League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area Education Fund
	Hamilton County, OH November 2, 2010 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues County Auditor; County of Hamilton

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, Priorities, Natural resources 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 Dusty Rhodes: My record in office: since 1991 I have reduced staff by over 50%. Following each full reappraisal, I returned unspent funds to local governments and school districts. That amount is over $19 million. Ours was the first County office to put all our expenditures on the Internet for public review. 2. What plans do you have to address your top three priorities? (100 word limit) Answer from Dusty Rhodes: I will again offer property owners informal hearings on their tentative new property values next year with notice by mail, Neighborhood Conferences for one-on-one meetings with staff and opportunities to call or e-mail our office. I have and will provide our office's services to other County offices, specifically suggesting the County Commissioners use us instead of expensive contracts with outside consultants. We must have cooperation between county offices rather than setting up study groups aimed at replacing elected officials with appointed bureaucrats. I will continue to be an independent voice for taxpayers advocating less spending, limited government and fiscal responsibility. 3. What ideas will you support if elected to manage and protect the environment and natural resources of Hamilton County? (150 word limit) Answer from Dusty Rhodes: The County Auditor's office administers some matters of the environment and natural resources. Ours is not a law-making or enforcing office. I support efforts to codify and permit the reduction of tax values for property which is placed in permanent trust as green space. Legislation to allow this + and all property valuation regulations + must come from the State Legislature. Our office administers the CAUV program for farms used exclusively for agriculture containing 10 acres or more. Those under 10 acres can qualify if the land has produced an average gross income for the past three years of at least $2,500. On parcels of 10 acres or more, timber qualifies for the CAUV program, meeting the commercial production test. Owners must submit a request for a Land Management program in writing to: Division of Forestry. 777 Columbus Ave. 5A. Lebanon, OH 45036. Information on CAUV is available at http://www.hcauditor.org Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits apply. 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.