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STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS

POSITION: Mayor of Richfield.

QUALIFICATIONS: Broad experience municipal, county and township law. Elected official 16 years. Training and experience in law, political science and education.

EDUCATION:

J.D. Case Western Reserve Law School (1985)
Admitted to Ohio Bar (1985)
Admitted to practice in United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Since 1986

M.A. Political Science, Kent State University (1982)
Teaching Fellow (1982)
Thesis: Case study of Ravenna teacher's strike

B.A. Education, Cleveland State University (1978)
Certified to teach English, Social Studies and Visual Arts K-12

EXPERIENCE:

Law Director, City of Norton, August 2000 through present – Duties include the following:

·  Advise all city officials, including mayor, council and council clerk, administrative officer, finance director, planning and zoning department staff, planning and zoning commission, board of zoning appeals, building department, civil service commission (civil service municipality), police, fire and service departments on all legal issues. (Legislative procedure, elections law, public bidding, contracts, public records, employment, etc.)
·  Attend all meetings of council, prepare all legislation, review proposed changes to zoning code and codified ordinances, attend meetings of planning commission and board of zoning appeals when requested.
·  Enforced zoning and building department regulations through the initiation of litigation in Summit County Court of Common Pleas, and defended administrative appeals in Court of Common Pleas.
·  Draft or review bid documents and public contracts, pursue and defend litigation related to contractual obligations, monitor litigation handled by insurance counsel.
·  Prepare biennial opinion to State Auditor regarding city liabilities.


Assistant County Prosecutor, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, Civil Division, Cleveland, Ohio August 2002 through December 2003 – Duties included the following:

·  Chief legal advisor to Olmstead Township. Attended all meeting of the Township Trustees and the planning commission and board of zoning appeals when requested. Advised the trustees, township clerk, zoning and building department personnel, police and fire department personnel on all legal issues. Reviewed public contracts and bidding documents. Pursued enforcement of zoning laws and building department regulations in Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Defended administrative appeals in Court of Common Pleas.
·  Advisor to county officials on a variety of matters, including compliance with Fair Labor Standards Act, HIPPA, elections law, Sheriff’s department personnel actions under collective bargaining, negotiation of intergovernmental agreements, property acquisition, public records compliance, taxation, statutory interpretation, etc. County clients included County Commissioners, County Administrator, Sheriff’s Department, County Auditor, County Engineer, County Planning Commission, Probate Court, and individual judges of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
·  Primary responsibility for selected litigation involving the County or County Officials in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas and in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.


Assistant County Prosecutor, Medina County Prosecutor's Office, Medina, Ohio June 1989 through May 1999

·  April 1992 through May 1999 – Civil Division. Advised county and township officials and agencies, including commissioners, sheriff, auditor, recorder, treasurer, highway engineer, sanitary engineer, planning commission, health district, building department, alcohol drug addiction and mental health board, department of human services, board of mental retardation and developmental disabilities, Medina County District Library, and 17 townships in Medina County in a broad range of legal settings, including:

1. Personnel. – Advised on hiring, discipline, firing, work force reduction (handled federal court case regarding alleged violation of FSLA), Personnel Board of Review, discrimination and sexual harassment (before the Ohio Civil Rights Commission and the EEOC), grievance resolution, and some dispute resolution under collective bargaining agreements.

2. Contracts and public improvements. – Advised all county agencies and Medina County townships on compliance with the public bidding process, defended the commissioners and the auditor in several lawsuits challenging the awarding of public bids, handled land acquisition (including land appropriation), negotiated with contractors regarding disputes on public improvements (including building construction, road improvements and computer hardware and software system purchases and implementation).

3. Zoning and public policy. – Assisted townships in writing and interpreting their zoning codes, and defended those codes in litigation. Assisted all public entities to adopt and implement policies and practices that comply with statutory and constitutional authority. I was a member of the county data board and I was chairman of the county’s safety committee for several years.

4. Miscellaneous litigation. – Presently handling a wrongful adoption case against the department of human services, have been responsible for real estate tax foreclosures and personal property tax collection for about six year, and through the past six years have handled miscellaneous subrogation claims, due process litigation, and other matters as they come up.

5. Office administration. -- Implemented time saving procedures in child support enforcement, juvenile prosecution, tax collection and the general civil division of the prosecutor's office. Obtained and implemented a computer automation grant for the office, continue to develop computer applications, and serve as a computer network administrator.


May 1990 through April 1992 – Primary responsibility for all juvenile prosecution in Medina County, and began general civil representation of county agencies and elected officials.

June 1989 through May 1990 – Primary responsibility for child support enforcement in Medina County.

Summit Benefits Agency, Inc., Barberton, Ohio March 1987 through June 1989.
Completed legal work in the creation and development of a third party administrator for administration of self funded employee benefits. Introduced reliable procedures for compliance with COBRA, reviewed and refined claim forms, plan documents, summary plan descriptions and administration agreements, and investigated and successfully negotiated settlement of subrogation claims.

Larry Luck, Esq., Wadsworth, Ohio March 1986 through March 1987.
Employed in small general practice, which included probate, minor criminal defense, contract litigation, personal injury and medical malpractice defense.


VILLAGE OF RICHFIELD – ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICE January 1987 through present:

·  Mayor, Village of Richfield – January 2004 through present. Responsible to oversee all administrative functions, negotiated police and fire agreements with Richfield Township, JEDD agreement with township and City of Cleveland, several significant public works projects, collective bargaining (first contract), budgetary proposals to council, grant applications for public works and property acquisition under the Clean Ohio funding program, many zoning and land use issues, extension of public utilities, etc.
·  Fourth term on Richfield Village Council – January 2002 through December 2003 (served two years of a four year term until I took office as Mayor). President of Council in 2003.
·  Third term on Richfield Village Council – January 1998 through December 2001. Served a full four-year term, and I was president of Council all four years.
·  Member of Planning and Zoning Commission – January 1996 through December 1997. Appointed by Mayor Don Larsen.
·  Second term on Richfield Village Council – January 1991 through December 1995. During the second half of this term I was Council’s representative to the Planning Commission, from January 1993 through December 1994.
·  First term on Richfield Village Council – January 1987 through December 1990.


COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Bar Associations – I have been a member of the Ohio State and Medina County Bar Associations for fifteen years. Served on the Medina Bar Association ethics, probate and common pleas court committees, and I was chairman of the ethics committee in 2003 and 2004.

Cornerstone Wellness Center – Board member and chairman from May 2001 through June 2005. This is a non-profit agency to promote mental health in Medina County through programs that focus on wellness.

Richfield Little League, March 1987 through December 1991. I helped a citizens group assume responsibility for the community’s little league program. I helped organize fund raising activities, performed legal work to incorporate the league, obtained IRS non-profit status, and served as treasurer for two years.

CONTACT MIKE:
Michael Lyons, 3300 Broadview Rd., Richfield, OH
Cell: 330-310-5926
Home: 330-659-3296
Email: lyonslaw@alltel.net

Questions or comments about this web site should be sent to webmaster@michaellyons.org.
Copyright © 2007 Michael Lyons

Paid for by Committee to Re-elect Mike Lyons, Barbara Lanford, Treasurer, 3390 Logwood Trail, Richfield, Ohio.