League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
	Hamilton County, OH November 5, 2013 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Fiscal Officer; Township of Symmes

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 Basic Services, Budget, Citizen Engagement Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What services do you believe should be considered basic and essential for the Township? Answer from Vince Wallace: Police and fire are the most important services the township is required to provide. Roads, sidewalks, parks and the maintenance of them are also important and essential for Symmes Township. Answer from CAROL A. SIMS: The care and maintenance of our township streets is important, as is police protection and fire/ems. These are the basis services offered by townships. Symmes Township has also created an impressive park system for the residents and the Board continues to expand sidewalks throughout the Township. All these services are available to the residents thanks to the Trustees and my commitment to a great quality of life for the residents. 2. How would you balance the Township Budget? Answer from Vince Wallace: It is the job of the township trustees to agree and implement a budget that is within the means of Symmes Township. Having said that, it would be my intention to go over that budget, in detail, an inform the trustees of any waste or unlawful spending. Answer from CAROL A. SIMS: Due to the Board's tradition of fiscally conservative financial control of your tax dollars, our Township continues to provide residents with the same level of services (police, fire/ems, zoning, street maintenance, etc.) provided in previous years. The adopted 2014 Budget ($8.5M) is lower than the current 2013 appropriation measure. The tax budget process is a statement of estimated revenues and expenditures for the next succeeding year and plays an important part to ensure that money is not being spent in excess of the Township's revenue. It also provides the Board with a high level of confidence that our resources are being used properly and allows for residents and other interested parties to evaluate the fiscal position and the results of its operation. The 2014 Tax Budget is for estimated revenues/expenditures of the Township; however, it does not mean this is the amount of money which will be expended at year's end. Your elected officials have always practiced good stewardship of taxpayers' money. 3. Citizen engagement is important to the health of local government. In what ways do you support citizen engagement? Answer from Vince Wallace: I support a transparent public office where the citizens have accessibility to their elected official and all public records. I also support and encourage the public to attend the monthly public meetings in Symmes Township. Answer from CAROL A. SIMS: As a former employee of Symmes Township for over 24 years, I understand the importance of citizen participation in local government. It was my recent suggestion that the Finance & Audit Committee, which I chair as Fiscal Officer, be expanded from 5 to 7 members to allow for greater citizen input. This committee reviews proposed budgets/appropriations, as well as future levies and makes recommendations to the Trustees. They play an important role in the financial process. The Township has always solicited residents to apply for appointment to the various committees/commissions. 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.