League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
Hamilton County, OH November 5, 2013 Election
	Laure Quinlivan Answers Questions Candidate for Member of Council; 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)

I am a small business owner, and a former investigative reporter with a track record of researching important issues, and finding and implementing solutions.

I led the campaign to change to our city's system of government, winning passage of 4 year terms in 2012.

On Council I created the City's Community Entertainment District legislation which has already created more than 500 jobs by attracting new restaurants to open in several city neighborhoods. I also created new city programs for Mobile Food Vending, Mobile Produce Vending, and Cincinnati Safe Student Housing.

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

I would include all city departments as we investigate new ways to share services and restructure for maximum efficiency. We need to live within our means.

Council has not had a structurally balanced budget since 2001. It's because elected officials decline to reign in our two largest departments, Police & Fire, whose budgets have ballooned by more than 35% in the last decade, while most city departments were cut dramatically. Police & Fire account for 67% of the city general fund budget so you can't simply "leave them alone" and allow spending to escalate beyond what our city can sustain.

3. Plan Cincinnati calls for the city to adopt a citizen engagement policy. What would you include in such a policy? (100 word limit)

The policy should include a mission statement and strategies for allowing citizens to better engage with the city, starting with a website designed for citizens to use. Our current city website is more a one-way vehicle.

We should develop a way for citizens in existing community councils and development corporations to communicate horizontally, as well as with city leaders, so best practices can be shared effectively.

Before we roll out any more big new city initiatives, like outsourcing parking to new garbage collection policies, we ought to get citizen input on the front end.

---

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 9, 2013 08:11
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.