CLEVELAND — Candidate for Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne is no stranger to making and sustaining connections. Connecting to people, advocating for organizations and businesses, and creating and keeping community ties is something he has done for the past 15 years as the former president of University Circle.
“We’ve got to work together. That’s what a county exec can do — can put communities together to share services, to actually share resources, to share development strategies. I think that’s something I worked on every day in University Circle, shared strategies for success.”
Spectrum News 1 caught up with Ronayne on the campaign trail as he knocked on doors with Parma Heights Mayor Marie Gallo, introducing himself to voters, sharing his goals, and most importantly, listening to hopes and concerns.
“This is a county of cities, right? And so, the county executive is going to be working with our mayors and our managers of our 57 municipalities and our two townships. We’re definitely going to be sourcing them with services that help, sometimes just create that added layer of help,” Ronayne said.
In 2006, the country created the position to oversee county personnel, work with other local governments, introduce legislation to the county council, submit budgets and infrastructure improvement plans to the council and much more. Ronayne said if elected, he’d be able to build off of the great things the county already has going for it.
“It’s a county of great parks, great arts and culture, great health care, a great lake right in front of us. If we scale those assets, we’re going to grow again,” he said.
Ronayne also said there are quite a few issues that need immediate attention, and he hopes voters give him the opportunity to address them.
“We have significant needs facing us right now. We have too many children in poverty. We have seniors who are faced too often with decisions between rent, food, medicine — those are unconscionable positions to be in,” he said. “What I say to everybody out in Cuyahoga County is please vote. Engage. Tell your neighbors to vote. Tell your kids and your relatives to get out and vote.”
