| October 30, 2007 - Volume 16, No. 44 |
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Candidates Forum a success All seven candidates for Oakwood City Council took part in a well-attended Candidates Forum on Thursday, Oct. 25 at Harman School. About 70 citizens attended. The forum was sponsored by the Oakwood Register. Many questions dealt with financial issues – how the city has spent its money, especially in regard to Sugar Camp and the soccer fields, has it been spent in the wisest manner, and what kinds of financial scenarios exist for Oakwood’s future. There was a question about the city budget…where economies should be made, where more spent, how should additional expenditures be paid for… and city property taxes. Another question asked who of the candidates supported the city’s agreement with the Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority to allow public housing in Oakwood…and why. And another question asked how candidates would address the concerns of north Oakwood residents who border the University of Dayton. Among newer issues important to the non-incumbant candidates was the need for Oakwood to promote a stronger relationship with the City of Dayton (Vanderburgh), sound environmental policy and green space (Bain), preservation of historic homes and landmarks (Hager and Pruitt), and the record of unanimity in the voting by current council members on issues brought before city council (Pruitt). The meeting was moderated by Sharon Harmer of the League of Women Voters. Meet the Candidates...
The Oakwood Register approached each candidate earlier in the month with two questions: 1) Why are you running for city council? And 2) What are the major issues that will be addressed in the next four years that are of importance to you? Following are the candidates’ replies… Nancy Bain She is concerned with monetary spending by the city with regard to development and preserving Oakwood’s residential character. She is against the $2.75 million “hand out” to Sugar Camp developers and regards the upcoming Park Avenue Streetscape project as too costly and wasteful. She is also an ardent environmentalist and bemoans the loss of trees that are scheduled to be cleared from the Sugar Camp property as development pushes on. Upcoming issues Oakwood must keep its city limits well maintained and its neighborhoods safe. Also a major concern is urban sprawl that may crop up with the Sugar Camp development. Bain also invokes the ‘donut-hole thesis’ in that Oakwood is one of the first ring of suburbs bordering Dayton. The need to work with Dayton on a number of issues is of great importance over the next decade. Stanley Castleman A one term incumbent on the city council, Castleman is concerned with the cost of doing business and cost of living in Oakwood. Also, he also notes that the personnel costs of government keep increasing. “What are we going to do?” he asks. “Oakwood’s financial base needs to be successfully managed” Castleman says. “It’s hard to believe that four years have gone by. I want to continue in my capacity to help guide the city for another four years.” Upcoming issues Castleman cites a number of issues that will affect the long- William Duncan Also a one-term incumbent to the council bench, Duncan is a CPA professionally and has really enjoyed his community service as a city councilmember. He also believes that the city needs somebody who has a lot of financial expertise. There are a number of open issues such as recreational amenities that need to be addressed and Duncan wants to help oversee those issues to fruition. Upcoming issues Duncan is concerned that the State of Ohio might repeal the estate tax which will have a devastating effect on Oakwood. according to Duncan. “The whole area of city services would be affected. The reason we haven’t raised property or income taxes since 1991 is the blessing of estate taxes,” Duncan said. Duncan cited that Oakwood has garnered over $9 million this year alone in estate taxes, and he wants to keep it that way. C. William Hager I am running for Oakwood City Council in order to restore the integrity of our community and to maintain a local commitment to achieving excellence in emergency services, education, and city government as well. I have strongly supported the Oakwood Schools for many years and feel it is important that everyone continues to support the schools if our community is to thrive. I served on the Oakwood School Education Foundation Board during the formative years and participated in monthly Education Foundation Board planning meetings. I also participated in annual Foundation Fund Drives and chaired the community annual event meeting for 10 years. Andrew Pruitt Before the turn of the 20th century Adam Schantz called his family together and said: “I have acquired one hundred and eight acres of land in Oakwood. It is my firm conviction and belief that Oakwood will some day become the most desirable residence district in Dayton In recent years City government has lost touch with our early founders’ principles. Above all else I pledge to keep Oakwood’s integrity. Upcoming issues Tax and Spending Overhaul. In order to restore tax and spending to their proper balance, the core philosophy of City officials must be changed. Property taxes. In recent years our property taxes have increased at a rate which far exceeds the increase in average household income. Sugar Camp Development. Other communities might need to use developer incentives as a tool to foster revitalization, but for Oakwood it is a complete waste of our hard-earned tax money. Section 8 Housing. The negative impact that subsidized housing can bring into a community is well documented across the nation. Indoor Recreational Facility. As discretionary funding becomes available we should consider building an indoor recreation facility. Michael Vanderburgh I’m frustrated that the current council seems to be in “reaction mode” too much, and individual council members don’t spend enough time seeking input from the community on important regional matters. We spend a lot of time on window dressing issues, and not enough time providing the regional leadership and vision we are so capable of. Upcoming Issues I intend to work with the mayor and council to ensure that regional economic development issues are top priorities for the city. I also seek to develop new approaches to regional leadership, in special cooperation with our state elected officials and neighboring municipalities. Issues that must be addressed include our over-reliance on estate taxes, but we have no control over the continuance of those windfalls, and the income is not predictable year-to-year. And the broken state funding system for our schools. The school district will continually return to Oakwood voters for tax increases. Eventually, perhaps within the next three years, voters will experience tax overload. At our current high level of service, we’re eventually going to need estate tax income to help fund our city operations. Letters in reference to city council candidates Is school levy necessary? Let me first say that I am and always have been a supporter of the best schools possible in Oakwood. It’s truly commendable that our Oakwood schools have always produced the best students in the area if not the state and beyond. But there comes a time when we must say “would it be nice to have or do we really need it.” I’m sure it would be nice to have an $2 million a year for our schools. But do we really need it? The problem is that now that we are the best the school board seems to think that we need an excessively large levy to make it all stay the same or maybe get even better. What’s an extra $400, $500, $600 or even higher a year in additional taxes? It’s a lot for most people and even more for those on a fixed income. What could we possibly need that costs $2 million dollars per year that we don’t already have? I’m sure the school board would have little trouble finding things to buy with the extra money. Would it make for a better learning environment? Buy us even better equipment to use? Double our teacher’s salaries? Gourmet food for lunch? It would be nice to replace one year old computers with new ones because they look so much cleaner and lets face it, it’s so much fun to use new stuff. But do we need to? When people come to town looking for a good community to settle in, one consideration is the school system. We can all readily agree that it’s a big plus. We can all agree that it is important to maintain a superior school system. And we have done that for years. But there comes a point in time when we need to look at the broader picture. Housing values in Oakwood have dropped along with most of the rest of the country with little relief in sight. Some houses have sold recently for the same or even less than the owners paid for them. Houses are usually our life’s biggest investment. It commands a constant vigil against factors that may affect the value. Just recently we have been moved to debate the impact of Section 8 housing in the area. The perception is that if crime goes up, property values will go down. That’s probably true. One of the next things people review when looking for a place to live are the taxes. It’s a silent killer. While we’re only focused on our glorious schools, our tax base is silently growing to the point of undesirability. Take a deep breath and let that last sentence sink in. It makes no difference how good the schools are if nobody can afford or want to pay the taxes required to live here. It’s just another little levy that keeps our schools right on top. Then the next time it’s just a little more. And then more and more and more. Add all the little mores up and they total a fairly high tax burden. It will affect your property value. It has to stop somewhere. We need to not just pass every levy that is thrown at us without some thought. I seriously don’t think we will slip to the bottom of the academic totem pole if we finally stand up and say “enough’s enough”. I believe the school board is asking for more than we need and why not? It has been so easy in the past. Just mention schools and all the wallets open. We should not continue to automatically pass these increases to our taxes. Maybe one reason they have passed so easily in the past is the word levy instead of tax. Make no mistake about it - it is a tax. Once you vote yes you’re stuck with it. And it is in addition to all the other taxes that you are already paying. It’s a burden to us and it’s a burden to prospective home buyers too. We have passed 17 out of 18 tax levies in the past 26 years. It’s been just about automatic. That’s wrong. There has to be a bottom to the money well and I say we’re near it. Let’s say no this time and let the school board come back with something a little more reasonable. Some of you may not want to say no but I think we need to. It’s the difference between what we want and what we need. Let’s teach ourselves and our children that there is a bottom to the well. Jerry Sanders Kudos for Byington Many thanks to the League of Women Voters and the Oakwood Register for the forum of candidates for Oakwood City Council. The forum provided a venue for Oakwood residents to better assess candidates’ experience and positions. I, for one, came out of the forum with a much better understanding of who the candidates are and their fitness for a City Council leadership role in our community. Ensuring quality leadership is critical to our community’s continued success. One of the new candidates, Steve Byington, was especially impressive on a number of fronts. Steve has shown his commitment to this community through his ongoing involvement with it. He is deeply invested in the community: as President of the Wright Library Board of Trustees, as a member of the Oakwood Planning