Rob Berner Announces Candidacy for Avon Lake Mayor

Former Avon Lake Mayor Rob Berner announced March 14 he will run for mayor in the November election for the 2012-16 term.

Berner, who was elected in 2001 to replace Vince Urbin, lost the seat to K.C. Zuber in the 2007 Avon Lake election.

“I believe leadership is needed now more than ever in the city of Avon Lake,” Berner said in a press release. “I have the experience, knowledge and skills necessary to lead the city of Avon Lake during these challenging economical times. My success in managing two cities, a regional non-profit government utility along with owning and managing a full-service financial company gives have given me the experience necessary to lead Avon Lake.”

After leaving office, Berner was safety-service director for  Port Clinton from February 2008 to December 2009. He left that position to become executive director of the Lorain County Rural Wastewater District (LORCO), a position he still holds.

His time away from the position of mayor taught him a few lessons, he said.

"You have to be a little more open-minded about people's ideas and thoughts," he said. "In Port Clinton I learned the whole idea of being conscientious of the public's perception of what you are doing. 

“As mayor it was my attitude, it was my job and I’m going to do my job. I now know it’s  a lot about people’s perceptions and what they want from their government.”

Should he get elected again, Berner said he would focus on efficiency.

“One of the things you have to understand in public administration is public entities don’t have the money they used to have,” Berner said. “They have to do things more efficiently. We have to get people better trained and doing more things.”

He also supports the concept of regionalization. “Regional cooperation is the key to government efficiency and effectiveness. You need to consolidate and cross city borders or  people are going to have to pay more.”

While Berner was mayor, Avon Lake saw an influx of business, and he said if elected, he would return to focusing on economic development.

“I would do the same things as I did in the past,” he said. “I would make the atmosphere in the city conducive to business. I would continue tax incentives.”

He would also act as the front man on economic development.

“Businesses don’t want to talk to some other guy, they want to talk to the mayor,” he said.

He also said as the city’s chief executive officer he would take on the required responsibilities outlined in the city’s charter and more, if necessary.

“Sometimes the CEO has to shovel the snow off the front steps,” Berner said.

In January, Berner argued in front of council against the next mayor receiving any raise, citing economic issues. 

Since leaving office, Berner has earned a master's in public administration from Walden University. He intends to put that degree to use if elected.

He said he understands the intricacies of municipal budgets and has “the knowledge needed to balance the budgets and lead the city in economic development efforts,” he said.

He cited several public projects he’s been involved in since leaving the mayor's post, including a multimillion-dollar wastewater treatment construction project in Port Clinton; securing street improvement grants; and forging a cooperative agreement between LORCO and Avon Lake for a major Lorain County sewer project.

Berner, a past president of the Avon Lake Board of Education, has resided in Avon Lake for more than 40 years. He is a 1982 graduate of Avon Lake High School and earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Liberty University.

He is married to Mary B. Berner, a fourth-grade teacher in the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake school district. His daughter, Lyndsey, is a senior at Kent State University.