League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
Hamilton County, OH November 5, 2013 Election
	Yvette Renee Simpson 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 grew up very poor in Cincinnati, but was able to overcome many obstacles to achieve success. Therefore, I understand the challenges and opportunities facing our city. Since being elected to Council, I have helped lead the city with this perspective, applying vision, passion, and action to every decision.

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

It's important to acknowledge that our recent budget challenges stem from changes in state funding. Because this landscape continues to change, resulting in fewer resources for municipalities, we need to explore new ways to generate revenue and reduce spending. But we cannot do it through cuts alone. We need to focus opportunities on growing our tax base, both residential and commercial. We must prioritize shared services, foster small business growth, reinvest in our neighborhoods to attract and retain residents, and look for ways to maximize our assets and infrastructure to generate revenue.

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 Plan Cincinnati development process was a successful model of citizen engagement. Ensuring that we improve upon that model for the implementation phase is essential. I think we should look to other cities, and to the extent possible, implement their best practices. Generally, a great citizen engagement plan begins with ensuring that we have representation that reflects the diversity of our city. We must also incorporate new technologies and have many methods for individuals to engage: in-person, electronic mail, social media, etc. Finally, there must be a clear process for gathering citizen input and implementing community recommendations.

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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.

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

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 9, 2013 08:11
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