League of Women Voters of Ohio
Hamilton County, OH November 4, 2003 Election
	James T. O'Reilly Answers Questions Candidate for Member Council; City of Wyoming

The questions were prepared by the LWV Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. How would you implement your top priority?

As a teacher and former police officer, I know that improved housing conditions can influence the quality of life for neighbors, students and the community. I want all residents to feel the sense of pride that comes with living on a well-kept street. Wyoming's current rental properties need close evaluation of their code adherence and maintenance, to assure all residents that deteriorating conditions which diminish local pride will not be tolerated. Sound, clean and well maintained housing protects the investment we all have made in our neighborhood quality of life.

2. Numerous important issues including transportation, land use planning, housing and economic development for the Greater Hamilton County regions are being deliberated by OKI's Land Use Commission and Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission and Planning Partnership COMPASS; how engaged should local government be in these planning activities? If elected, how would you participate in these planning activities?

I was delighted to attend the COMPASS Music Hall kickoff and am pleased to keep in touch with planners through its website. Local officials owe it to the voters to look carefully at the future and make plans now for appropriately funding of future improvements. My service on the Smale Commission in the 1980s showed me that stormwater issues need more attention. Wyoming will have a savvy liaison to MSD to get our stormwater hotspots remediated more responsibly.

3. Ohio Department of Natural Resources in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Recycling Coalition conducted a state-specific study and found recycling businesses in Ohio generated $650.6 million dollars in state government revenue. If elected how would you promote recycling and support recycling programs currently in place in your community to reduce solid waste generation?

Wyoming's child-friendly recycling website, at Wyoming.oh.us/recycle, was a key accomplishment of my term as chair of the city solid waste commission, for which Tri-County Press selected me as one of ten local unsung heroes of 2002. My textbook on recycling is a national reference standard and my lectures and articles are widely used. I have encouraged placing recycling containers in sports facilities and soccer fields. As Public Member of the county solid waste board my work on recycling promotion and waste reduction has been praised.