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Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues
The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
See below for questions on
Transportation,
Planning,
Tax Levy Review
Click on a name for other candidate information.
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1. What role should Hamilton County Commissioners play in establishing a regional transportation system?
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Answer from Todd Portune:
The Commissioners should play a supportive role and be willing to embrace the steps necessary to provide for a Regionally funded and administered transit system. I believe in regional passenger rail service extending the breadth of the County North, South, East and West using existing rail lines. This economical approach will allow bus service between communities and neighborhoods to be developed.
Answer from Paul Naberhaus:
Encourage buses on interstates like the existing 7 roundtrips from Harrison Krogers to 5th and Walnut. This trip takes about 35 minutes. It frees 400 patrons from parking and long walks - buses move as fast as automobiles and can change routes and schedules to meet demand. Buses can have competition, too. Buses are for now; not 10 years out. Buses are inexpensive; about 10% of lite rail cost. Buses don't need new land or construction.
Answer from Bob Bedinghaus:
Hamilton County should be a participant in discussions concerning regional transportation issues. Other participants need to include Clermont, Butler, and Warren Counties in Ohio and Boone, Kenton, and Campbell Counties in Kentucky, as well as the City of Cincinnati. At this point, I believe more study is required before we jump into a specific light rail plan. Expanded bus services must be a component so as to allow a seamless transportation system throughout the region.
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2. How would a county comprehensive long-range plan benefit county citizens?
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Answer from Bob Bedinghaus:
The Hamilton County Commissioners have initiated the Planning Partnership through the Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission. This effort will encourage truly regional planning on many levels. This process will recognize that "regional planning" does not stop at political borders within Hamilton County. This process also goes beyond typical planning issues and gets to other important issues like linking transportation, land use, and environmental issues all in the same review.
Answer from Paul Naberhaus:
I'm disappointed with so called "Planning. Planning seems to start with conclusions like "we need light rail" or "Downtown Revitalization. Planning sets about to sell their pre-ordained solutions through massive public relations advertisement campaigns under guise of Town Meetings. Questionnaires etc All This Planning seems designed to generate support for new taxes. Libertarians avoid planning other people lives, prefer limited government solutions to real existing problems that government can deal with.
Answer from Todd Portune:
Such a plan is the first step toward providing the links between communities in a positive way. It will eliminate inefficiencies in the delivery of public services and allow for positive economic growth and development to occur. It will also encourage the delivery of services such as sewers, water, transportation the like that know no jurisdiction bounds.
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3. How would you expand the role/funding of the Tax Levy review Committee in include more careful monitoring of levy funds?
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Answer from Paul Naberhaus:
Remove special issue levies such as Drake Hospital, Mental Health, Urban Forestry, Art Council etc from the ballot. These programs should operate from General County Funds where responsibility is on the elected commissioners. Special Levies can be a cop-out allowing commissioners to duck responsibility to examine the needs for programs and funding. As it is, public funds are being used to advertise the need for more public funds all at taxpayer expense.
Answer from Todd Portune:
The Tax Levy Review Committee needs to ensure that all levies are placed only at the levels absolutely necessary. They should require the elimination of the Commissioners practice of siphoning interest money from levies for non-descript county General Fund purposes. They should require the Commission to rollback property taxes to pre 1999 levels committing the excess to the purposes of special levies, which will allow for reduction in property taxes and they should insist on monthly payments, which will further reduce property taxes by 7% per year.
Answer from Bob Bedinghaus:
The Tax Levy Review Committee, a committee I established in 1995 , provides an outside review of all tax levy requests. This committee has evolved since 1995 to include a review of the request by an outside firm (paid by the requesting agency). I continue to support this approach to tax levy requests and am open to any recommendations to strengthen the process.
Responses to questions asked of each candidate
are reproduced as submitted to the League, but formatted for Web display.
Candidates' statements are presented as
submitted. Word limits for answers are 75 words for each question.
Direct references to opponents are not permitted
The order of the candidates is random and changes daily.
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
