League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
	Hamilton County, OH November 5, 2013 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Member Council at Large; City of Blue Ash

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 Qualifications, Basic Services, Budget, Citizen Engagement Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What are your qualifications for office? Answer from Tom Adamec: My experience as your Council Representative for 4+years, business, and years of civic involvement make me an ideal candidate for re-election. As a leader in government, civic and school organizations, and as a P&G manager for 26 years,I successfully worked with others while achieving high goals, eliminating waste, and improving operations. Answer from Pramod S. Jhaveri: As an entrepreneur, I have founded businesses and created local employment; I have first-hand experience cultivating an economy. My reasons for running are simple: to give back to the community, to bring new ideas, to enhance growth, to be a neutral voice, to make a great community even greater. Answer from Lee E. Czerwonka: It has been my privilege and honor to serve the residents of Blue Ash as Council Representative at Large for the last 9 years. Vice Mayor for the last 4 years. 2 years as Vice Chairman Blue Ash Planning Commission. Member State Auditors Regional Advisory Board. Treasurer Hamilton County Municipal League. President Blue Ash Civic League. Chairman City Beautification Committee. President Fallsington Grant HOA. 2. What services do you believe should be considered basic and essential for the City? Answer from Pramod S. Jhaveri: I believe that safety, public infrastructure, and education are very vital to any city's growth. I think working with the municipal, residential, and business sectors will help create a stronger community for the future. Answer from Lee E. Czerwonka: I believe basic municipal services start with the Police and Fire Departments followed by the Public Works Department. These three departments are the foundation for all well run communities. Beyond these three is an Administrative Department which collects taxes and oversees economic development. Without the administrative side, these basic departments above, don't exist. These services are very basic and flow in a circle serving both the residents and businesses alike. Blue Ash is fortunate to be a well balanced community. 1/3 Residential, 1/3 Businesses, and 1/3 Recreational. This balance has kept Blue Ash in a positive sustainable financial position. Answer from Tom Adamec: Blue Ash is fortunate to be able to provide outstanding services in public safety, snow and trash removal, roads and infrastructure maintenance with one of the lowest tax rates in the county. Because of our strong and diverse business base Blue Ash is also able to provide world class recreation facilities and events including a great park system, new recreation center, golf course, and public concerts and events. 3. How would you balance the City Budget? Answer from Pramod S. Jhaveri: Blue Ash has been blessed with great revenue from businesses & working people. I plan on operating Blue Ash, just like my own home, on a conservative level. Answer from Lee E. Czerwonka: Blue Ash Administration and City Council continue a conservative long range approach to budgeting. Our budget is balanced because we have planned for economic downturns where other communities are struggling. We continue to focus on keeping operating costs down at all times, even when income levels rise. We were able to add $6 million to the city's capital reserves in 2012. Thus we continue to maintain Moody's "High Quality" Aa1 bond rating. Answer from Tom Adamec: Blue Ash has a balanced budget and healthy balance sheet, but the uncertainty of the national economy means Council and the City administration should prudently: - Include expectations and goals for every department and employee to seek out, recommend, and reduce costs or losses while improving the quality and services. - Support actions in our economic development department that attracts new business to our city. - Reapply learning's from other city's successes at reducing costs while providing quality of service. 4. Citizen engagement is important to the health of local government. In what ways do you support citizen engagement? Answer from Tom Adamec: I encourage everyone to: Volunteer on one of many citizen boards & committees. Sign up for the Monthly City newsletters. Contact the City Administration or Council Representative if you have any questions. Attend City Council and citizen Board/Committee meetings. Invite your Representatives to your Homeowner's Association meetings. Participate and provide input on city planning events - parks, comprehensive planning, surveys.....etc. Answer from Pramod S. Jhaveri: I believe that: -Monthly open office hours for residents to talk in person with me -All council meetings to be transparent -Voter input to seek residents' opinions on issues Answer from Lee E. Czerwonka: Blue Ash will be beginning the update of the city's Comprehensive Plan early next year. This plan is updated every 10 years and is a blue print for both residential and commercial development with updated zoning areas for the city. The process of updating the plan is based in large part on the residents input through various channels of communication, including resident surveys, a series of public meetings with open dialogs with city officials and administration. The goal will be to find a general consensus of what kinds of development the residents would like to see in the city over the next 10 years. I encourage our residents to participate in this open process since it is their city and the new plan will strongly represent their views and input. 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. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.