Commission, and in his leadership roles with Oakwood Rotary and Oakwood Relay for Life. In addition, Steve is highly knowledgeable in both the ongoing operations of the city and the spectrum of issues and opportunities it faces. He has demonstrated a thoughtful approach towards problem solving and a strong ability to communicate Oakwood residents demand excellence in every aspect of our city. Those we place in city council leadership roles should be no exception. Steve has the knowledge, passion and experience to be an extraordinary council member. I urge you to vote for Steve Byington on Nov. 6th. Laura Mercer Retain incumbents As we near the 2007 fall election, I feel it is necessary to provide some clarification regarding comments being made by some candidates seeking positions on the Oakwood City Council regarding the Sugar Camp redevelopment. I have been long time member and current Chairman of the Budget Review Committee, which includes 37 citizen members representing each of the precincts in the city. I know of the extensive discussions and analysis provided by city council, staff, this citizens group and other citizen assemblies regarding the plans for the Sugar Camp redevelopment. The results from this combined effort by the city and these citizens provided a framework for the redevelopment of the last and largest economic development opportunity in our community. The approved plan for this site attracted proposals from many interested parties, which resulted in the current plan being implemented by OIG and Versant. When completed, the new Sugar Camp development will lower Oakwood residential property taxes by approximately 9 percent and commercial property taxes by approximately 23 percent. This will occur without denying funds to our schools, which receive 70 percent of property tax dollars. The increase in income tax revenue will be approximately $250,000 per year. The added income tax dollars allows inflationary cost increases to be addressed without seeking new taxes by the city. Along with providing empty nester housing, the property tax reduction and added income tax revenue aspects are most important to our citizens. All of city council, including incumbent candidates, Bill Duncan and Stanley Castleman, provided the leadership to accomplish these benefits. In addition, council provided necessary financial support to help expedite the project in a manner that does not delay property tax reduction to our citizens. This tax relief will encourage citizens to support the Oakwood school levy. This support for our schools is a strong motivation for both Duncan and Castleman. I urge the citizens to reelect Bill Duncan and Stanley Castleman. Dave Dickerson Wrong information from Bain campaign Dear Oakwood Citizens, Candidate for City Council Nancy Bain has the following information on her campaign website and a similar statement in an ad appearing in the Oakwood Register: “Oakwood has spent or plans to spend millions of dollars on projects that in some cases seem questionable. $750,000 to re-landscape the front yard of City Hall for the second time in several years.” This is totally false. From the time we viewed the piles of mud at the completion of the building renovation until today, we have spent $95,421 to landscape the front, side and back of the property, including an irrigation system. We have done no re-landscaping on the site, nor do we plan to do so. Giving misinformation to citizens does them a great disservice. Sincerely, Retraction... Candidate Nancy Bain acknowledges the mistake in referring to the project as a front-yard re-landscaping effort of City Hall and acknowledges that the $750,000 (actually $950,000) refers to the Park Avenue Streetscape Project. Bain regrets the error. Economics of the Nov. 6 election Will the Sugar Camp Development as proposed lessen the tax burden of existing Oakwood residents? Short Answer: YES. Long Answer: To lower the tax burden of existing Oakwood residents in the long term, the S.C. development must bring in more in tax revenues (whether from property or income tax) than it costs in increased service expenditures. The development has the potential at build out of Who am I going to vote for in the Oakwood City Council races? Short Answer: Duncan, Castleman and Byington. Long Answer: Duncan and Castleman have been associated with a progressive City Council that has looked carefully at the proposed Sugar Camp developments and then moved forward aggressively with appropriate public investment to lock in a development that will earn a high rate of return on that public investment. Byington makes sense to me because a man who owns a beagle must have a nose for the truth and be constantly reminded of the relative limitations of humans. Richard Stock, Ph. D. Economics School levy needed now Dear Oakwood Voters, We agreed to serve on a committee for the Oakwood School’s levy campaign this fall. We committed to serve after we were convinced that the levy is needed to sustain the quality of education in Oakwood. After asking tough questions of the administration, reviewing the finances of the district, and learning how schools are funded by the State, we have come to these conclusions: The property tax levy is truly needed now. Without its passage, the school board will be forced to lay off teachers, increase class sizes, and cut programs in order to avoid a deficit. If it fails, a larger levy will need to be placed on the spring ballot because of lost funds from the previous year. The manner the State of Ohio funds school districts forces us to come back to the voters every few years because there is no growth in revenue with the increase in property values. This problem is not unique to Oakwood, but perhaps we are hurt even more given our lack of a business tax base and our demand for quality education. To keep pace with inflationary growth of expenses, schools must return to their voters