But when that village is Traffic Ticket Town, USA, and you or someone you know has probably been dinged by the cops on the approximately seven square inches of I-71 over which Linndale holds fiefdom, you might take minor joy in knowing that the mayor is breaking the rules and eagerly await ensuing consequences.
Enter Cleveland 19, nee Action News 19, and ace investigative reporter Paul Orlousky. The intrepid man behind the microphone set about proving that Linndale mayor Ashlee McLaughlin is actually living in Cleveland not in Linndale, per the rules, of which Linndale seems to be pretty fond of. After Councilman Tyler Newark began asking questions at a council meeting, Orlousky took control of the action news van wheel.
We reviewed weeks of surveillance video of the Linndale home the mayor and Andy Baker say is their residence. There was no activity there for at times weeks.Of course, you can’t prove non-residence on landscaping activity alone, so Cleveland 19 grabbed the water records for the home, which is still in the name of McLaughlin’s deceased mother.At 5:15 p.m. on May 30, Memorial Day, Baker arrived and began to plant some flowers. The next day, he mowed nearly foot-long grass. After a time, he did other yard work while the mayor took a turn on the riding mower.
At the end of the day, they put a garbage can out. Five days later, a neighbor, also a council member and ally of the mayor took the can in. She did it more than once. The grass grew and grew for about three weeks before they came back and mowed again.
On June 28, the mayor and Baker dropped her car off in Linndale, giving the impression she was home.
The next day, we knocked on the door and found no one home. Our repeated attempts to contact the mayor in Linndale failed.
The result: LITTLE TO NO WATER USAGE OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS. They also reviewed property tax and records and those show that the mayor is $14,000 behind.
A legion of ticketed Northeast Ohio drivers thanks you, Paul.
This article appears in Jul 6-12, 2016.
Maybe ol’ Ash has a sleeping bag inside Town Hall.
Someone has to sleep in the camera shack..
She lives in a double on Clifton Blvd near West 112th. Can’t remember exact address but friends of mine lived in the other half. She and Andy may possibly grow and sell marijuana, based on the smells and the traffic in and out that their neighbors had to endure.
Is there a rule that you have to spend a certain amount of time in the home?
Small village problems. Smh. So THIS is where the time and resources are spent? Cool.
After rec ticket Jan 1, get 2nd notice 2 months later (1st notice went to wrong address) sent check to PO box for amount stated for 1st notice, not late fee amount, it took 8 weeks for them to cash check, repeated fone calls to town hall or police dept. get only voice mail and no return calls proving there is no one there. Why doesn’t the AG of Ohio shut these people down. Is giving false address a criminal offence? Is neighbor aiding and abetting? Come on AG, do your job
speeding ticket for going 4 miles over 25…. $100!!!! Will NEVER, I MEAN NEVER… do any business in Linndale again. Drove from an hour away to go to a store and will NEVER do this again. Will go whatever I must to avoid driving through that town. Nice job Mayor!