League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
	Hamilton County, OH November 3, 2009 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Council Member; Village of Glendale

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Qualification, Priorities, Economic, Rental property Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. What are your Qualifications for Office? (50 word limit) Answer from William S. "Bill" Aronstein: It has been a privilege and honor to serve the residents, taxpayers, and voters of Glendale as Clerk-Treasurer and Councilman since 2003. I have always maintained a focus on the needs of the Village, and always strive to serve the needs of Village residents without fear or favor but with .... Answer from Monica L. Alles-White: I have faithfully served the village and its residents for the past 12 years. I still have the time, energy, and motivation to perform in this capacity. I am visible, easily accessible to residents, and fiscally responsible. I participate in meetings and in a consensus-building, decision making process. 2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit) Answer from William S. "Bill" Aronstein: The most important priority for the Village Council is as always to fulfill the responsibilities of local government with care, efficiency, quality, and at the lowest possible cost. In order to make our wonderful Village an even better place to live will be those that strengthen our commercial districts and maintain and attract high-quality businesses. The current program to upgrade the Village Square is a good start. We should also prepare for future emergencies both as individuals and as a Village. Answer from Monica L. Alles-White: I am an active member in developing the criteria to evaluate the proposals from parties interested in renovating the Eckstein property that could enhance village revenues or resources. As the chair of the Fire Committee, I am working with the Fire Chief to investigate ALL our options for a 2nd fire apparatus--new, used, or refurbished. We are exploring ways we can expand our current station doors to allow for a broader search of used fire apparatus. To insure minimal negative impact to the residents and current businesses, a timeline of the village square improvements will be monitored weekly. 3. What two actions would you promote to enhance city revenue or decrease city expenditures in order to balance the city budget, given the current economic conditions? (100 word limit) Answer from William S. "Bill" Aronstein: Our revenues are almost entirely derived from the real estate tax. Everything we do to make Glendale a better place to live will enhance real estate values in the Village and secure our revenue base. We must not add to the burdens faced by our residents by increasing taxes or adding new taxes! Our finances are sound and we have an adequate reserve at this time. We do not need to make drastic cuts in our operating budget. We must however continue to scrutinize every program and every expense conscientiously. Answer from Monica L. Alles-White: Work with our Economic Development Consultants to explore ways to develop the Landmark property as a potential property tax revenue source for the village. Continue to investigate ways to use municipal employee pools to decrease our expense of providing good health care coverage to the village employees at a reasonable cost in the village budget. 4. What steps should the local government take to ensure that the quality of rental property meets minimum legal standards? (100 word limit) Answer from William S. "Bill" Aronstein: The Village should continue its ongoing program of conscientious and compassionate enforcement of our extensive building and property codes. Answer from Monica L. Alles-White: As a statutory village government, we must follow all minimum state requirements. Our police department and village administration are the enforcers of these standards. Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits apply for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.