League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
	Hamilton County, OH November 3, 2009 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Mayor; Village of Green Hills

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 Patricia Anne "Pat" (Murray) Andwan: My education/professional experience clearly make me the wisest choice for mayor. I possess the passion and leadership to ask the tough questions and seek legal solutions. I have nothing to hide; no family members looking for work or conflicts of interest. It is time to reclaim our Liberty! Answer from Fred H. Murrell: I have nearly 10 years experience in public service. Prior to that I served the village on the Community Development Committee. 2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit) Answer from Patricia Anne "Pat" (Murray) Andwan: Restore Ethics, Accountability, Citizen Rights: Report current Ethics abuse and invite Ohio Ethics Commission to present their free Ethics seminar in Greenhills. The Auditor of State also provides Sunshine Law training that must be held locally. ALL employees and elected officials must attend. Restore Democracy via a new Charter. A citizen led Charter Review committee (without Council interference) should research and draft a new "constitution" which will be presented to the electorate for acceptance. Restore Community Values via presentations on decency, citizen responsibility, home repair, good citizenship. Answer from Fred H. Murrell: Obtaining control of the Village Center property is a top priority. We need to renew the center of our Village and attract new businesses. The housing redevelopment/renewal program is a long term project to move rental property to owner-occupied. It is critically important to have residents be stakeholders in the Village. 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 Fred H. Murrell: I would like to see un- or under-utilized Village assets be sent to auction or otherwise disposed of to generate income. We need to look at budget items that cost us year after year and decide as a community if these are acceptable. Answer from Patricia Anne "Pat" (Murray) Andwan: ENHANCE REVENUE - Enforce Building Code violations. Code has not been enforced for decades. Village owned rentals have been slated for demo despite the Historic District designation, intentional neglect and below market rents have led to Bogus Blighting and loss in the rental stream. DECREASE COSTS - Encourage retirement of high salaried employees. Farm out tax collection to professional agency. Combine or Job Share Finance Director - Municipal Manager. Reduce cushy benenfit expenditures. Example: $900 uniform allowance - the guy wears t-shirts! 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 Patricia Anne "Pat" (Murray) Andwan: ENFORCE BUILDING CODE! Cite Landlords for unsanitary, unsafe housing conditions. Mandate background (police and credit)checks for present and prospective. Provide educational forums for landlords and residents (How to be an effective Landlord? How to be a Responsible Tenant Citizen?)Develop a training program for repair and maintenance. Arrange bulk buying discounts for landlord purchases to enhance Village properties. Village owned rentals need to be restored and placed on the market to first-time home buyers. Teach pride in your community! Answer from Fred H. Murrell: I would like to see more stringent enforcement of the current rental ordinance and building codes. 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.