League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
Hamilton County, OH November 5, 2013 Election
	Josh Berkowitz Answers Questions Candidate for Law Director; 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.
Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Questions & Answers

1. What are your qualifications for office?

I have served as Law Director of Norwood since February, 2012. I also serve as an Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor in the Felony Division of Prosecutor Joe Deters' office. I handle jury trials involving the most serious crimes in Hamilton County including murder, rape, drug trafficking, child abuse, and home invasions. Previously, I also served as an Assistant Prosecutor in Franklin County, Ohio, and also worked as an attorney in private practice. I earned my Law Degree at Capital University in Columbus and a Bachelor's of Arts degree in History at Ohio State.

These experiences have made me a well-rounded attorney and have given me a broad base of knowledge to draw from. I am proud of the work I've done as Law Director including assisting in the completion of the Rookwood Exchange, bringing Paycor to Norwood, the University Station project with Xavier University, and the Rookwood Medical Center. I've also led an effort to improve the city's outdated zoning rules to help put vacant properties back to good use.

2. What services do you believe should be considered basic and essential for the City?

Public Safety is of the utmost importance to any community. As a prosecutor, I know the threats to our safety that police and firefighters have to deal with each day. We are fortunate in Norwood to have some of the best public safety services in the entire region.

The City also needs to ensure that other basic services are provided. Street paving, parks, the health department, and other basics are all important parts of the quality of life in Norwood and are essential to our City's longterm growth.

3. How would you balance the City Budget?

As Law Director, I don't have a direct vote on the City's budget. However, my goal is to provide the best legal advice available to ensure that the City is not subject to costly litigation, fines, or other penalties. The Law Department helps police officers, firefighters, and other city employees do their jobs with the confidence that they are working in accordance with the law.

4. Citizen engagement is important to the health of local government. In what ways do you support citizen engagement?

As Law Director, my door has been, and always will be, open to the public. The Law Department is a full-time, full-service law office that is available for not only elected officials and city employees, but also for the citizens of Norwood. My staff and I work hard to keep lines of communication open with the public to help provide greater transparency in government and make sure folks understand the law and how it applies to them. I will continue to participate in various community outreach efforts such as the "Casual Conversation" that has been held each month to discuss the drug & alcohol problem in Norwood and how we can fight it.

---

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.

Read the answers from all candidates (who have responded).

Candidate Page || Feedback to Candidate || This Contest
SmartVoter Home (Ballot Lookup) || About Smart Voter

---

Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 11, 2013 07:57
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.