Kent City Council Election 2011: Melissa Long Seeks Ward 1 Seat

Editor's Note: As part of Kent Patch's local election coverage, we will provide profiles of each of the candidates running for office. These profiles will offer biographical and issue-oriented details about each of the candidates to help you, the voters, make more-informed decisions at the ballot box. We also will have a short video of each candidate that will help you learn more about them. Stay tuned for more coverage of the election. 

Name: Melissa Long

Age: 74

Occupation: Semi-retired; a state board member for the Ohio Alliance of Retired Americans. She runs a chapter in Trumbull, Alliance and Mahoning counties.

Education: High school and one year of college at Kent State University.

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Office Sought: Ward 1 Council

Previous Political Office Sought or Held: Mayor of Cortland, Ohio; member of Cortland City Council 12 years

Candidate Statement: With any kind of development, whether it’s with city government, state government or private business, when you are undertaking huge development, you must also maintain and balance your budget and be willing to look at expending money up front to make sure it’s going to guarantee a return down the road.

There’s so much going on. And isn’t that wonderful? I’m almost ashamed to say we have so much going on because I feel sorry for these communities that are not making it. I think the goal is to maintain and to nurture what has been started so that it becomes an enormous asset to the city.