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Ex-trustee spends but fails to oust adversary
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - January 13, 2010)
Ex-trustee spends but fails to oust adversary
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
Although Chester Township Trustee Ronald Cotman chose not to seek re-election last November, he remained a political force.
Mr. Cotman announced in August that he planned not to run for a second term. "I have dedicated my time, experience and energy to improve Chester but am now at a point where I plan to devote more time to other commitments," he said.
While he was not active as a candidate, he remained active in the race.
Mr. Cotman and his wife, Kathy, spent $2,793 of their own money in an attempt to influence the five-person race for Chester trustee, according to financial records from the Geauga County Board of Elections.
The two formed a political action committee, known as Citizens for Responsible Government, that primarily focused on ousting incumbent Trustee Judy Caputo, according to records. Nevertheless, Mrs. Caputo was re-elected to her second term.
Mr. Cotman did not return calls for comment.
Campaign finance records show that the Cotmans were the sole contributors to the PAC, with each contributing $1,500 to place advertisements and send mailers dealing with the election in general or specifically to criticize Mrs. Caputo's credentials.
Among the expenses of the PAC, records show, were two advertisements in a weekly publication. The initial advertisement simply asked each candidate in the race to answer a series of questions, Mrs. Caputo said. The second publicized those answers, she said.
Mrs. Caputo said she did not respond to the questions, choosing instead to say she would give her answers in a full-page advertisement that she would put out.
Records show that Mr. and Mrs. Cotman spent $50 for postcards promoting the candidacy of Charles Stevens and Kenneth Radtke, but the bulk of the PAC funds were directed at opposing the candidacy of Mrs. Caputo. Two mailers totaling $2,177 in costs were sent to the community.
Mrs. Caputo said one of the mailers, a four-page piece, was sent to the approximately 3,800 homes and businesses in the township. One, she said, was sent to Town Hall.
That four-page mailer, titled "Important Voter Information for Chester Township Residents," focused solely on Mrs. Caputo, questioning her ability to accomplish tasks she was given, whether she was being honest with the community and whether she was tied to corruption in Cuyahoga County.
"I have worked with Judy Caputo for almost four years now and am convinced that she does not deserve to be re-elected," Mr. Cotman wrote in the introduction to the piece.
It cited her 25 years of service in Cuyahoga County government, currently with Cuyahoga Auditor Frank Russo, who has been linked to a probe by the FBI into political corruption.
The Cleveland newspaper "identified her as part of the 'political machine' that Russo has built over the years," the flier said. "Reports indicate that 'hiring friends and taking care of family and buddies' was the norm in the office. I don't want that to be the norm in Chesterland."
The piece said that Mr. Russo attended her swearing-in ceremony following her first election to the trustee position and noted, "together, they celebrated their foot-in-the-door into Geauga County."
Mrs. Caputo said she bears no ill will toward the Cotmans for their efforts. "I find it entertaining, at best," she said. "I have no hard feelings. "I'm glad I won, and I'm glad the residents made the right decision."
She said she welcomes her new term with incumbent Trustee Clay Lawrence and newly elected Trustee Michael Joyce. "I look forward to working with a cohesive board where it will be OK to disagree," she said.
But Mrs. Caputo said she has become upset with recent developments that have occurred at trustees meetings early this year.
She said Mr. and Mrs. Cotman now have taken up residence in the audience at the meetings, interrupting and questioning actions by the board.
"It's very interesting that he can't bother to answer calls about his actions in the last election, but he wants answers on every motion and every decision of the board," Mrs. Caputo said. "Why not stand behind your convictions. Where's his transparency?"
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