Meliss Celko is seeking election to Kent City Council (Ward 1). View her responses to our candidate endorsement questionnaire below:
1. Why are you running for office, and what previous experience makes you the most qualified candidate for this position?
Local government has an immense impact on the life and health of its citizens. I love Kent, it is my home and I feel called to step up to offer my skills, experience, insight and commitment in service to my community, with the primary goal to make Kent the best place to live, work, and play.
My experience over the last 30 years has been in leadership roles in healthcare, employee benefits, health and mental wellbeing at large institutions like the Cleveland Clinic and Kent State University as well as my current work as an independent health and wellbeing consultant.
My personal and professional goals are aligned in building diverse, safe, healthy and productive environments where people thrive. My strongest skills are in consensus building, listening, collaboration and education.
I have also served on nonprofit boards in the past and am currently on the board of the Haymaker Farmers' Market.
2. If elected, what do you hope to accomplish in this position?
To make Kent the best place to live, work, and play for everyone! My goal would be to make sure that our community is a welcoming, safe, equitable community for all - residents, businesses and visitors. That means careful listening to diverse voices and prospectives in service of that goal.
3. What are three policy initiatives you plan to focus on if elected?
There are three main areas that I believe are essential to the continued growth and prosperity of our community.
First as mentioned above to make sure that our community is a safe, welcoming, equitable community for all - residents, businesses, and visitors.
Second to make public health & safety a continuing priority; this requires thoughtful leadership as we continue to navigate the diverse needs of our community and the challenges of events that surround us.
Third to support appropriate climate action that will allow our community to grow and prosper while being good stewards of our air, water and soil.
4. What can local governments do to encourage young adults to stay in Northeast Ohio?
To make Kent the best city to live, work, and play for everyone!
From listening to my adult sons and the students I served at KSU they shared that they want:
Affordable, safe places to live;
Fun things to do in the evenings and on the weekend;
Opportunities to start their own venture or join something innovative and meaningful;
Green spaces, and outdoor recreation areas;
And the possibility to make a meaningful difference in their community.
I will continue to seek out, listen and learn so that those needs and wants can be addressed through action and policy changes needed.
5. Will you support nondiscrimination policies that protect individuals regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, veterans status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression? If so, how?
Yes! This is an essential component of communities that thrive. Organizations, institutions and communities that are intentional about creating an environment that is just, fair and equitable must be prepared for uncomfortable conversations and a level of vulnerability that is necessary for growth and change.
I believe that training and a structured approach toward building relationships and environments of trust and safety are crucial to making Kent the best city to live, work, and play for everyone! I will continue to do my own personal work on uncovering blind spots and bias and I will support the efforts of all our leaders to do the same.
6. Do you support reasonable regulations on firearms in the United States? Please explain in detail.
I am a supporter of all our rights under the Constitution, but each right comes with limitations and responsibilities, the second amendment is no exception. I support regulations that keep our communities safe, while protecting individual rights. This includes background checks, waiting periods, and red flag laws.
I also support publicly funded research that would help us better guide the implementation of laws and policies that will reduce gun violence everywhere.
7. What will you do to actively engage young adults in local government?
First, I pledge to serve no more than two terms if elected and during my time in office I will partner with organizations like yours as well as local schools and institutions to help promote and engage a new generation of leaders devoted to the ideals of the democratic process. My philosophy is to be a leader of service to our community with responsibilities for the generations to come.
8. Describe your vision on public safety and your plans for crime prevention?
Public safety is a collaborative effort that includes elected officials, public servants, police and fire departments and our community. All these partners must be part of the solution. Building trust and effective communication is an on-going process that requires the ability to be 'comfortable with the uncomfortable'.
There is no effective public safety without trust, transparency and accountability. This is an area that I will need to listen and learn from all partners to understand how I can be of service to the process and advance the work.
