League of Women Voters of Ohio
Hamilton County, OH November 4, 2003 Election
	James L. Perdue, Jr. Answers Questions Candidate for Mayor; City of Reading

The questions were prepared by the LWV Cincinnati Area and asked of all candidates for this office.

Read the answers from all candidates.

Questions & Answers

1. How would you implement your top priority?

Request participants from government, citizens, department heads and business leaders to serve on the strategic planning team to help implement the plan for the City within governmental guidelines. The team needs to be open-minded, discuss all strategies and work within a set process. After the plan is reviewed and adopted, it should be used for long-term budgeting and resource planning.

2. Numerous important issues including transportation, land use planning, housing and economic development for the Greater Hamilton County regions are being deliberated by OKI's Land Use Commission and Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission and Planning Partnership COMPASS; how engaged should local government be in these planning activities? If elected, how would you participate in these planning activities?

I believe it is very important. Local government should work close with the OKI and Hamilton County. There should be a long-term strategic plan in which all entities agree on how they plan to use all resources. Local and county needs should fir the strategic plan. It is important to have a city representative involved in these issues reporting back to the city government.

3. Ohio Department of Natural Resources in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Recycling Coalition conducted a state-specific study and found recycling businesses in Ohio generated $650.6 million dollars in state government revenue. If elected how would you promote recycling and support recycling programs currently in place in your community to reduce solid waste generation?

There does not seem to be a full commitment at this time. If it were promoted form the top, there would be a full commitment to recycling. However, if collection costs become a factor, there may be a reduction in collections. Cost may be the deciding factor for a recycling program.