Candidate for
Council Member; City of Cincinnati

District Representation can, and will be a saving change for Cincinnati neighborhoods. Few neighborhoods feel respected and represented in the current city government. Implementing a districts system will give neighborhoods a voice and make our elected officials accountable. My proposal includes a hybrid of 7 district representatives and 3 "at-large" council members. On the heels of district representation I would like to see Cincinnati implement a truly strong mayor form of government ultimately getting away from City Manager form of government. Let's make our elected officials accountable, not bureaucrats.

More police presence on our streets. Very little can be done to turn around various parts of Cincinnati if safety is of such a concern. We need streets that are safe with a police department that is there to prevent crime not react to it. Many neighborhoods absolutely need this to occur now, or their demise is guaranteed. I intend to work with the police to reprioritize our thinking and to put more police on the street not behind desks or on special assignment.

Covington and Newport are demonstrating that mature, built up cities can absolutely develop new and exciting places to live, work and play. One way to accomplish this is to decide, as a city, to not allow bureaucracy and red tape lose investment dollars. We need a "can do" attitude that promotes new ideas in development. We should become very open minded and aggressive in how we look at development opportunities. The formation of an independent board to oversee Cincinnati development is a start in the right direction, but elected officials need to firmly stand behind this attitude. We need to go out and recruit new business and make deals that work for business as well as city interests. Good deals are out there for the taking, but we need to develop a mindset that breaks the current mold.

City and County cooperation will be key for the long term growth and sustainability of Cincinnati. The regional thinking that is sweeping the country needs to be established here in the Greater Cincinnati area. Cincinnati needs to develop a strong working relationship with Hamilton County. A relationship that allows dialogue back and forth with the goal always to be a win-win scenario for both city and county. With a strong working relationship in the county our ability to work with all jurisdictions inside Hamilton County will improve. Cincinnati needs to fit nicely into the big picture, we can do this with a new mindset on City Council.

Witte Committee for a Better City P.O. Box 5333 Cincinnati, Ohio 45205-5333

251-PETE