Beachwood City Council Election 2011: Mark Wachter

Editor's Note: As part of Patch's local election coverage, we will provide profiles of each of the candidates running for office. These profiles will offer biographical and issue-oriented details about each of the candidates to help you, the voters, make more informed decisions at the ballot box. Stay tuned for more coverage of the election, and for full election coverage, visit  and "like" our Beachwood Elections Facebook Page.

Name: Mark I. Wachter

Age: 61

Occupation: Attorney, arbitrator and mediator at Wachter Kurant LLC

Education: Cleveland Heights High School – 1968; University of Michigan, A.B. – 1972; University of Michigan, A.M. – 1973; American University, Washington College of Law, J.D.(cum laude) – 1976

Political Affiliation: Independent

Office Sought: Beachwood City Council

Previous Political Office Sought or Held: Appointed to Beachwood City Council 1998; elected 2000 to present

Candidate Statement: It has been my privilege to serve for just over 3 terms as a member of the Beachwood City Council. I have participated, with fellow Council members, in decisions that have directly enhanced our quality of life, such as the Family Aquatic Center, the Community Center, and the Beachwood Park.

Beachwood City Council needs leaders with experience at the municipal level. While our City has a strong business base as its source of revenue, we are part of a region that is facing significant economic challenges. While on Council I have worked to maintain Beachwood's position as the economic leader in the region. At this critical stage, municipal experience is critical. There are opportunities that come to Beachwood every day along with challenges just as frequently. My years of experience at this level provide the background necessary to react promptly, but thoughtfully. On City Council, there is little time for "on the job training." My background, including Council experience, Planning & Zoning experience and my law practice, make me well suited for this position.

During my term as President of Council, two years ago, we worked with The Eaton Corporation as it brought its world headquarters to Beachwood and saw the start of the University Hospitals’ Ahuja Medical Center.

During my term on Council, I have encouraged the economic growth that the City has experienced. As past chair, and current member of the Economic Development Committee, I have helped the City recruit new enterprise to Beachwood; not just by moving businesses from other area municipalities, but by encouraging businesses from around the country as well as international enterprises. In June of 2010, I served as the City’s representative and spokesman in Israel at the Bio-Tech conference in Tel Aviv and meetings with growing companies looking to co-locate in Beachwood.

As Council’s representative to the Planning & Zoning Commission, I help review new projects ranging from residential modifications to master planning for major office campuses.

While we think of Beachwood as home to 12,000 residents, every day that number swells to nearly 100,000, as people travel from all over the area to work, shop, and enjoy what our City has to offer. I take the responsibility of the office very seriously and recognize that I have been elected to exercise my best judgment on behalf of all of our residents. Handling that responsibility requires experience, even more so in times of uncertain economic conditions.

Those who follow Council activities know that I have stepped up frequently to assume leadership roles. While on Council I have served as Council President, Chair of the Legal Committee, Finance Committee, Economic Development and served as Council's representative to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Sally and I have lived in Beachwood for 25 years and our children, Daniel and Meagan, are graduates of the school system. I volunteered as a coach for the Recreation Department, advisor on parent committees for the schools, and served as a member of the Planning & Zoning Commission before becoming a member of Council in 1998. I have practiced law, focusing on real estate and business litigation, for 34 years. My practice also includes serving as a mediator and arbitrator of commercial, business and construction disputes. This January, I will begin a term as Chair of the Alternative Dispute Resolution section of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association.

The decisions that members of Council make require knowledge of the City combined with experience. We have completed some very exciting projects. We are about to launch a new Economic Development program that promises to keep Beachwood at the forefront, not just in this area, but nationally. These new challenges require the background and experience I can provide as a member of the Beachwood City Council. I hope you agree and encourage you to re-elect me to City Council on November 8th.