League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund
Hamilton County, OH November 8, 2005 Election
	John Eby Answers Questions Candidate for Council Member; City of Cincinnati

Questions & Answers

1. What are your Qualifications for Office? (50 word limit)

My work in Westwood, through WestCURC, Hands Across District 3 and the Ryan Commons Park Project demonstrates that I can rally people to a common cause. Further, I can work collaboratively with organizations that have different missions and unite them to work toward a common goal.

2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit)

Fight for a comprehensive, long-term approach to reducing crime and increasing safety within the city. Collaboratively work to build community/police relations. Secondly, we must bring the cities budget under control. We have to become fiscally responsible, financial stewards of the citizens' tax dollars. I will promote policies that will bring back limited managed competition to our city. The city must make the delivery of basic services to the taxpayer its top priority. They have to be delivered efficiently, equitably and expediently. Lastly, develop a fair and comprehensive strategy for neighborhood business and housing development within our communities.

3. What steps would you take to ensure that all public facilities are accessible to people with disabilities? (100 words limit)

We must first conduct a survey of public facilities that do not comply with the American with Disabilities Act. Those buildings found not to be in compliance will be ranked by order of need and they will be brought up to code. Every citizen deserves easy access to all of the buildings that were constructed with hard earned tax dollars. We must also pledge ourselves to bringing our recreational facilities, including our parks, accessible to people with disabilities. Creating more "Play-for-All" parks within the city of Cincinnati will be one of my top priorities.

4. What specific steps will you take to expand recycling services in your community? (100 words limit)

As the community organizer for the renovation of Ryan Commons Park ( Westwood ), one of the initiatives we explored was utilizing our park as a central location for a community composting and recycling site. Working in cooperation with CRC the city can set up community recycling sites at either our parks or our recreation centers. Creating convenient recycling centers within the communities that CRC already serves will encourage homeowners and residents to recycle.

5. What steps would you take to provide affordable housing for all residents of your community? (100 words limit)

Housing development must be part of broader effort to create vibrant, mixed-use communities that stimulate economic development with our neighborhoods. Housing must be carefully planned in cooperation with a community's cultural heritage, available retail space, and public space There are models around the country for how cities have worked to create vibrant, mixed-use neighborhoods and we should carefully explore those models. It is critical to blend city and county government, business/housing developers, and community perspectives in a transparent process to create a comprehensive plan for development.