9. What should your locality be doing to ensure racial equity and eliminating bias in community policing?
The communities that have successfully navigated to a place of equity and trust have done so through a strategic, comprehensive plan that encompasses on-going training, active communication, and accountability. This is essential to eliminating bias and building equity. I see that there is work in progress and again I must do my work to understand how best to support the process and advance solutions.
10. The Environment
Experts agree that a key to reducing the effects of climate disruption is to reduce our dependence on, and use of, carbon-based fuels, including oil, natural gas and coal. Please answer the following questions related to the environment in detail:
10-A. Should local governments play a role in phasing out the use of fossil fuels by our municipalities? If so, what role should a local legislator play?
There is an important role in encouraging the use of renewable energy and the reduction of energy sources that cause damage to people and the planet. Kent has a lot of climate related activities happening and I would support the continuation and expansion of any work that would make our community more energy independent, fiscally sound, climate friendly and better stewards of our environment.
10-B. Do you support the use of "Fracking" (hydraulic fracturing) to extract oil or gas within your city, or would you support a ban on Fracking?
I do not support fracking; I have seen the devastating effects of fracking on communities throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania and I would work to educate others on the long-term detrimental effects to a community.
11. In June of last year, the United States Supreme Court overturned the landmark case Roe vs. Wade, which guaranteed a persons right to safe and legal abortion access. What role should local government play in advocating for access to safe and legal abortion services?
Bodily autonomy is an essential human right and access to reproductive services is crucial to mental health and emotional wellbeing. While we must continue to work to restore these rights on a national level, if there is a safe and legal way for our community to provide this critical healthcare, I will support it.
12. The state of Ohio has continually cut funds to local governments over the last decade. How do you plan on operating within the confines of an already reduced local budget, without cutting critical services to tax payers?
Fiscal responsibility and accountability are essential to the overall health of our community, we must always be careful stewards of taxpayer dollars. While this reduction in state dollars is unfortunate, it also forces us to work collaboratively with our neighboring cities, social service partners and our business community to find solutions that will enable us to continue to provide critical services.
There are also opportunities in new federal programs to bring dollars into our community to fund projects and programs that will enable us to continue to meet the needs of our residents.
13. What can be done to create and/or attract new businesses with good paying jobs and benefits in the City? How can we encourage new businesses, and existing businesses, to become an active part of our community?
Businesses move to places where they can attract people with the talent and skills that will help them succeed. People want safe clean neighborhoods, affordable housing, access to green spaces, parks and outdoor recreation, they want to have fun things to do in the evenings and weekends.
People are looking for diversity and equity in their community, knowing that their family and neighbors will all be treated fairly. We must continue to build on the great work already done. It is important that we have a clear vision of our goals and values based on the input from all our residents. There is a lot of work being done by many partners attracting new stores, shops and businesses to Kent.
We must continue to work collaboratively, leveraging all our resources to enhance the vibrancy of our community.
14. Should the City reduce the cost of services by contracting out or privatizing government services? Why or why not?
There are cities that have outsourced certain services like garbage collection and information technology successfully and have saved money while also expanding resources and services. Other essential services are often best managed through city employees and city oversight.
The cost benefit analysis is more than just dollars and requires a thorough vetting process. This should be addressed as part of a larger strategy to reduce cost while improving services. At present Kent has a mix of these relationships.
15. Do you feel that housing in your City is affordable and available for young people and families? If not, what will you do to address this issue?
Having grown up in a home with limited financial resources and having worked with the students at KSU, I am sensitive to the challenges, difficulties and barriers to finding reliable affordable housing and creating food security on a limited budget. This again is an area that will require lots of close listening to understand how this can be addressed in ways that build access, equity and security.
The real estate roller coaster over the last few years has also created a more limited supply of housing. Young people (students and not) are also inordinately affected by the inflationary prices related to housing, food, and other essentials. The city council does have a role to play through zoning and ordinances that can ease this problem and encourage more young people to make Kent their home.
We also must look to our partners in social services, businesses and at KSU for assistance, input, and resources; it will take all of us to build a solution.