Economy, Schools Major Topics During ‘Conversation With The Mayor’

Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Jerry N. Hruby gave the group gathered at the a preview of tonight’s . 

He skipped any lengthy slideshow presentations and went without a podium. Instead, Hruby gave the group an overview of the major issues facing the city this year and answered their questions, whenever they came up, in a relatively informal speech. 

The mayor said he gives about three to four “state of the city”-type speeches per year, from Tuesday’s “Conversation with the Mayor” to tonight’s official address to other speaking engagements with groups like the Kiwanis. 

On Tuesday, Hruby highlighted some of the ways the city has saved money in recent years, making sure that the residents present didn’t have any complaints in the way services were being run now. For example, Hruby highlighted the Service Department’s snow removal this winter, noting that they have lost employees, much like other city departments. The employees’ positions throughout the city have been removed through attrition—not replacing those who retire—rather than layoffs, Hruby said. 

A related issue Hruby addressed was that of future economic development in the city. Brecksville has a strict “master plan,” Hruby said, and he won’t compromise it for a quick dollar. That means that any new construction, including that on the site of the soon-to-be-vacant Brecksville campus of the , goes under scrutiny. Hruby pointed out that in his 24 years as mayor, only two major development requests have been approved.

Hruby did assure the group, however, that the city will buy the medical center after it closes completely in 2012. Redevelopment plans are already in the works, and Hruby said he plans to reveal some of those during tonight’s State of the City. The medical center paid the city more than $2 million in income tax last year, Hruby said, so it will be important to make good use of the property. 

After addressing the city’s economic plans and needs, Hruby turned his attention to the and its .  

“One of the reasons people move to Brecksville, one of the reasons people stay in Brecksville is because of the excellence of our school district,” Hruby said.

He turned the floor over to Superintendent Scot Prebles, who explained that the district is cutting spending and restructuring the way it is run. He stressed that the cuts made by the Board of Education would not be taken back, regardless of the levy’s passage, calling moves like that “disingenuous.” 

Hruby closed his conversation by encouraging the residents to take advantage of the Human Services Center by letting the city know if there’s a service they need and opening it up for additional questions.