The Morning Journal

Election Questionnaire

October 23, 2013

Date questionnaire completed: _______________
North Olmsted Council, Ward 4
Office sought: _____________________________

Democrat
Political party: _____________________________
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________
Stephen W. Wolf
April 29, 1956
Cleveland, Ohio
57
Age: __________
Date of birth: ___________________
Place of birth: _______________________
27132 Butternut Ridge Road, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070
Home address: ______________________________________________________________________
Almost my entire life
Length of residence in that community: _______________
Twitter: ______________________
www.ElectSteveWolf.org
Facebook: ____________________
Campaign Web site: ___________________________________
The Law Office of Stephen W. Wolf, LLC
Retired police officer, practicing attorney
Occupation: _________________________________________
Employer: _____________________
26777 Lorain Road Suite 709, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070
Business address: ____________________________________
None
Elected office experience: ______________________________________________________________
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Born and raised in North Olmsted, I spent nearly my entire life here.
Non-elected office experience (boards, etc.): ______________________________________________
I retired from the North Olmsted Police Department as a lieutenant after thirty-two years. I now practice law and have my office here
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in North Olmsted. I have been active in the City both as an employee and as a resident. I have been an active participant
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fighting for Ward issues. I have been an active participant with City Council when there are issues that affected my family.
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Education (Please only list schools youve graduated from and list degrees if applicable):
Bachelors in Public Safety Management, Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University
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Masters in Public Administration, Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University
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Law degree, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University
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Marital status: ______________________
Name of spouse: _________________________________
Name and age of any children: __________________________________________________________
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American Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, Westshore Bar Association, Southwest Bar
Organizations: _______________________________________________________________________
Association, Lorain County Bar Association, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Ohio Association of Criminal Defense
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Lawyers, Fraternal Order of Police (retired), American Radio Relay League, numerous volunteer activities with
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various organizations including my church, scouting, amateur (ham) radio and aiding the poor through pro-bono work. Much
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more about me can be found at http://www.ElectSteveWolf.org.
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Should you be elected, what are three specific areas youd like to change, address, improve or further research,
and how specifically would you go about it?:
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Please see the attached sheet.
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Whether for past accomplishments or future goals, why should voters elect you?
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Please see the attached sheet.
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NOTE TO CANDIDATES: Please be aware that this questionnaire will be published.

Should you be elected, what are three specific areas youd like to change, address, improve or further
research, and how specifically would you go about it?:

1. The post-apocalyptic economy

We are in a post-apocalyptic economy. Our budgets were shattered by an economic downturn
that caused us to lay off or not replace far more employees than we should have; far more than we need
to provide proper services. With storefronts again opening we may be able to take a breath of fresh air.
More taxes may soon find their way into city coffers.
Cities are redefining what should now happen with those moneys. Should we focus on
development? Should we focus on infrastructure? Should we continue our retail motif? Should that
motif be adjusted to foster and allow different motifs, like attracting industry? Should we upgrade our
streets? Should we build a new recreation center?
Every street has one or two vacant and foreclosed homes. People will move here, into those
vacant homes, if we can convince them of what we know: North Olmsted is a great place to call home.
What to do in this post-apocalyptic economy is is the biggest issue that has me involved in this race.
2. Vital city services
Before I retired, we had fifty-seven police officers. We now have forty-one and two trainees.
That is a shortfall of sixteen officers. In like manner, the fire department has been decimated and is
severely understaffed. Our Service Department is operating with far too few members.
Council must focus on core city services that have been severely affected in the recession. In a
recent move, the Mayor hired a safety director who had quit to work on running for election in Lorain.
When that person found himself between the primary and general elections, he needed a job and our
Mayor hired him and gave him the title of Public Works Commissioner. Some thought that was
patronage. The Mayor felt he could contribute by continuing to work on projects he left when he
originally quit. Whatever the reason, the person won his election and quit again.
We don't need Public Works Commissioners. We need vital city services.
3. Transparency
I will work to eliminate privatization. Privatization allows government funds to be funneled
from the City to a private entity.
The City is subject to Ohio Open Records Laws and what happens to our tax dollars is fully
transparent. I can go in and make a public records request and figure out how that money is being
spent. When a service is privatized, I don't have that ability. Your tax dollars disappear from the radar
and virtually all accountability is lost.
I fully support regionalization. And we have some great examples about how regionalized
government has helped us save tax dollars. But we also have had some stunning examples of how tax
money can be misspent. Government employees have gone to federal prison when those tax dollars,
shielded from scrutiny, were found to be looping around and into private pockets.

Transparency is critically important to the proper operation of North Olmsted government.

Whether for past accomplishments or future goals, why should voters elect you?

I want the North Olmsted I was born in, that I grew up in, to be the North Olmsted I grow old
in.
Ward 4, and the entire City, is full of residents who have chosen North Olmsted for the long
term. They like it here. They want to stay here. Most of all, they don't want government mucking up
what they have accomplished. They don't want to live in the City of Ohio. They want the City of
North Olmsted. They don't want to live in the City of Cuyahoga County. They want City of North
Olmsted. They want representation that will look after their homes, their families, their City.
Born and raised here, I bring with me the institutional knowledge of nearly fifty-seven years of
residency and thirty-two years as a police officer. I fought for North Olmsted as a police officer. But I
also fought for North Olmsted as a resident. I have never shied away from the City Council
microphone to insure my representatives knew my feelings. Past Council members Dean McKay and
retiring member Larry Orlowski both endorse me. Given the seat at the Council Table, I will not shy
away from insuring that our residents are heard.