Shaker Heights Taxpayer Union Reacts to Issue 1 Passage

Mark Zetzer says group will remain to educate residents on how government can cut costs

After months of speaking out against the city's income tax increase, the Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union faced defeat Tuesday night when voters approved Issue 1 64 percent to 36 percent. Since the 28-member group's "Vote No" campaign seemed to be a factor through late voting hours on Election Day, President Mark Zetzer was disappointed with the lopsided outcome. "We think we did make an impact," he said. "We still think it's unnecessary, this tax hike. We think it's going to cause more businesses to leave and people to avoid our city." The SHTU's campaign included a parody of the city's logo and was highlighted by a lawsuit over its use and a debate with Mayor Earl Leiken on a local radio show. Zetzer maintains the same concerns he's always…

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BLOG: Vote No on Issue 1 to Grow Shaker’s Tax Base

Mark Zetzer of the Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union makes his case on Issue 1

LISTEN: Shaker Heights Mayor Earl Leiken, Taxpayers Union Head Appear on WCPN

Listen to the show here and let us know your thoughts

Shaker Heights Mayor Earl Leiken and Mark Zetzer, president of the Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union, sat in on WCPN's "The Sound of Ideas" radio show this morning to present their views on the city's Aug. 7 income tax issue. If you missed the show this morning, listen to it here. At one point, Leiken said he was "the last person who wants to implement these cuts." Zetzer went on to comment that governments should be run like businesses. The men were also joined by various municipality leaders across the region who discussed their issues with state funding and how they plan to cope with them. Give the show a listen and let us know what you think about both sides of the city's financial debate in the comment section below. Follow Shaker …

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POLL: Which Side Makes Better Case for Shaker's Finances?

City officials and Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union issued statements on whether the city needs an income tax increase. Which side makes a better case?

The City of Shaker Heights and an independent group have each released material supporting their opinions in the past 10 days regarding the Aug. 7 income tax vote. Mayor Earl Leiken crafted a letter stating the city's need for an additional $6 million from a 0.5 percent income tax increase. All members of Shaker Heights City Council signed it. Last week, the Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union issued a statement with graphs and charts suggesting that the city had inflated its financial needs and that various services. Be sure to view both documents by clicking 'PDFS' to the right. Once you read them, vote in our poll below. Which group makes the best case for its view on the city's need for an income tax increase. Follow Shaker Heights Patch on…

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Mark Zetzer

3:43 pm on Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Thanks Tracy, I'll be on WCPN Ideastream's The Sound of Ideas tomorrow morning at 9am, in studio with Mayor Leiken talking about this very issue. We are not asking that Union employees pay any more of their own health care benefits than the average taxpayer does. Doing this could very well fill Shaker's projected budget hole without cutting any services. Listen and watch live and call/email with …   more ›

Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union

Group is seeking damages from the city for its legal fees

A federal judge ruled this week that the Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union has the right to use a parodied version of the city's logo in its campaign material. The Northern District of Ohio Judge Christopher Boyko's ruling came two weeks after the city ended its bid to prevent the SHTU from disseminating materials with a logo that replaced two of the city's four leaves with dollar signs. It previously threatened its own legal action in a cease-and-desist letter. In response, the group filed a lawsuit against the city this month, accusing officials of "unconstitutional official conduct, policies, practices, regulations, restrictions, threats, intimidation, and/or harassment" related to its opposition of the Aug. 7 income tax increase vote. …

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Shaker Heights Allows Taxpayers Union to Use Logo

Group previously filed a lawsuit against the city for unconstitutionally trying to quiet its campaign against the Aug. 7 income tax

A day after learning that the Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union filed a lawsuit against the city, Law Director Bill Gruber announced that the city would allow the opposition group to parody its logo on materials. In May, the city sent a cease-and-desist letter to the group because it used the city's trademarked four-leaf logo, replacing two with dollar signs. At the time, Gruber said he didn't want residents to believe that the SHTU was affiliated with the city. The city also said continued use of the logo would result in a lawsuit. The city later granted the group permission to use the logo solely online. Because of that agreement, Gruber said he was surprised to learn that the SHTU was suing the city for what it deemed an unconstitutional …

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Mark Zetzer

12:42 pm on Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Replying to Glinda Smith's reply, I've lived in Shaker Heights for 19 years because it's a great place to live. I never liked the high taxes but quietly tolerated them because I was better able to afford them. Since 2008, however, my family has suffered losses in wealth and income and have had to cut back significantly just to make ends meet. I'm only asking that the City do the same instead of …   more ›

Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union Sues City

With help of 1851 Center, SHTU seeks injunction against what it believes are threats and unconstitutional restrictions

The Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union on Thursday announced that it has filed a lawsuit against the city. The complaint accuses the city of "unconstitutional official conduct, policies, practices, regulations, restrictions, threats, intimidation, and/or harassment" related to the city's previous demand that the group cease the use of a logo that parodies the trademarked, four-leaf logo of Shaker Heights. The group seeks an immediate injunction against those actions and "nominal damages." The 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, a Columbus-based nonprofit organization, filed the suit on the SHTU's behalf with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The SHTU believes that the city threatened the group with its own lawsuit …

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Mayor Earl Leiken to Discuss Tax Increase Tonight at Sussex Association Meeting

The mayor will field questions on the income tax increase vote scheduled for Aug. 7

Residents have plenty of questions with the city's vote on a 0.5 percent income tax increase less than a month away. The Sussex Community Association will host a Meeting with the Mayor event at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the gym of Family Connections, 19824 Sussex Road. Leiken is expected to discuss the increase that would produce an additional $6 million a year if voters approve a measure on Aug. 7. Leiken will also address the Van Aken District project that will reconfigure the six-direction intersection near Van Aken and Chagrin boulevards. Mark Zetzer of the Shaker Heights Taxpayers Union said members of that group will bring prepared statements with questions for Leiken regarding the potential increase of 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent. …

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