Fallsnewspress.com - Iula voted Councilman at large; Klinger re-elected

Jeff Iula

Carol Klinger

by Steve Wiandt

Reporter

Cuyahoga Falls -- There'll be a new face on City Council next year.

Jeff Iula, the Republican newcomer, will take Democrat Debbie Ritzinger's place as an At Large Councilman beginning Jan. 1, 2010. Iula will increase the number of Republicans on City Council to five. Democrats, however, will still hold the majority with six members.

In the At Large Council race, two were elected on Nov. 3. The top vote-getter was Carol Ann Klinger, a Republican, who had 6,969 votes, or 33.01 percent of the total votes cast, based on final but unofficial numbers released by the Summit County Board of Elections.

The other vote totals were: Iula (R), 5,657, 26.79 percent; Ritzinger (D), 5,104, 24.17 percent; and Levia Goff (D), 3,383, 16.02 percent.

"It was very unexpected," said Iula. "I was very shocked. I was very, very surprised, especially being that the others were incumbents. I was quite amazed." A rookie to running for office, he said he was told it's nearly impossible to win the first time around. "At 57, I don't know how many first times I'm going to have," Iula remarked.

He said he "worked hard," campaigning door-to-door throughout the city and posting 500 signs. An employee of the All-American Soap Box Derby, Iula said his political signs were unique because he incorporated a racing theme in their design because he's "into racing."

"I am honored that the voters of Cuyahoga Falls have elected me to serve them for another term," said Klinger, who has been a member of City Council for 16 years, "and I am grateful to everyone who helped with my campaign."

Iula said he may have appealed to voters because he was the only candidate who came up through the Falls City Schools, and he's not a politician. He said he's benefited from working in public relations for 35 years, gaining the skills to talk to people and earning name recognition.

State Road will be Iula's focus, he said. New developments mean new jobs and increased business, Iula said. He said he also wants to see the city continue to update its infrastructure.

"As this year wraps up and we move into next year," Klinger said. "I will focus on navigating the city's financial situation and the State Road Shopping Center project."

Calls placed to Ritzinger and Goff were not returned by press time.

E-mail: swiandt@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3141