Kacyon, Shaughnessy running for Summit County District 8 seat

After being appointed to fill the seat of Anthony DeVitis, who resigned in August, Republican incumbent Joseph Kacyon said holding a County Council position has given him a great opportunity to make a difference in the community.

An attorney with Hoover Kacyon and Associates, the 41-year-old is running in his first election to keep the seat full time.

“You don’t always get to effect change in the government, and I’m in a unique position to do that,” said Kacyon, who lives in Green. “It’s really an interesting job.”

In his day job, Kacyon handles estate planning and probate guardianships. That experience feeds into his interest in improving coordination among government agencies when a resident shows signs of mental health struggles. Kacyon also wants to increase funding and programs to help prevent financial abuse among the elderly. 

Kacyon said the work he’s already done on the county government’s $674.1 million operating budget proves he is qualified to handle another term.

Democrat Shaughnessy wants to scrutinize spending

With slogans such as “Matt’s like you, he wants safer cities, too,” Democrat Matt Shaughnessy said he has a lot in common with the people he’s running to represent. The retired Cleveland and Fairview Park fireman and Cleveland police officer, who now has his own law firm, is most excited about the chance to save people money if he wins the role. 

“Most everyone is on a fixed income, and prices have gotten crazy,” said Shaughnessy, 58. “District 8, we pay a lot of taxes, and we want somebody to make sure that we see some results.”

Shaughnessy was a member of the Green City Council from 2018 to 2022, where he helped increase patrols on the streets and safety officers in schools. He also prioritized scrutinizing expenditures, including fighting legislation in Green to replace the city’s light bulbs with LED varieties. He did not win re-election.

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In a county role, Shaughnessy wants to increase competition among internet providers to decrease residents’ bills. He also wants to make government services more accessible. 

Shaughnessy ran to be an Ohio State House representative in District 32 in 2020 and District 36 in 2022. He said he would come into the County Council role with the priority of keeping the group responsible. 

“I’m kind of a bulldog,” Shaughnessy said. “I will hold the government accountable, and that doesn’t matter if it’s a Democrat-run government or if it’s run by Republicans. I can sniff out a bad deal when I see one. I’m going to be there to fight wasteful spending.”