HILLTOP PRESS
Your Community Press newspaper serving College Hill, Finneytown, Forest Park, Greenhills, Mount Airy, Mount Healthy, North College Hill, Seven Hills, Springfield Township
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2012
Greenhills water project almost done By Jennie Key jkey@communitypress.com
Roads and traffic are just about back to normal in the southwest part of Greenhills, where a water main replacement project spanning 10 months is winding down. Evonne Kovach, Greenhills muicipal manager, said it’s always good to have road work done at no cost to the village. She said the project affected at least 10 streets in the A, B, C and D sec-
tions. Mike Caster, service foreman for the village, said while the actual work started in December, the project has been planned for a couple years. Kyle Buckley, project manager for the Greater Cincinnati Water Works, said the Greenhills project was one of the waterworks’ ongoing replacement of aging water mains. “This was a large replacement project for us,” Buckely said. “We replaced 13,500 linear feet of water main; that’s two and half miles.” Buckley said Greater Cincinnati Water Works keeps records
on breaks and leakage for the water mains and the frequency in maintenance is one of the criteria that determines where replacement will be done. The new water main is laid in a trench alongside the old main, and the roadway is restored over the trench. Buckley said the project cost the water works about $1.8 million. He said the mild weather last year gave the contractor a good opportunity to work through the winter. “That helped with a lot of our projects,” Buckley said. “We may still have some restoration to do,” Buckley said, “But the project is almost complete.”
By Jennie Key jkey@communitypress.com
Greenhills voters are being asked to renew a 3.89-mill operating levy that officials say helps pay the day-to-day operating expenses of the village. Greenhills Councilman Glenn Drees says this renewal will not increase taxes, and if it does not pass the village will have to cut services. Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes says the levy will generate about $193,000 per year. The estimated cost to the owner of a home with a market value of $100,000 is $100.37 per year, or $8.36 per month. Drees said Greenhills is seeing the same significant reductions in income as other local gov-
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ernments. The village has seen total revenue from all sources drop from $6.8 million in 2008 to $3.8 million last year. He said there Drees are a number of reasons for the decrease. He said the the total valuation of Greenhills’ properties dropped from $65.4 million in 2008 to $53.6 million in 2012. “This means that village property tax income has dropped by more than 17 percent during the last four years,” he said. Drees says personal income has also declined and that means the 1.5 percent income tax is producing less revenue for the village. In the past four years, he said, income tax receipts have decreased by more than $200,000. There was also the loss of the $82,000 the village received from the Local Government Fund from
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Luken says he provides a choice By Kurt Backscheider kbackscheider@communitypress.com
Ohio. The impending loss of income from the inheritance tax will also draining income from the village. Drees said the village had been receiving an average of $286,000 annually from the inheritance. The tax has been eliminated and the revenue for the village is going with it. The councilman said the village is making cuts to offset the loss of income, reducing total expenses from $6.3 million to $3.3 million since 2008. “We have refinanced debt, held off raises for employees, renegotiated contracts, delayed capital expenditures, and eliminated expenses that were not considered critical,” he said. Drees said the village must make more cuts if the levy renewal doesn’t pass, including that the village may no longer pay for Rumpke trash pickup. He said the service costs
State Sen. William Seitz is seeking re-election to his final four-year term, but he’ll have to defeat a fellow Green Township resident in order to keep his seat in Columbus. The Republican incumbent faces Democratic challenger Richard Luken this November. Seitz was appointed to Ohio’s 8th Senate District in 2007, and was elected to the seat in 2008. Prior to serving in the Senate, he spent seven years representing the 30th District in the Ohio House of Representatives. This election year marks Luken’s second bid for office. He ran to represent the 30th House District in 2010 and lost to Robert Mecklenborg. Luken A computer consultant and website designer, Luken said he seeks to represent the 8th District because democracy means having a real choice. “On Election Day you can only have a true democracy if everyone has a choice,” he said. “Having opposition is important.” He said he decided to run this year particularly because the Republican party has shown itself to be more concerned with winning elections than governing. He disagrees with the state legislature’s district realignments, and said the gerrymandering hurts the integrity of the democratic process. “It has ensured a lot of our votes are not of equal weight,” he said. “That is not democratic if we believe in the principles of our government.” Luken said he is also against
See RENEWAL, Page A2
See SENATE, Page A2
Greenhills asks for tax renewal Funds would be used for village operating costs
Banquet lauds Vincentians, volunteers
BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS
Ron Briscoe of the John R. Jurgensen Co., operates an asphalt roller as his crew finishes repavement work in Greenhills. JENNIE KEY/THE COMMUNITY PRESS
Project replaced mains in 10 months
HONORS B1
TOP TEACH
RITA’S KITCHEN
Margie Ferguson is a trailblazer and teacher of the year. See story, B12
Spooky treats for your Halloween parties See story, B3
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Seitz,
CANDIDATE INFO RICHARD G. LUKEN
Party: Democrat Age: 56 Residence: Green Township Education: BA in English, Ohio University; MFA Ohio University Real life job: Computer consultant; website designer Political experience: N/A Web site: www.Luken4OH.com
WILLIAM J. SEITZ
Party: Republican Age: 57 Residence: Green Township Education: BA University of Cincinnati, 1975; JD University of Cincinnati Law School, 1978 Real life job: Attorney at Taft, Stettinius and Hollister; 1978-present Political experience: Senator, Ohio Senate 8th District, 2007-present; Representative, Ohio House of Representatives 30th District, 20012007; Green Township Trustee, 1994-2000; Member, Cincinnati Public Schools Board of Education, 19901993 Web site: www.ohiosenate.gov/ bill-seitz.html
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Vol. 75 No. 36 © 2012 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED