Jim Trutko: My Goals for Cuyahoga Government
I’m running for Cuyahoga County Council because career politicians have allowed spending and taxes to grow out of control while economic opportunity, public safety, and services to the needy, have stagnated. Families in Bay Village, Westlake, Rocky River, Fairview Park and North Olmsted are paying more and getting less from county government.
My campaign is built on several clear goals about what I want from Cuyahoga County Government:
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Work Smarter: I will restore fiscal responsibility by using state performance audits and cutting inefficient bureaucracy so our $2 billion budget delivers better services.
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No New Taxes: I will oppose additional property and sales taxes increases imposed without a vote of the people and without a prior audit.
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Provide Better Services: I will strengthen public services and infrastructure by moving away from "process-focused" government and toward a results-driven approach based on clear performance metrics.
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Grow Jobs: I will be a tireless advocate for businesses and entrepreneurs, targeting high-growth sectors like defense, AI and healthcare to bring jobs and real prosperity back to Cuyahoga County.
With my business experience and focus on tangible results, I will be a voice for homeownwers and for the businesses that create jobs. It’s time to demand a county government that works for you and taxpayers.
Video: West Shore Suburbs Are Paying More and Getting Less
My Message: We're paying too much in property taxes in Cuyahoga County and exploding county government spending is a major contributor.
I owe $7,000 in property taxes on a $360,000 Rocky River house. Twenty minutes away in Lorain? About $5,700 — and $2,000 less if November's levies pass. We got the 30% reappraisal without the tax relief. County spending is over $2 Billion a year and up 40% since 2021 while 30,000 people left the county.
Restore fiscal responsiblity. Fund results, not feelings.
Check out the video.
What the Two Levies on the Nov. 2026 Ballot in Cuyahoga County Will Cost West Shore Homeowners
Average West Shore homeowner with a $350,000 home will pay about $582 more per year if both levies pass.
Cuyahoga County Council has approved putting two separate property tax levies on the Nov 2026 ballot. The requests are from the Health and Human Service and the Board of Developmental Disabilities. Voters have the option of approving or voting against either of the levies.
Trutko’s Position:
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I do not support the HHS levy because (1) it is an excessive (53%) increase, (2) there is no clear plan on how to spend the money, (3) it rewards slack budget & operational oversight, and (4) it is premature and may not be necessary.
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I support the DD levy because (1) it is the first increase in 20 years, (2) the state increase on caregiver pay is a clear driver of the need for more money, (3) the agency has a definable mission and target clientele of 15,000 persons. I would have preferred the agency to have published 2025 performance statistics prior to the funding request.
My Mission: Protect the American Dream In Council District 1
Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River, and Westlake are among Northeast Ohio's strongest communities — roughly 76 percent homeownership, median household incomes above $100,000, and college attainment near double the state average. Nearly 40,000 West Side homeowners hold about $14 billion in home equity. These families aren't just living the American dream; they're a regional economic asset that contributes disproportionately to the county's tax base and workforce. Their tax dollars support county services to the needy.
That asset is under pressure from increased costs and poor county performance.
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Property taxes are among the state's highest. A typical $350,000 home can carry more than $7,000 in annual property taxes, which are thousands more than in Medina or Lorain County. Recent reassessments widened the gap without matching improvements in services.
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County finances are strained. Cuyahoga County has run deficits in most of the past decade, including a $227 million shortfall in 2024, on a budget exceeding $2 billion. The county jail alone has nearly doubled in projected cost.
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Infrastructure and growth are lagging. More than one-third of county roads are in poor condition — double the statewide average. Private-sector employment remains below pre-pandemic levels, and the region ranks near the bottom among Midwest peers in job creation.
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People are leaving. More than 30,000 residents left between 2020 and 2025 — Ohio's largest decline. Even the West Shore is starting to see it.
The fix isn't reinvention. It's fiscal discipline tied to measurable outcomes, property tax policy that's transparent and competitive, infrastructure spending that delivers visible results, and a focused economic development strategy that finally leverages assets like NASA Glenn and the I-X Center to create real jobs.
The West Shore already shows what works. I will support county policies that deliver real results and maintain an excellent quality of life in the West Shore Communities, not undermine it.
Understanding Property Taxes
Property taxes are a major political issue in 2026. The report is a summary of how property taxes are calculated with specific local examples. It reviews property taxes across five West Shore communities in Cuyahoga County: Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River, and Westlake.
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Calculation: Assessed value = 35% of market value, times local millage, then adjusted for HB 920, rollbacks, and credits. HB 920 limits increases from rising valuations but doesn't freeze bills.
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Distribution: Schools 48–58%, county 18–26%, municipalities 15–19%.
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Rates: Effective rates of 2.38% (Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted), 1.93% (Rocky River), 1.71% (Westlake) — equal to 5.6%–7.2% of median income.
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Reform: A major 2026 issue, split between resident relief and state structural change, with consensus on helping seniors and fixed-income residents. Specific proposals change too frequently to detail.
Ohio's "Historic" Property Tax Relief Skipped the West Shore
Ohio’s 2026 property tax reform package was promoted as major taxpayer relief, but its main benefit largely bypasses West Shore communities because local districts did not qualify for the 20-mill-floor inflation cap.
