Falls Clerk race to be decided Nov. 6

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by Mark R. Potter

Regional Editor

Cuyahoga Falls -- Area voters will decide a highly-contested race Nov. 6 as to who will fill the Clerk seat for the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court.

Those who cast a vote in the court's region will help either District 42 state Rep. John Widowfield (R) of Cuyahoga Falls or incumbent Clerk Lisa Zeno Carano (D) of Tallmadge complete the six-year term that expires Dec. 31, 2009.

Zeno Carano was appointed in April to fill former clerk Eric Czetli's seat. Czetli stepped down earlier this year to take a job with the Ohio Department of Transportation. Zeno Carano left her post as a Tallmadge City Council member to accept the appointment.

According to Cuyahoga Falls Finance Director Joseph Brodzinski, the Clerk makes an annual salary of $94,350.

Candidate dispute

Earlier in the election season, it looked like there might be several more clerk of courts candidates on the ballot. Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner declined to certify seven individuals filing to run as Independent candidates in the race, breaking a Sept. 25 tie vote by the Summit County Board of Elections. Brunner, a Democrat, sided with the Board Democrats, stating in an Oct. 5 letter that the candidates did not file in a "timely" manner by the June 28 filing deadline.

Local Democrats alleged that six of the seven Independent petitioners were really Republicans trying to take votes away from Zeno Carano. Brunner did not address that allegation.

About the court

The court is responsible for receiving and processing court cases from 16 communities: Boston Heights, Boston Township, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Macedonia, Munroe Falls, Northfield, Northfield Center Township, Peninsula, Reminderville, Sagamore Hills, Silver Lake, Stow, Tallmadge, Twinsburg and Twinsburg Township.

By 2009, the court is expected to relocate from its Second Street location to Steels Corners Road near Route 8 in Stow.

Judge race

Incumbent Judge Kim Hoover of the Cuyahoga Falls Municipal Court is unopposed in his run for re-election to the six-year position.

E-mail: mpotter@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3915