routinely for more funding. The district tries to save money every way possible. The school administration evaluates programming and staffing annually. The district has taken many steps to keep costs significantly below what other high performing and local districts spend per pupil. Property values in Oakwood have appreciated higher than the greater Miami Valley. A levy failure would hurt property values in Oakwood and make homes tougher to sell. The school board and the independent Business Advisory Council looked at many financial scenarios before deciding on a 6.5 mill levy - the minimum necessary to achieve continued financial stability for the Oakwood Schools. Oakwood Schools do not maintain high cash balances and try to live within their means. For example, the current replacement cycle for computers in the classrooms is 7 years. The Oakwood community does not have the highest effective tax rates in Montgomery County. The Oakwood Schools do not spend the most per pupil compared to other districts. The Oakwood Schools do have great academic results. We consider this VALUE. In conclusion, we urge you to support this Oakwood School’s operating levy on Nov. 6. It is needed now to maintain our district’s excellent record. Sincerely, Examine candidates’ stands on issues I’m writing to thank the League of Women Voters and the Oakwood Register for holding Thursday’s forum for the city council candidates. It was very informative and enlightening. I only wish that it occurred earlier in the election season, so we could have had more of them and have more attendees. I came with an open mind, but I left the forum profoundly embarrassed by what I heard from three of the candidates: Ms. Bain, Mr. Hager, and Mr. Pruitt. And I wasn’t embarrassed for them; I found out quickly that neither of them possesses enough humility for that to matter. No, I was embarrassed for those in the community who take them seriously as candidates for three very important seats in our city government. All three of them confessed to not participating in any community forums, boards, councils, etc. that are connected to the council and discuss planning and other issues. Ms. Bain, in her own words, believes her qualifications are that she is a woman, and that she cares about trees. She also said she has no knowledge of how the city budget works, and had to ask Mr. Duncan about tax policy. Mr. Hager was profoundly unprepared for this forum, and repeatedly went off on tangents that were light-years from the question at hand. He said that he’s only running because he was “dragged” to run. Mr. Pruitt believes his qualification is to be a No vote in the council. He said repeatedly that the council has nothing but Yes votes and apparently unanimous agreement in the running of our city is a bad thing. Also, to supporters of Mr. Pruitt: if your candidate shows up to a forum held less than two weeks before the election reading from notes, a forum where the questions were furnished to him ahead of time, then your candidate does not have a firm grasp of the issues, nor of his stands on them, and he probably won’t be any more informed come January. Stunning. We all have issues that we feel strongly about in this city, but the one overriding concern we all have is to keep Oakwood what it is – a vibrant, connected, safe, growing community. In order to do that, we need council members who are participating in the community, and not just out to be an obstacle or as a vanity display. My good neighbor, please take a moment to examine all of the candidates and pay close attention to their experience and their true stands on important issues. Ted O’Connor Byington the right choice Steve Byington is the right choice for city council. Unlike the other non-incumbents, Steve doesn’t believe in negativity. He doesn’t believe that the council has somehow lost its integrity as Mr. Pruitt and Mr. Hager claim. Nor does he believe that council has engaged in a slew of backroom deals to sidestep the political process, as Ms. Bain alleges. Steve’s performance at the Oakwood Register’s recent candidates forum shows that he is well suited to address the city’s challenges in the years ahead. He didn’t flip flop on issues (Pruitt), evade questions by going off on tangents (Hager), read pre-drafted answers (Pruitt), punt on answering financial questions (Bain), or advocate that council violate the law (Bain). Steve answered each question head-on and held firm to his positions. Steve doesn’t believe that we should turn soccer fields in to wetlands like Ms. Bain. Nor does he believe that the city should limit private property rights under the guise of “historical preservation” like Messrs. Hager and Pruitt. Rather, Steve believes that the city should foster development in a manner that benefits private property owners and all Oakwood citizens. I urge you to vote for Steve Byington for city council. Marty Beyer Bain, Hager and Pruitt for a change It was about 20 years ago that the citizens of Oakwood stood up to a city council that was arrogant, out of control, and out of touch with the citizens. Very simply, we voted them out. It is time to do that again. Time and again this council has gone against the wishes of the community and rushed forward with the project of the day regardless of the long term consequences to the city. On the front page of your paper last week, our mayor proclaimed that the prospective 71 single-family residences at Sugar Camp would “reduce our property taxes.” How? By lowering the current value of our homes by adding 71 single family residences to the “for sale” list with over 150 in the city still waiting to be sold? And where will these homes be built? Are we really supposed to believe that there are 71 The two incumbents are sure not running on their records. Their campaign ads fail to list their major accomplishments as council members, so I will touch on the highlights. 