Newly elected government officials from around Northeast Ohio will be going back to school this weekend to learn how to hold public office.
More than 25 newly elected officials, mainly council members from cities in Cuyahoga, Summit and Lorain Counties will be attending a two-day seminar to learn more about what goes into running a government.
The training program is a joint effort between Cuyahoga County, the State Auditor's Office and Cleveland State University.
They’ll learn about public policy issues such as ethics, economic development, public finance and public records. The state Auditor’s office is paying the $5,000 to hold the seminar.
Cuyahoga County Council member Dave Greenspan says he didn’t want to hold the training program before the elected officials took office.
“We felt it would be important for them to be in office for two months, where they are now, to get a little bit of experience and get a little bit of exposure,” Greenspan said. “So, when they came to the sessions they were able to understand from a practical perspective what the curriculum was trying to teach them.”
Cleveland Heights City Councilman Kahlil Seren says the seminar will help him do his job more effectively.
“We are there because we want to make a positive change,” said Seren. “We are there because we want contribute to our communities and this is a tool to help you contribute more and better to your community."
This is the third time the county has held this type of training and plans to hold it again every two years after each municipal election.