7/27/2019 Joel Arredondo for Lorain City Council president

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The Morning JournalElection Questionnaire

Date Questionnaire Completed: 10/9/2013

Office sought: President of Lorain City Council

Political Party: Democrat

Name: Joel P. Arredondo

Age: 66 Date of Birth: 8/2/47 Place of Birth: Lorain, OH

Home Address: 607 Allison Ave. Lorain, OH

Length of Residence in that community: 66 Twitter: jarredondo47

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joel.arredondo.50  Campaign Website: N/A

Occupation: Auto Sales Employer: Sunnyside Toyota

Business Address: 27000 Lorain Road North Olmsted, OH 44070

Elected Office Experience: President of Lorain City Council, 3 Terms 2008-09/2010-11/2012-13

Non-elected office experience (boards, etc.): Board Member of Community Foundation of Greater

Lorain County; President of Mexican Mutual Society; President of Coalition for Hispanic Issues and

Progress (CHIP); President of Finance Council, St. Francis Cabrini Parish; Co-Chairman of Lorain City

Schools Endowment Fund; and Co-Chair of Lorain LCCC Levy Renewal Committee; Hispanic Fund Vice

President.

Education (Please only list schools you’ve graduated from and list degrees if applicable): Kent State

University, 1972 B.A. – History/Spanish; Admiral King High School, College Preparatory, 1965.

Marital Status: Married Name of spouse: Joyce Ferlic Arredondo

Name and age of any children: Joel (Andy) Arredondo, 27; Masters Degree from University of Central

Florida (UCF); employed by UCF, Orlando,FL as an Athletic Trainer. Maria (Mia) Arredondo, 25; Masters

Degree from Cleveland State University; employed by NASA Cleveland, OH in the Education Office.

Organizations: Hispanic Fund, Community Foundation of Greater Lorain County, Mexican Mutual

Society, Democratic National Committee, Executive Committee of the Lorain Democratic Party, Lorain

Growth Association, FOPA 46, Black River Historical Society, Lorain Palace Theatre, Lorain County Urban

League, and Leadership Lorain County.

Should you be elected, what are three specific areas you’d like to change, address improve or further

research, and how specifically would you go about it? I would like to change the way that council

packets are distributed due to the great amount of paper. I encourage electronic methods via iPads. It

would save the city thousands of dollars by reducing the amount of paperwork needed to be printed

7/27/2019 Joel Arredondo for Lorain City Council president

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The Morning JournalElection Questionnaireeach week for meetings, and reduce time for the Clerk of Courts to research then respond to questions.

This will also assist with creating a more environmentally friendly city.

Growing jobs through sound economic development strategies is vitally important. As we open up

access to the waterfront, it is important that the City administration, the Lorain Port Authority, and City

Council move forward with a unified voice and are open to new possibilities. Expansion of the steelplant is another key development. As citizens, we must also be aware that to enhance Economic

Development opportunities in Lorain it is imperative that we support an improved local school system,

the Lorain County Joint Vocational School, and Lorain County Community College that are charged with

the responsibility to educate and train new talent required for industry, commercial and recreational

expansion in Lorain.

Improving our Downtown and neighborhoods throughout the city is an important element for growth.

Lorain has a great stock of older buildings and homes; some buildings have no further useful life, while

others represent our great City’s past and should be rehabilitated and preserved. City Council must be

open and vocal in working with the newly formed Community Development Department. The healthand appearance of our Downtown and neighborhoods are very important to attracting new business

and industry. I will continue to encourage all council members to make every effort to understand the

needs of each neighborhood they represent. It is important for each council member to return phone

calls and address the needs of the constituency they represent.

Whether for past accomplishments or future goals, why should voters elect you?: For the past six

years, City Council has balanced the budget, become more fiscally responsible, and has most recently

secured the approval from the State Auditor’s office to remove Lorain from fiscal watch. By being good

stewards of the City of Lorain, City Council and the administration have worked diligently and openly to

achieve this end. The citizens of Lorain during the past election, 2012, voted after many attempts to

pass a quarter percent income tax levy. This I believe is a testament to the accomplishments and also

the master plan that the mayor and council are presenting to the citizens. Confidence and trust are the

two cornerstones of moving the city forward.

I listen, learn and lead. I listen to the concerns of the citizens of Lorain. I return phone calls and give

advice to assist with solving citizens’ concerns. I learn what their concerns are, I read my packet to

review the legislation that is being presented so that I can make informed decisions whenever I am

called upon by my constituents and the citizens to do so. I lead by example. For the past six years I have

led by good example in chairing the city council meetings, allowing for open discussions, and to ensure

order and discipline is maintained during the meetings. I believe I have earned the confidence and trust

of the citizens of Lorain and therefore, humbly ask for their vote on November 5th to re-elect Joel

Arredondo, President of City Council.