League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
	Hamilton County, OH November 3, 2009 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Council Member; City of Norwood

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 Qualification, Priorities, Economic, Rental property Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What are your Qualifications for Office? (50 word limit) Answer from Peter E. Tepe: I am a life long resident of Norwood. I am a homeowner, a family man and a business owner. I am a concerned citizen and want to see the city prosper. Answer from Joseph W. Sanker: I believe my past experience serving on City Council and its various committee's is the best qualification available. 2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit) Answer from Joseph W. Sanker: I plan to continue to persue first class developments for the the City of Norwood to help expand our tax base. I also will take a conservative approach toward our City spending. I will work with our Safety and Pulic Works Departmentheads to ensure we have the proper equipment and personnel to effectively serve the Citizens of Norwood. I will strive for ways to fund our street programs without financially strapping our City. Answer from Peter E. Tepe: Communication through levels of government and contract fulfillments will be important. The city and its neighbors must work together to communicate future actions and possible wants and needs of their condition. Meeting with local business owners will also be a major step. Their success is deeply tied with the success of Norwood. Similarly, Norwood's image must continue to improve. Families need to be brought into the city to add to our school and housing system. 3. What two actions would you promote to enhance city revenue or decrease city expenditures in order to balance the city budget, given the current economic conditions? (100 word limit) Answer from Joseph W. Sanker: We have already been fighting the economic conditions since I have been on Council. I have looked for ways to encourage new developments with the use of TIF and CRA agreements. Myself and the Administration worked with all the City Departments to tighten their belts during the lean times and put off unnecessary spending. Answer from Peter E. Tepe: Currently, Norwood is one of the few communities operating in the black. While I will always be conservative with my financial dealings, if the opportunity arises the city should be on top of any financial considerations. Increasing housing opportunities and the revitalization of the Norwood city parks will continue to help the revenue of the city. 4. What steps should the local government take to ensure that the quality of rental property meets minimum legal standards? (100 word limit) Answer from Joseph W. Sanker: I would suggest as we have done in Norwood ,support your building inspectors ,and your Building department and enforce the code . Answer from Peter E. Tepe: Our building department, police, fire and health department need to be aggressive in identifying properties that have fallen into disrepair through landlord neglect. Norwood tenants deserve properly maintained homes. Absentee landlords must be made to maintain community building standards in return for the income that their Norwood properties generate. It's hard to take pride in your home when the buildings around you are left to decay. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits apply for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.