerk of Courts, Merele Ehlringer, Assistant Clerk, Tom Jamieson, Building Commissioner and Mary Ranney, Building Department Secretary, is a group that I believe is beyond compare.  Village Clerk Lee Blazey puts his expertise as a Certified Public Accountant and Case Western Reserve professor to good use regarding Village finances. 

Speaking of finances, the bi-annual audit by the State of Ohio for the years 2009 and 2010 was just completed.  The audit was unqualified, the highest rating possible.  The management letter made suggestions for timely deposits, etc, that we have already incorporated into our processes for all departments. 

The status of Village finances is better than most other communities. Our carryover in the General Fund has increased from 2010 to 2011 by approximately 20%.  While the loss of revenue from the State of Ohio, including cuts in the Local Government Fund and the elimination of the estate tax are significant, income tax generated from the NEORSD project south of the Shoreway– the “Big Dig” – will help offset those losses. The offset is not dollar for dollar, the loss is greater than the gain, so working with Village Council to continue our careful spending will be critical to the Village’s long-term fiscal health.  Our current economic and financial situations challenge us to think in new and improved ways about government including the pursuit of grants and assistance from the new County Government, while keeping our local tax burden at a reasonable level.

Bratenahl has experienced falling property values and population loss.  The actual loss of property value was minimal; the tax duplicate dropped from $94 million in 2010 to $92 million in 2011, which is much better than almost every other community in Cuyahoga County.  The exterior maintenance program we have in place has been effective.  Over 550 properties were inspected.  Approximately 250 were found to have violations, of which all but 12 have complied.   Cuyahoga County has resources that are designed to help, such as the Land Bank and low interest loans.  We are working with the Bratenahl Community Foundation and the Bratenahl Sustainability Action Team to conduct community informational forums relating to the above mentioned issues.  These forums will add to everyone’s understanding of the significant issues facing Bratenahl and other local communities.  These are times that very few of us have experienced.  We must pull together to weather this storm.  I ask that we do just that.

Village Government welcomes citizen’s ideas on how we can improve Bratenahl.  Let’s take the energy and talent that is inherent in this great community and direct it in a positive manner for the overall betterment of Bratenahl.  If you have an idea or a better way of doing things, we are all ears. 

For the 50 government employees in the Village, from police officers to service department employees to dispatchers to clerks, their service is not just about the money.  Our team members interact with and care about Village residents, including the Village’s elected officials.  They realize they are part of a community that is unique in Greater Cleveland, and they choose to make our community even better.

We are looking forward to working with our newly elected Council members.  We thank those that are leaving office for their years of service.  We have difficult issues to wrestle with, including fiscal concerns, foreclosed properties, the future of the Community Center and other important challenges.  We need everyone’s help to make the right decisions. 
Bratenahl’s history has shown that when times are tough, residents, elected officials, and Village Government employees work together to overcome the adversity facing the Village, including public safety, community autonomy and fiscal concerns. It’s been that that way since the Village was formed 1905. It’s that way today.

Bratenahl has learned that’s the way it works.  Help us continue to improve and strengthen the future of our Village.

We hope to see you at our meetings. I close, as always, with the refrain from Bratenahl’s School Song:

…she is the best, the very best, all Hail to Bratenahl!