I am thrilled to be running for city council in Stow, the community in which I grew up.
I will use this site to keep you informed on a daily basis of new happenings on the campaign trail. Please take the time to view my stance on the issues, by using the button above. I will be adding to that periodically, as well. If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact me.
Tomorrow is the Fourth of July parade. I am very excited to meet citizens and pass out candy.
In the past, I used my Facebook group for updates. I will post them below so you can get acquainted with the progress we have already made:
July 1
– Saw a mock-up of the Web site. It’s pretty sweet. It will be up by Saturday morning at the latest. Hopefully sooner. Once it’s up, I think I’ll start posting my updates there instead.
– I had lunch with city and county party leaders. We had some good discussions about where to take this campaign.
– We decided to throw out candy during the parade. It might sound like a simple decision, but thousands of peppermints don’t always fit into such a tight budget. We also will pass out literature.
June 29
– The car magnets came in the mail. They are everything I hoped for. Another great design by the art director.
June 28
– I rode along with the Stow Police Department from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. If you take a look at the overtime data, you’ll see this force is overworked. We should ensure our police force is fresh before blowing $250,000 per year on a golf course that won’t be paid off until year 2032.
June 27
– I secured the use of a 2006 Porsche convertible for the Fourth of July Parade.
June 25
– I attended the city council meeting. An important issue is whether Stow should join a compact between Summit County cities that basically says 1) cities must not poach businesses from each other, and 2) a business leaving one Summit County city for another Summit County city must pay a portion of its taxes to the city it departs. I think the issue boils down to: 1) Are you in favor of economic protectionism, and 2) Are you representing Stow or are you representing Summit County? I know the answer to those issues (No, to question 1; Stow, to 2). We will see on Monday how our councilmen vote.
– I ordered four large car magnets. While waiting for donations to come in, I have been financing my own campaign. No time to mess around.
June 23
– Below, I posted a handful of the pictures from our photoshoot. We are in the process of building the Web site.
June 21
– I had a photoshoot with Art Director Kiel Fleming. We got some great shots for the literature, Web site and newspapers. We will post some soon.
June 19
– I attended a fundraiser for Congressman Steve LaTourette in Gates Mills. It was a lot of fun.
– I made a public records request on some city data. You will be hearing about it soon. Shocking.
June 17
– Photo shoot is canceled due to rain. We will work on putting together the Web site instead.
June 16
– I received my first donation. I am preparing a voter list and letter to go out to other potential donors. If you want a copy of the letter, e-mail me.
– Tomorrow is the photo shoot for my literature. The day after, I am tentatively planning to ride along with the Stow Police on a night shift.
June 14
– The Stow Sentry also posted the list of candidates. (http://www.stowsentry.com/news/article/4606697)
– This week, we hope to plan, shoot, and execute our literature packet. The Web site should start to take shape, as well.
June 12
– The Beacon Journal published the candidates for my race. There will be eight participants in the primary. Only six will advance. (http://www.ohio.com/news/47899762.html)
June 11
– I set up the bank account. If you want to donate, please make out the check to “Mike Rasor for Stow,” and send it to 3466 Churchill Downs, Stow, Ohio 44224. You can send cash, but only up to $100.
– Art Director Kiel Fleming designed giant car magnets. We will use them in the Fourth of July Parade, and beyond that as well. Take a look at the design below.
June 9
– I walked around and met more residents in the morning.
– At 3:45, I filed my petitions. I needed 50 signatures, but I submitted 80 to be careful. I also double-checked almost every name on the petitions to ensure the signers are registered to vote in Stow.
– It appears that I will have competition in a primary election. When I filed, there were six others who filed petitions at-large. The primary would narrow the race to six. We shall see if the others’ petitions are sufficient.
– I named myself as Treasurer of the Mike Rasor for Stow committee. I prefer to include as many of my friends and supporters as possible, but it will just be easier if I do the filings. Besides, this legal training has to come in handy somewhere.
– Next on the agenda: Creating a slogan. Finalizing the yard signs. Oh, and raising money!
June 8
– I submitted my entry to march in the Stow Fourth of July Parade. It should be a lot of fun.
June 3
– I did some more walking and talking. I should have enough signatures to be safe on my petitions, but I’ll go after another 10 to 15.
– Art Director Kiel Fleming designed a fantastic yard sign. He is still tinkering with it, but I’ll post the mock-up below.
– We purchased the domain name www.mikerasor.com. We haven’t put any content together yet, though.
June 2
– I walked around the neighborhood today and talked to constituents. I read through minutes of the council’s 2009 meetings to get a better feel for how the city works. The more I learn, the more excited I get to change some things.
– Mike Gross joined the campaign as Video Director.
June 1
– Kiel Fleming joined the campaign as Art Director.
May 25
– I announced my candidacy for Stow City Council (at-large) before a group of supporters at Silver Springs Park.