Denise Tonelli Seeking At-Large Council Position

Denise Tonelli is no stranger to working in the public sector as a teacher and hopes to expand her public service work as an At-Large Stow City Councilmember.

Tonelli, 49, for an at-large seat. 

Although a political newcomer, Tonelli says her experience as a teacher for Kent City Schools will help her with a councilmember's responsibilities.

The graduate said a love for the community has driven her to run for office.

"I love this community and feel I have the integrity, drive and work ethic to dig deeply into the issues we will be facing. I rarely accept anything at face value. I want decisions to be made based on facts," she said.

And some facts are that the biggest problem facing Stow is keeping a balanced budget, she said. 

"We are facing decreased revenues and this will necessitate prioritizing essential city services to keep Stow the wonderful place that drew us all here," Tonelli said. "All expenditures will need to be evaluated to find ways to consolidate services and ensure efficiency."

If given the chance to make those decisions, Tonelli said she will "ensure that our government lives within its means while continuing to provide the excellent services we have a right to expect. I want to be accessible to the people of Stow, and I want our government to be that way too."

One of the goal's she has if elected, is to increase the "use of electronic media to allow participation in our local government for families and residents who may not have time to regularly attend meetings."

Denise Tonelli is a teacher for the Kent City School District at Longcoy Elementary. She and her husband, Dan, have owned their home for 28 years and have three children, Jason, Shannon and Kevin — all Stow-Munroe Falls graduates. She has a bachelor of science in Education and a master's in Education Reading Specialization from Kent State University. 

For more information, visit her candidate website.

Like the Stow Elections page on Facebook!