CH council members list qualities they seek in new candidates

With Kenneth Montlack’s decision not to seek reelection to the Cleveland Heights City Council, there will be at least one new face on council in 2012—and two council members who are not running have some ideas about what they’re looking for in a new teammate.

Council Member Cheryl Stephens, who was elected in 2009, said "attention to the needs of our community" is the most important quality for a council member to possess. "That means that when other people go home you’re still willing to listen and talk to people," she said. "You’ve got to make time for everyone in Cleveland Heights."

Meanwhile, fifth-term council member, Bonita Caplan, said a fresh face was an important quality in and of itself. "People who are new usually do come with some new perspective, a new way of looking at things, and new energy," she said.

Caplan said another important quality is open-mindedness, both in dealing with council and with citizens. A rigid view of the world doesn’t work, according to Caplan. "I don’t want somebody like that and I would never vote for them, she said."

In addition to being open-minded, Caplan said council members must be realistic in their plans for the city. She dislikes the "pie-in-the-sky promises" that candidates sometimes make, adding that what people think are simple problems are actually much harder than they look: "If they weren’t complicated, they would be taken care of."

Teamwork skills are also vital, Caplan said, as is having the courage to speak one’s mind. The latter usually isn’t an issue, she said: "If you’re running for council, you have to have a certain level of guts to begin with."

While having been part of diverse groups (in terms not only of race, but also of working style and backgrounds) is a helpful prerequisite. Stephens said there is no single experience that can prepare a candidate to serve on council. While she said she would appreciate having another "numbers nerd" to work with, having knowledge of specific areas is less important for council members than being "willing to learn if they don’t know."

Caplan, meanwhile, wants someone with financial experience because no current member has that. Being on council involves "a lot of on-the-job training," she said, but the candidates will be fine "as long as they understand money and how things work."

Beyond that, Caplan said she wants someone whose background is different from those of the current council members—someone with experience in retail, engineering, or art, she said, would bring a different perspective.

Stephens said the hardest part about being on council, which the candidates might not appreciate, is the time commitment. In addition to regular meetings, council members represent the city at commission meetings and community events. Stephens said that sometimes her council duties keep her busy four nights a week. "That takes a willingness to invest a lot of personal and family time," she said.

In addition to the amount of time the job takes, Caplan said it is frustrating when she cannot help solve a citizen’s problem, either because of monetary constraints or something else. "We all want to please everybody all the time, and it’s really hard when you can’t," she said.

Despite the challenges, both Stephens and Caplan believe that whichever candidates win, they will be pleasantly surprised by how fulfilling it is to serve on council.

"City council is one of the best things I’ve done with my time," Stephens said. "I know what I do makes a difference, and I encourage other people who think that their contribution will help make CH a better place…to run for office."

"You can help make people’s lives better," Caplan said. "You really can, and it’s really great to do that."

"I feel like I’ve been going to school for 18 years," she added, "I’ve learned a ton, and I’ve loved it."