League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
Hamilton County, OH November 8, 2011 Election
	Chris Bortz Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Cincinnati

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What are your qualifications for office? (50 word limit)

-Real estate development and property management professional, a profession closely related to the property management components of local government
-Independence from the pressures of special interests intent on maintaining a broken status quo
-Co-Chair of the GO Cincinnati Economic Strategy and co-author of enhanced Port of Cincinnati Development Authority

2. How would you balance the City Budget? (100 word limit)

I have submitted a budget proposal, as of September 1st, that closes the $33M projected deficit by over $19.5M. That is 8 times more than alternative proposals. I believe the remaining gap will shrink as revenues come in at the end of the year. If they do not, I have proposed, and will again, the imposition of a garbage fee, subject to a competitive bid process. That would generate $15M savings for the city.

3. What services do you believe should be considered basic and essential for the City? (100 word limit)

Public safety and infrastructure maintenance are the most essential of the basic services provided by municipal government. When revenues allow, infrastructure enhancements directed towards improving the landscape for economic development are essential for ensuring a continued growth in our tax base.

4. What actions will you take to support clean air?

If we get people to move back into the urban core, we can decrease travel times and pollution. Programs such as my proposed scholarship program will create incentives for young families to move to the city. The scholarship program idea will create scholarships for Cincinnati Public School graduates in good academic standing to attend college, regardless of financial need. The prospect of having a full scholarship available for your children will undoubtedly attract more families into the city, as it has in many cities with similar scholarship programs. That influx of new residents will strengthen our property values, accelerate the rehabilitation of our older housing stock, repopulate vacated communities and streets, improve the health of our retail economy, create more potential for job creation, and improve the quality of our living.

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Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits may apply. See individual questions for specific word limits. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. Please edit your work before submitting. We are unable to provide spell-check at this time.

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: September 13, 2011 16:54
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