West Shore homeowners remain heavily affected by the 2024 reappraisal, which raised residential values roughly 25%–32% across the county and key local school districts.
Older and retired homeowners face particular pressure, but proposed targeted relief may not help many West Shore seniors depending on income limits.
Expanded County Budget Commission authority may have limited practical impact in Cuyahoga County due to local political dynamics.
A possible 2027 ballot initiative to abolish property taxes reflects public frustration, but replacing local property tax revenue could shift costs toward affluent West Shore communities rather than reduce their total tax burden.
Work Smarter- Restore Fiscal Responsibility.
From 2015 to 2025, Cuyahoga County ran deficits in nine out of eleven years — even as our population declined. County Council approved spending of over $2 billion — about $3,500 per household.
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Total expenditures have exploded under County Executive Ronayne and current council representive Kelly from $1.425 Billion in 2021 to $2.005 Billion in 2025, an increase of $580 million (41%).
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The current representative, Patrick Kelly, is a member of the budget committee and he has done nothing to curb spending or strengthen budget oversight.
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The current representative deprived voters of a vote on taxes when he cast the deciding vote in council to extend the sales tax for 40 years. He has consistently supported the county executive's undisciplined spending.
The county is headed toward service cuts or large tax increases. As your council representative, I will:
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Introduce a resolution to ask for a state performance audit of spending of human services and the sheriff to improve departmental efficiency and control costs.
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Push to add performance measures during the budget process to adjust spending. The key is to measure performance to change operations rationally.
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Advocate for a comprehensive review of county facilities, and advocate for workforce restructuring
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Insist that tax increases be put to the vote of the people.
For the average voter in the five West Shore communities, these measures will mean that county government would live within its budget, efficiently provide the needed services and would not seek increases in property tax or sales tax to fund continual deficits.
Work Smarter- Ronayne's 510 Employee Surge Added an
Estimated $42 Million to County Spending
Recently, Cleveland.com had a lengthy article asking whether employment growth of 510 employees in Cuyahoga County government under County Executive Ronayne was excessive. Based on an average cost of $63,500 per employee, the total cost of the additional employees was about $32 million. With additional 30% in benefits, the total cost was about $42 million.
Taxpayers deserve to know not only how much money is spent, but whether the additional employees actually improved economic development, public safety, health and human services, and community well‑being enough to justify the additional cost.
Provide Better Services: Expedite Repairs of Road & Bridge Network
The county's failure to competently manage maintenance and repairs is exemplified by the roads and bridges public works projects. Evaluating the county's performance alone is difficult because it must coordinate with other bodies of government, but the results for the county show that the conditions of the area's roads and bridges are poorer than most areas in Ohio. The poor infrastructure handicaps the area's abilty to attract jobs.
The key to improving public services is a adopt results-driven approach shifts Cuyahoga County government toward greater accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness for all residents.
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Focus on Results-Driven output, Not Just Spending: Measure government success by real results.
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Adopt Clear Performance Metrics and comparisons to similar counties.
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Publish Schedules of planned repairs including clear progress points and track estimated time to completion.
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Eliminate Ineffective Programs and Strengthen Grant and Contract Accountability
With my past business experience and analytical ability, I will demand updated performance data in all budgets and quarterly updates and ask questions systematically in budgeting about time‑to‑service trends, bottlenecks, cost per outcome, variances.
Sample: West Shore Road Network
Grow Jobs: Target Entrepreneurs & Growing Sectors to Improve Job Creation.
County government has poured resources into economic development programs, but has not been successful in creating job growth and a vibrant private sector. Economic growth comes from empowering entrepreneurs and fostering a thriving private sector, not government subsidies. The county's economic development plans are excessively focused on process and social objectives and do not address real factors that limit job creation
I support targeted policies that support growth in rebuilding the defense industry, rolling out AI, support growth sectors and expanding leisure sectors. I agree we need to sustain our enviable position as a destination for top-quality healthcare but a multi-sector approach is needed to reach the entire spectrum of job-seekers.
More attention is needed to ensure that more good shovel-ready sites in good locations are immediately available for development. I will be a council member who publicly speaks for the value of business activity and profitable investment leading to job creation and prosperity.
For the average voter, focusing on sectors where growth is achievable will mean more job opportunities for them and their families, with more young people able to build their careers in the local area. More jobs and increased investment will support county services and the county budget with an increased tax base.
Slate Cards for the West Shore
Slate card for Bay Village, Fairview Park, Rocky River and Westlake
A West Shore slate card has been developed to solve the down-ballot information problem for local voters. . District 1 voters in Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River, and Westlake will see a Nov. 3 ballot stacked with races almost no one can research — a dozen-plus Common Pleas, Domestic Relations, Probate, and 8th District Court of Appeals contests, several of them head-to-head partisan matchups.
My slate card is one piece that tells a voter what to do all the way down the ballot instead of leaving them to guess or skip. the primary criteria for selecting the candidates is to identify candidates with traditional values and belief in fiscal or judicial restraint. Please use these slate cards as a first step in your own research.
Slate card for North Olmsted
Cuyahoga County: You're Spending More and Getting less
