Jim Trutko: My Goals for Cuyahoga Government
I’m running for Cuyahoga County Council because career politicians have let spending and taxes grow out of control while economic opportunity, public safety, and services to the needy stagnate. Families in Bay Village, Westlake, Rocky River, Fairview Park and North Olmsted pay more and get less from county government.
My campaign has clear goals to make Cuyahoga County Government serve taxpayers, homeowners, and businesses better:
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Work Smarter: I will use state performance audits and cut inefficient bureaucracy to restore fiscal responsibility and make our $2 billion budget deliver 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 services and infrastructure by replacing "process-focused" government with a results-driven approach and clear performance metrics.
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Grow Jobs: I will advocate for businesses and entrepreneurs, targeting high-growth sectors like defense, AI and healthcare to bring jobs and prosperity back to Cuyahoga County.
My business experience, analytical skills and focus on results will make me a voice for homeowners and the businesses that create jobs. I will ensure taxpayer funds are spent wisely and support good services, including for the needy. This website presents my views on improving county government for residents and taxpayers.
Why I'm Running: I'll Be an Independent Voice to Analyze Budgets, Push for Real Results & Seek Data-Driven Solutions
Check out the 1 minute video.
A core responsibility of Cuyahoga Council is to review budgets and control spending. I’m running to be the analyst and independent voice taxpayers don't currently have on County Council. With my business and professional background, I have the ability to
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Analyze budget requests in detail.
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Ask questions — in public, on the record.
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Demand performance data before dollars.
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Publish what I find in plain English.
The goal of my review is to control spending and to improve the quality of county services.
I'll be independent and look at each request on the evidence. I'm not a career politician. I owe nothing to the county administration or its vendors, and I'll vote case by case.
I will support proposals by the County Executive, Democrats or Republicans when the numbers support them and I’ll explain why.
Check out the 3 minute video with more examples.
Cuyahoga's Budget Bomb Led to the November Levies
Cuyahoga County's Chief Executive Ronayne created a budget bomb that led to a 2026 levy request. In a $2 Billion budget for 2026, expenses exceeded revenue by over $200 million. The main cause was a significant growth of the county's workforce, many of whom had higher salaries. The result was a $660 million accumulated deficit over four years which cut the cash reserves in half.
Check out the video.
Whether or not the HHS levy passes, controlling county spending will continue to be a major challenge for Chief Executive Ronayne and County Council. I believe that my analytical skills and business experience will be very helpful to county leaders as they attempt to meet the challenge. There are several pieces on this website that suggest strategies to address the fiscal problems of the county.
Work Smarter, Not Bigger: Ronayne's 429 Employee Surge Added an Estimated $34 Million to County Spending & Increased the Deficit
A major factor in the budget crisis was the fast growth of the workforce in the County Executive Agencies under Chief Executive Ronayne. From a base of 6,860 employees in 2022 under the previous administration, Ronayne grew employment to a peak of 7,370 in 2025. This was an increase of 510 employees and 90% were in County Executive Agencies. The rapid growth tapered off in 2026 as a hiring freeze took place and retirements shrunk the total to 7,289 in 2026 for a net gain of 429 employees.
If the average employee had an average salary of $60,000 and the county’ generous benefits package of 30%, the 429 employees, the employment surge added at least $34 million to the county budget, not including the cost of overhead.
The largest workforce growth occurred in Health and Human Services, the Sheriff, and the Juvenile Court. About 80% (343) of the 429-person employee growth was in the three areas. The workforce growth was a factor in the current budget crisis since the same three areas were major contributors to the county’s large deficits.
For more information, read the PDF.
Video: I Share Your Frustration: 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. Analyze spending. Fund results, not feelings.
Check out the video.
Why I'm Running: Trutko on WHK's Jake Underwood Show
In my 20-Minute interview with Jake Underwood, I explain my stance on several issues covered on this website.
Performance Audit: Cuyahoga County Can Curb Spending & Improve Services AND Reduce the Need for Future Proeprty Tax Increases
With a $2 billion county budget, a $200+ million deficit, and an HHS levy on the November ballot, taxpayers deserve to know if existing money is spent well.
The county needs a performance audit of HHS and the Sheriff—the county’s two biggest cost centers. Unlike a financial audit, a performance audit checks whether staff, overtime, contracts, and programs deliver results worth the cost, and how peer counties do better.
HHS has not released a clear plan for the levy or full 2025 results. Jail costs have also far exceeded projections. Cuyahoga County has never requested this review.
If elected, Jim will introduce a resolution asking the Ohio Auditor of State for the audit. If the county refuses, he will take the case directly to the state auditor. Waste gets cut. Real gaps get funded. Either way, taxpayers see the math.
Video: 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.
For Cleveland/Akron, TRIP, a national organization of road engineers, rates about 35% of the roads as poor, compared to 16% for Ohio. The organization rates 7% (137) of the local bridges as poor or structurally deficient, vs 5% statewide. The poor infrastructure handicaps the area's abilty to attract jobs. The poor conditions also costs local auto owners about $763 in excess car repairs, tire wear and accelerated depreciation.
The key to improving public services is to adopt a results-driven approach that 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.
Why I'm Running: Trutko on Tom Kelly's Show
I talk with Tom Kelly about the key issues facing Cuyahoga County and how I could help homeowners and taxpayers.
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 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.
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I have reservations about supporting the HHS levy at the current time: it funds many essential services to the needy but HHS management has had many problems. More information about the levy is needed. My concerns include (1) the lack of a clear plan on how to spend the money, (2) it rewards slack budget & operational oversight, and (3) it may be premature and may not be necessary. Many homeowners have already absorbed a financial blow from recent property tax increases. When elected, I feel my analytical skills and insistence on performance metrics can improve HHS services and use of the levy funds if the levy passes. I would have preferred HHS to have published more 2025 performance statistics and plans on how the levy funds would be used prior to the funding request.
My Mission: Preserve 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 nearly twice the state average. Nearly 40,000 homeowners hold about $14 billion in home equity.
These families contribute disproportionately to the county's workforce and tax base, supporting services to the needy.
Rising costs and poor county performance threaten this strength.
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Property taxes rank among Ohio's highest.
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County finances are strained.
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Infrastructure and growth lag.
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Population is declining,.
The fix: fiscal discipline with measurable outcomes, transparent and competitive property tax policy, infrastructure spending with visible results, and focused economic development leveraging NASA Glenn and the I-X Center to create jobs. The West Shore shows what works. I will use my skills to support county policies that deliver results and protect our communities' quality of life.
American Dream Lives On Cuyahoga's West Shore
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. Additional concrete proposals need to be developed and analyzed.
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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Analyze the entire budget and provide periodic summaries to the public. The county and local media provide little public information about the levels of spending or efforts to ensure departmental efficiency.
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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.
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. County council lacks members with a private sector background who can provide a business perspective to improve economic development plans and results.
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 shovel-ready sites in good locations in Cuyahoga County are available for immediate 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. I will also advocate for practical economic development policies that benefit the West Shore communities and create jobs.
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.
West Shore Slate Cards for the November 2026 Election
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.
