Community Levy Letter

By Eve Bolton

Our elected leaders won't magically find savings. They must reduce the cost of governing. One way to accomplish this is for the county and local governments to work in a more cooperative manner. Citizens must demand this cooperation and the county should serve as a catalyst for this new cooperative way of governing. This cooperation will be based on shared responsibilities, which will reduce duplication of services, and increase purchasing power. No community would lose its identity or independence but each would have a greater chance of success if we forged a cooperative government alliance rather than face our problems alone in a piece meal fashion.

Perhaps the county could take the lead and create health consortiums to reduce benefit costs within your community's city and school budgets. I'm sure we could combine the purchasing power of more local governmental units in order to reduce the cost of doing business. Let's develop a countywide Reasonable Growth Plan that would attract more investment in our established communities rather than stretch existing capital for new development. A more cooperative way to govern requires a different kind of leadership in our county. That is why I am a candidate for the Hamilton County Commission.

I am not a career politician but rather a citizen who has been willing to serve. This county needs a woman's voice and a suburban perspective. I am a proven fiscal conservative who actually has improved the efficiency and reduced the cost of county government. As County Recorder, I froze spending, professionalized the workforce, and increased efficiency through reorganization. I put the public interest first and special interests last. So successful were we in the Recorder's office that the National Association of Counties awarded our office five national awards. If we use those strategies I used in the Recorder's office, we can have the same success countywide and in each of our local communities. I know because I am an experienced local leader as well.

As a property owner in College Hill, I was elected President of the College Hill Redevelopment Corporation. So I understand the crisis that some Cincinnati neighborhoods face, as well as just how hard it is to attract investments in our older neighborhoods. As a former Mt. Healthy City Council member, I know firsthand the hard choices our smaller cities must make. As a teacher and President of the Wyoming Education Association, I realize that at the heart of our neighborhoods must be successful school systems that reflect our community's values.

If we value our communities, we citizens must take the initiative and demand fresh ideas and a cooperative local and county alliance. Together we can forsake partisanship and limit the turf wars that are part of the old ways of governing. We need to govern for the future by confronting the larger issues of dwindling tax base, loss of green space, population decline, and reduced state dollars.