Meet the Person Behind the Politician: Melody Hart
Melody has the kind of confidence you find with a woman who gained wisdom from years of life experience. She’s also kind, intelligent and could easily be your next-door neighbor. But she knows how to get things done. So when she hired me for portraits for her campaign for mayor, I jumped at the chance to ask more about her role in politics.
You’re running for mayor of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Tell us more about that.
Well, it isn't that I woke up one day when I retired and said, I want to be mayor. This is our first mayor. We haven't had one in our 100 years. The reason I am running is because I love my city and I felt I had the right skill set to set in place the structure and guardrails for future mayors.
When did you first decide to run for office? To enter politics?
I have been involved in politics and running before. It is a way of giving back to the community. When I lived in the Chicago suburbs, I ran for and won a seat as a township trustee. I have run for homeowners association president in several of my past communities and won. I was active civically here in CH and saw the issues. So I started attending council meetings. I would at times speak up during the public comment period on issues of concern. After four years of watching council, I decided to run. I came in as a non-incumbent with the highest vote count.
What does running for mayor look like? What sort of activities or tasks do you have to do? How's the competition?
Running for mayor is very rigorous. Your time is no longer your own. My husband is my campaign manager and he is fantastic! But his time is not his own all the time either. Endorsements are part of the process and each one usually means completing a lengthy questionnaire in a relatively short time frame. Some involve interviews as well and then speaking at the endorsement meeting.
Then, there are numerous forums by various political and other organizations. People schedule meet and greets and invite their friends and neighbors for you to speak and answer questions. Attending block parties (in a typical summer, Cleveland Heights has over 100 block parties, but this year will be somewhat less) and city events like Cain Park Festival. You have to send out mailers. And you go door-to-door. So as you can see, it is very intense.
I have three competitors; one is another council member. Another is a woman from the not-for-profit world. And the third is a new resident of four years from NY state.
What are some of the issues you’re focusing on as the prospective mayor?
Some of the issues are:
Making our city responsive to the residents
Strengthening housing enforcement on absentee investors
Looking at policies and practices through racial justice and sustainability lenses.
Put our values upfront to developers so that they come with proposals that fit our values.
I think the general sentiment on politics is skeptical. Give us some hope. Can real change happen? How?
Real change can happen, but only with people in office who are focused on service to their constituents and who listen to them. It is understandable why people are skeptical. I have been skeptical too from what I have seen in politics.
What’s your vision for Cleveland Heights?
My vision is:
To build on our strengths of walkability, bikeability, proximity to amenities.
Turn around the housing issues in our city created by absentee investors/landlords.
Get Severance Center redeveloped and Noble triangle developed.
Better marketing of our community so people are aware of what a great place this is to live.
What are some of your personal goals—all politics aside?
Have more time to bicycle with my husband
Ride the GAP bike trail from Pittsburgh to DC
Work in my garden
Go on a trip to Europe with my granddaughter
Continue to work with Greater Cleveland Congregations on social justice issues
Try to get Ansly Damus's family here (Ansly is a Haitian asylum seeker. He was in detention for two years. We offered to sponsor him. He lived with us for 18 months and since then has been working, has his own apartment, and is doing well).
You’re much more than a candidate. What are a few interesting things about you?
I am an avid bicyclist, and I am the salsa queen in my community garden. I plant lots of tomatoes and various hot peppers and tomatillos. Last year I canned enough salsa varieties to last us until this month. We have 1 jar left. And we eat salsa almost every day.
Anything else you'd like readers to know?
I have the best husband anyone could have. He is my campaign manager and is very supportive. We have always done politics and have done them together. We first worked on the Kucinich campaign then switched to Dean. But we have been involved in politics and social justice issues together since we met.
