Have Breakfast with us on October 28th!

Election Day is almost here - and our last fundraising event is set for Wednesday, October 28th, when we're having a special breakfast with the candidate at Hattie's Cafe, located at 491 Brown Street in Akron. Breakfast, great coffee and conversation starts at 7:00am and ends at 8:30am, so you'll still have time to get to work.

We hope you can join us...stop by and talk to Jeff about the issues that concern you. Suggested Contribution is $100 (seniors and Young Dems - $20). If you don't already know about Hattie's, it's a wonderful place where people with special needs can learn, grow and contribute to their community. Operated by the Hattie Larlham Foundation, the café is a safe and educational environment where adults with disabilities obtain valuable and rewarding vocational skills they can take with them through their careers. You'll find that the food, coffee and the service are all first class!

For the November General Election, please note that contribution limits are $300 per person. If you have already reached that contribution level, please come join us as a special guest.

The Endorsements Keep Rolling in!

One advantage of being involved in public service for a number of years is that you have the opportunity to work with and support a number of fine people, and as a result, they are happy to recognize the fact that results are what count most. With that in mind, it's always nice to have the support of great individuals and organizations, and here are just a few we'd like to recognize:

JEFF FUSCO ENDORSED BY:
West Side Leader
Akron Beacon Journal
Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic
Akron City Council President Marco Sommerville
Tri-County Building & Construction Trades Council
Tri-County Regional Labor Council
AFL-CIO
Teamsters Local No. 348
Summit County Council Member at-Large Ilene Shapiro
Summit County Council Member at-Large John Poda
Akron City Council 8th Ward Candidate Sandra Kurt

...and more to come...

Join Us For BROWNS VS. STEELERS Fund-Raiser on Sunday, Oct. 18th at the Firehouse!

There's still a lot of work left to do between now and the November General Election...and we're kicking off the final effort for the campaign's home stretch with a special event. The Fusco for Council Committee is teaming up with 10th Ward councilperson Kelli Crawford and her campaign committee to put on a Browns-Steelers Fundraiser on Sunday, October 18th at 1pm.

Join us at the Firehouse Grille & Pub, at 1677 East Market St., at the south end of Brittain Road, for what promises to be an afternoon of fun and exciting football action. There will be some great food and refreshments, lots of friendly people, and a chance to meet Jeff and Kelli. Hopefully, there will be a Browns victory...but Steelers fans are welcome too!

All the Votes are in...FUSCO WINS!

After adding the few hundred absentee and provisional ballots to the results of the Sept. 8th primary election, the Summit County elections board did an automatic recount on Sept. 21 that still showed Jeff was leading Terry Albanese by seven votes. The final count had Jeff winning by 4,817 to 4,810 votes over the Ward 6 councilwoman.

''I'm very pleased with the results and eager to start getting ready for the November election,'' the former council member and retired deputy public service director told the Beacon Journal.

Albanese, who also ran on the at-large slate that was supported by Mayor Don Plusquellic, congratulated Jeff. ''Council is getting someone who is not only experienced and knowledgeable, but who is a man of integrity,'' she said.

The two candidates had tied with 4,750 votes each on election night. The vote total isn't official until after provisional and absentee ballots are added and it is certified by the board. (for more info on the election, go here) Now that the first challenge is over, the campaign committee is setting its sights on the November general election. Stay tuned for information about our next meet-the-candidate fund raiser!

PHOTO CREDIT: www.ohio.com

IT'S A TIE! Imagine That...

Well, after months and weeks of hard work by the candidate and everyone on the campaign - the voters went to the polls for the Democratic Primary Election on September 8th and the result was...A TIE!

Tied for the third at-large spot with 4,750 votes each on election night, Jeff was side-by-side with 6th Ward Council representative Terry Albanese, who was also running for an at-large seat. Both candidates, along with current at-large representative Jim Shealey, were on an at-large slate that was supported by Mayor Don Plusquellic. The other top Democratic vote-getters were Michael Williams and former Akron School Board member Linda Omobien.

Even though voter turnout was light, it's extremely rare to have a tie in a city-wide race--in fact, no one can remember it happening before. The Board of Elections reports that there are still several hundred absentee and provisional ballots that must be added to the vote totals, so after those are tallied, a winner should emerge. Both Jeff and Terry are supportive of the other, ensuring that--with a positive outcome in November--solid, stable and proven leadership will be available on city council next year, no matter who comes out on top.

AKRON TURNS OUT TO SEE JEFF

Our August 20th fund raiser and Meet the Candidate event was a solid success -- even a torrential downpour of rain couldn't keep people away from a fun after-work get-together at Akron's historic Highland Theater. A number of Akron citizens, community leaders, candidates and current office holders, like State Representative Tom Sawyer (left) joined the campaign committee to show their support for Jeff's candidacy.

Mayor Don Plusquellic came by to introduce all of the dignitaries on hand, adding his own comments in support of Jeff and other At-Large candidates Terry Albanese and Jim Shealey. Jeff reminded the crowd that the campaign was in the "home stretch" and that there was still a lot of work to do over the next few weeks.

SOME THOUGHTS ON OUR PRIORITIES

Not long ago, The League of Women Voters sent out a questionnaire asking my thoughts on a few of the most critical issues we are facing. Clearly, the economy and its effect on our city's budget is at the top of most people's minds - and I believe that is reflected in my comments. I just wanted to share my answers here as well...

Q: What is the most urgent issue facing the city and what are you going to do about it?

A: Continuing to compete for jobs in the global economy for Akron residents is the most urgent issue facing us. We need to revisit and create a way to provide a college education for our youth and work force. I will work to find a supportable option.

Q: What steps would you suggest for addressing the city's current financial challenges?

A: For the long run, Akron needs to look for cost-saving measures in cooperation with Summit County and other local governments by combing services. For the short run, every cost needs to be explored before layoffs are used and services are cut. The taxpayers have made it clear that increasing taxes will not be supported.