Zilka Enters Race For Avon Lake Mayor

Avon Lake Council President Greg Zilka has announced his candidacy for the 2012-16 mayoral term, creating a three-way race for the seat.

Former mayor Rob Berner and current mayor K.C. Zuber have also announced they will be on the November General Election ballot.

In 2007, Zilka, who had recently retired as a Avon Lake High School teacher, briefly entered the mayoral race as a challenger to Berner, who was the mayor. Zilka opted not to pursue the seat so he and his wife Patricia could travel. Soon after, Zuber entered the race, beating Berner in the 2007 General Election.

Zilka is no stranger to city government. He has been on Avon Lake City Council since 1985 and twice held the position of council president, from 1992-1995 and 2000 to the present.

 Zilka said the time is right to seek the mayor’s seat.

“We’ve been able to do a lot of traveling,” he said. “I have been observing what is going on in the city.”

He said frustration with the current mayor and economic development has been a major factor in his decision to run for mayor.

“We need to focus on economic development,” Zilka said. “That’s been an ongoing frustration. The mayor’s title is head of economic development. (Zuber) didn’t offer a plan or proposal. The plan came out from the Economic Development Advisory Board (EDAB).”

In February, Zuber said he wanted to create a part-time economic development adviser and possibly an economic development department.

Zilka commended Joe Archacki, the head of the volunteer EDAB, saying the workshops Archacki has put on have been excellent, but that part of the city government should be the mayor’s responsibility.

“We recently talked about possibly hiring the Cleveland State University Levin School of Urban Affairs (to assist with economic development,” Zilka said. "We had some people from that group come out a month ago. There’s some frustration the mayor has not taken advantage of it.”

The program calls for a city/university partnership utilizing graduate students from CSU’s Center for Leadership Development.

Zilka said if elected he would also explore regionalism.

“It could possibly offer a costs savings pooling resources with other communities,” he said. The city is currently awaiting a study on regionalizing with other fire departments in the Greater Cleveland area. “The mayor has been slow in responding in that.”

Zilka has served on planning commission, zoning board of appeals, and most committees of council.  He has served as the chair of the finance, sewer, human resources, public service and safety committees.  He also held the position of interim mayor.  Prior to his service on city council, he served on two charter review commissions.

Zilka said that despite what could become a stressful race, he would emphasize the positive.

Should he be elected, it will not be his first time acting as Avon Lake mayor. Zilka guided the city through a tumultuous transition in 2001 when then-mayor Vince Urbin stepped down after being accused of steering  $2,745 worth of city business to the , which his brother, Daniel Urbin, managed. Urbin was eventually found guilty and has since had his record sealed.

Then-sitting council president Ron Andolsen who resigned after several weeks citing health reasons replaced Urbin. Zilka, as the council president pro-tem took over the role of acting mayor until Berner was elected at the next election.

“I was mayor for eight weeks,” Zilka. “That was a very difficult time for the city and we got through it without a wrinkle and without a hitch.”

To avoid a runoff race one candidate will have to earn more than 50 percent of the vote, a goal Zilka acknowledge would be difficult. Otherwise, the top two vote getters would move to a runoff. 

Zilka has been a resident of Avon Lake for 37 years and is married to Patricia Zilka.  They have two grown children, Hila and Alex. His family also includes son-in-law Jeff Hritz and grandchildren Gregory and Emily. Zilka retired from the Avon Lake City Schools after a teaching career of 35 years.

He earned a BS and M.Ed from Kent State University and joined the Peace Corps for two years. He is a graduate of the Cleveland State University Leadership Academy and Taft Institute of Government Program. 

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