The SHTU, Shaker Taxpayer's Union is trying to address these issues and inform Shaker residents that unless they band together, stop approving tax increases, and demand fiscal accountability and responsibility from elected officials, Shaker will continue to deteriorate. The income tax increase was approved, but you will not see improvement in any of the areas you mentioned. The money is being used for handouts to cronies to subsidize their businesses and to continue funding pet projects and a bloated government that is NOT providing "premier" services as they like to tell certain brainwashed residents. They barely provide basic services. Shaker needs to "right" size their government, stop interfering with the market and get back to basics - safety and public works. The next open meeting of the SHTU is Tuesday, October 2 at 7:30pm at the Cleveland Skate Club. See the website shaker-taxpayers.org or the facebook page, Shaker Taxpayers Union for more information. Residents need to be informed and educated before change can take place.

Regarding rental housing inspections, I can tell you a few things from my own experience as a landlord in Shaker Heights, and those of other landlords and property owners here. For one, Shaker inspectors focus most of their efforts on the 'low hanging fruit' of already well tended properties by requiring onerously strict standards that do little to enhance property value but a lot to exact financial injury to owners. For another, those deadbeats who don't maintain their properties require a lot more work on the part of City inspectors, and apparently get less attention because of it. The lesson from this is that a City housing department is redundant and unnecessary in a fiscal crunch, especially if taxes need to be raised to maintain it. Without a City housing department, you may not notice any change in property maintenance, but you could be driving on much smoother roads.