Issue 26 is about competing in an ever-faster-paced future

Did you hear about that one guy who moved to Cleveland Heights because he wanted to live under a council-manager government? You didn’t because he doesn’t exist. There are lots of things that make Cleveland Heights special. Our plodding and dour system of municipal governance is the least of our appeal.

Cleveland Heights is blessed with innate advantages in terms of layout, housing stock and location. And yet we continue to be saddled with a seemingly incurable case of hidden-gem status, living in a self-imposed state of suspended animation, paralyzed at times by denial, fear and nostalgia. A “no” vote on Issue 26 is a vote to continue waiting around to be discovered. The last half-century has produced more than enough evidence to render a verdict and justify charting a new course.

In the end, if you can block out the peripheral noise and the terrible font choices, the question of which way to vote on Issue 26 is straightforward. Vote no if you think that Cleveland Heights is doing well and set up for future success. Vote no if you think that we are incapable of electing a trustworthy and forward-thinking mayor.

Vote yes if you want a say in where the buck stops. Vote yes if you think an elected mayor will put us on a level playing field with our peers, finally giving Cleveland Heights a voice in the region and the chance to compete proactively and decisively in a future where the pace of change is only going to continue to accelerate.