1) Authorized the purchase of an apartment complex by the city (with our tax dollars) in order to tear it down to build a parking lot for a private developer who built a building on HIS parking lot. If it is still allowed, we should thank God that this council was not offered the opportunity to purchase the Brooklyn Bridge! Now that we know what the current council has done for (to) Oakwood, we now need to decide who we should trust our city to for the next several years. Eliminating the incumbents, we have five possible choices. Since I know that so many of you highly value my opinion, let me suggest three: Nancy Bain, C. William Hager and Andrew Pruitt. These three have the best chance of bringing stability to a runaway council. Thay are independent, thoughtful, and care deeply for this community. They are also the three that the current cabal would least like to see elected because they would not have carte blanche to act as they please. In another era, Messrs. Byington and Vanderburgh might have been viable candidates. However, as a current member of the planning commission, Mr. Byington is a de facto incumbent and Oakwood is in desperate need of a new direction. Mr. Vanderburgh has had the least to say and that is a welcome change in a would-be politician. However, in this case, one has to wonder about his stance on the issues and it is too important this year to take a chance on an unknown quantity. Please vote for change on Nov. 6, for the good of Oakwood - Bain, Hager and Pruitt. Tom Wild School levy reasonable and responsible I can only recall back to 1942 when I entered kindergarten at Smith Elementary (some of you may be able to go back further than that); but throughout these past 60 plus years the Oakwood School System has been “top notch” - the envy of the area. That should tell us all something. For me it says that our citizens have always considered the schools in our community important. My father, when he moved to Dayton from Louisville, KY, moved into Oakwood because of the school system; and that was in 1942. I personally had a wonderful experience in my K through 12th grade; couldn’t have asked for better. My father was a very staunch Catholic, but he didn’t send me to either Holy Angels or Chaminade, not because they weren’t good, but because Oakwood was so much better. After high school and college I left the area, and didn’t return until my 40th high school reunion. Upon returning I found Dayton to be much worse off than when I had left; but I also found my old high school to be even better than it was when I was a student there. Wow! What a surprise. I was so impressed that I left a really wonderful position in San Antonio, TX to return with my family so that my children could experience the same great times that I had those many years ago; and I have not been disappointed. My oldest son just graduated last year and received a 4-year Army ROTC scholarship to Ohio University. I attribute that to the education that he received at Smith elementary school, the junior high and the senior high school. My second son is currently in the 9th grade; and he, too, is having a wonderful experience in the classroom and with the marching band; and my daughter is now in the 8th grade, and she and her brother benefit every day from the outstanding teaching that takes place in our classrooms. What is all that worth? It’s really hard to place a dollar figure on it. Maybe it’s priceless, I don’t know; but I do know that it is worth going to the polls in November and voting “YES” for the operating levy. I would also like to say that being a member of the Business Advisory Committee for the past four years I have seen first hand how our money is being spent within our school system. As far as I am concerned it is one of the best run “businesses” I know of; it is both efficient and productive. What more could anyone ask? It is never easy for any of us to vote for an increase in our taxes; I know that’s true in my case today; but I also know that I have a responsibility, just as my father had a responsibility some 60 plus years ago. We all have a responsibility to continue to provide the best education possible for our children. What better gift can we give them? Bill Loftus Bill Duncan an excellent choice Bill Duncan is an excellent choice to be retained on City Council. He has served our community well, balancing the challenging issues of growth and community interests while respecting all views. He has an excellent record of community service with leadership prominent in all his participation. If Bill is retained on City Council, he will continue to give 100 percent effort to the interests of the citizens of Oakwood, who he has served well for the past four years. I urge you to use your vote on November 6 to retain Bill Duncan. 3 will maintain integrity, values I had the pleasure of viewing and listening to the city council candidates at the Candidates Forum at Harman School last week. It occurred to me that we should choose city council members like we do our doctors or our spouses. That means that we don’t just seize on the first person to talk to us or appeal to our emotions or fears. We don’t fixate on one concern either. Instead, we search for someone who is patient, cooperative, reflective, knowledgeable, has proper skills of research, decision-making, and consensus-building. That person would also have good “people skills” and does not throw mud or ridicule on others. Observing Bill Duncan, Stan Castleman and Steve Byington as well as listening to them over the last two years has convinced me that they have the knowledge, understanding, and balance to reach responses and solutions which are in the best interest of all Oakwood citizens. They will maintain the integrity and values of all of us. Do vote for Duncan, Castleman, and Byington! You will continue to be proud of Oakwood. Carol Holm |
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