Gail Sparks
Gail Sparks was a nonpartisan candidate for Ward 4 representative on the Cleveland City Council in Ohio. Sparks was defeated in the general election on November 7, 2017.
Biography
Sparks' professional experience includes opening a boutique, owning and managing properties, and working as an eligibility specialist and case manager for the board of county commissioners. She holds a degree in psychology and a master's degree in public administration.[1]
Elections
2017
The city of Cleveland, Ohio, held elections on November 7, 2017. A primary election occurred on September 12, 2017. The mayor and all 17 seats on the city council were up for election. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was June 29, 2017.[2]
Incumbent Kenneth L. Johnson defeated Gail Sparks in the general election for Ward 4 of the Cleveland City Council.[3]
| Cleveland City Council, Ward 4 General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Kenneth L. Johnson Incumbent |
56.65% | 2,262 |
| Gail Sparks | 43.30% | 1,729 |
| Write-in votes | 0.05% | 2 |
| Total Votes | 3,993 | |
| Source: Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, "General Election Official Results," November 22, 2017 | ||
The following candidates ran in the primary election for Ward 4 of the Cleveland City Council.[4]
| Cleveland City Council, Ward 4 Nonpartisan Primary Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Kenneth L. Johnson Incumbent |
48.14% | 1,179 |
| Gail Sparks |
22.62% | 554 |
| Rowland Mitchell | 13.11% | 321 |
| Arnold Shurn | 6.08% | 149 |
| LaShorn Caldwell | 4.45% | 109 |
| Julie Donaldson | 2.29% | 56 |
| Cecil Ekechukwu | 2.04% | 50 |
| Ngozi Adigwe | 0.98% | 24 |
| Write-in votes | 0.29% | 7 |
| Total Votes | 2,449 | |
| Source: Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, "Official Election Results," September 12, 2017 | ||
Campaign themes
2017
Sparks' website highlighted the following campaign themes:[5]
Jobs
- Excerpt: "The problem in this city is not the lack of available jobs, but rather that people lack the skills to get them or they are excluded because they have criminal records. With all the money plowed into development by the City, jobs in construction are aplenty, but there is little or no money allocated by the city to train at-risk youth, ex-offenders, and long-term unemployed for these jobs. We must allocate substantial funds to training these groups, so that they can obtain good jobs in the construction trades."
Wages
- Excerpt: "If this City is only going to create construction jobs, which our residents can’t get, and jobs as waiters, hotel maids, and retail clerks for the rest of us, then we need to insist that workers earn a living wage of $15 an hour, starting with an initial increase to $12."
Housing
- Excerpt: "Ken Johnson and the Mayor have colluded with developers, corporations, and Cleveland Clinic to eradicate the traditionally black communities on the Eastside. Rather than assist homeowners with failing roofs and collapsing porches, they have intentionally let housing deteriorate so they can tear down these properties for use by developers."
Taxes
- Excerpt: "All of these gentrifying neighborhoods are booming; the city shouldn’t still be granting 15-year tax breaks for downtown buildings and $300,000 Townhomes. We need to get our share of tax dollars, but instead Ken Johnson has gone along with the Mayor’s plan to satisfy the gluttony of his rich campaign donors. I will vote down every tax break for Westside development, until we receive our fair share of investment in our people and our homes."
Safety
- Excerpt: "We do need an increased police presence in Ward 4 to deter crime, as well as the full implementation of the consent decree, and far better police training to avoid more unjustified shootings. However, Ward 4 will never be safe for residents unless we address the underlying causes of crime. We need to employ our residents so that they do not fall prey to a life of crime."
Transportation
- Excerpt: "The City has done nothing to close the RTA deficit, which has resulted in devastating route cuts that have made nightmares of working people’s lives. Plenty of money is there to redo the Shoreway to increase beach access, and repave downtown streets, while Ward 4’s roads are crumbling and full of potholes."
Schools
- Excerpt: "Mayor Jackson, working with Governor Kasich, has turned many of our school children into profit producing units for Charter Schools, while undermining our public schools. Poorly regulated, privately owned schools, which produce poor results and have been beset with scandals have been allowed to spread throughout the city."
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Gail Sparks Cleveland City Council. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
| Cleveland, Ohio | Ohio | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Gail Sparks campaign website, "Home," accessed October 19, 2017
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, "2017 Election Calendar," accessed February 2, 2017
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, "2017 Candidate List," July 7, 2017
- ↑ Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, "2017 Candidate List," July 7, 2017
- ↑ Gail Sparks campaign website, "Issues," accessed October 19, 2017
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