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LWV League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund

Smart Voter
Hamilton County, OH November 6, 2007 Election
Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues
Mayor; City of Norwood


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 Qualifications, Addressing priorities, Regionalism

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 Alfred "Al" Boehme:

Life time resident. Knowledge of the city and how the city works. Business owner for 40 years. Member of Norwood Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA).Former Real Estate Agent (10 years) specializing in Norwood.I have a feel for the citizens and what they want. I DESIRE to serve my community.

Answer from Thomas F. Williams:

I am a life time resident of the City of Norwood. I have been Mayor of Norwood for the last 4 years. I was Council-at-Large for 2 years. I was employed by the City of Norwood for 34 years as a Norwood Police Officer with the last 20 years as a Senior Administrator.


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

Answer from Thomas F. Williams:

Our decisions will be based on past history and experience.
1. Continue to monitor operating costs closely. Over the last 4 years, we have reduced our operating costs, questioned every expenditure, and for the first time in 5 years, the City of Norwood finished with reserve funds. These are the same priorities we have had over the last 4 years that have led to our financial recovery.
2. Maintain our first class emergency safety services, continue to immprove streets and infrastructure.
3. Continue our aggressive crime-reducing tactics that we have employed over the last four years with positive results.

Answer from Alfred "Al" Boehme:

1. Financial Stability: Continue the policy of the current administration of watch dog spending. Evaluate expenditure requests and establishing priorities. Start a "forced savings" program.
2. Streets: Have a committee of three to evaluate the present condition of each street, block by block. Asign a priority list for repairs that will benefit the most residents first. Lesser used streets last.
3.Zoning: Zoning changes were made in 1985 that do not do justice to the property owners today. These need to be re-evaluated and corrected. The city is no longer an industrial giant and zoning must reflect the change in direction, not hinder it.


3. State three actions that you recommend to promote regional cooperation, and explain how you would implement each action? (150 word limit)

Answer from Thomas F. Williams:

Obviously, cooperation with Regional Planning is of paramount importance for the area. As we have done in the past, we will fully cooperate with all jurisdictions whether they be county or cities. But, my position is before any decision is made, we must determine if it serves the best interest of the City of Norwood.

Answer from Alfred "Al" Boehme:

Regional Planning: Continue our relationship with the Hamilton County Regional Planning Authority and evaluating the changes going on around our community. Public Transit: Recognizing a need for controlled planning for an improved public transit system. Work with the agencies involved to help solve the problem of overcrowed roads with minumum disruptin to our city. Crime: Work with all local agencies including the FBI, DEA and ICE to attack crime in our city and county.


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.


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Created: December 19, 2007 17:42 PST
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