By: Paul Koomar, Mayor of City of Bay Village, Ohio
Growing up I never had a vision of serving in an elected office. I always enjoyed volunteering, but politics was never front and center in my mind. In 2000, I was approached to fill a vacant city council seat for our town. After some thought I decided to interview for the opening. Eleven residents applied for the ward council seat. It was an honor to be selected and I subsequently ran for reelection in the 2002 general election. A few elections later, I moved into the role of city council president and then into the current position of Mayor.
I enjoy politics at the local level because ideas and visions for improving our city can become reality with some hard work and persistence. Communicating with residents is key and something that I truly enjoy. The volunteering I have done earlier in my life has turned out to be good practice for the give back in the public arena. While there are competing interests which create spirited meetings, listening to and understanding other viewpoints is very important in order to resolve issues and move the city forward. Early on I learned that it was important to try and make the right long-term decision. This can be tough at the time, but it has paid dividends in the long run. People appreciate honesty and they come to respect your decision making once they realize you have their best interests in mind.
I would encourage those who like to help others to become involved in your community. If you are unsure whether elected office is right for you, consider becoming a member of board and commission at the local level. These positions are appointed and can be a good springboard into elected office. That’s where I got my start- giving back to the community through our Parks and Recreation Commission.