November's election will produce a new City Council.Thirty-five individuals are running in the non-partisan election. Voters can choose up to nine candidates, in no particular order. The top nine candidates will win at-large seats on Cincinnati City Council. Below is a list of candidates (in alphabetical order) running for City Council who have responded to a WLWT questionnaire asking for information. WLWT will update this story as more responses come in. Jalen Alford Has not responded to candidate questionnaire.Tom BrinkmanParty affiliation: RepublicanNeighborhood: Mt. LookoutWork experience: Life Insurance Sales. Currently the elected State Representative from Ohio House District 27 serving almost 15 years in CbusWhy should voters support you? Corruption has taken over Cincinnati City Hall. Two former council members in jail and three under indictment is enough. We need change and Issue 3 is the change that will cut down on the opportunity for corruption among our City Council members and Mayor. My candidacy is focused entirely upon cleaning up the corruption that robs of us of the focus and public funds to address the big problems that face our city. Issue like crime and housing.Join me and vote YES on Issue 3.Jaime CastleParty affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: Mt. WashingtonWork experience: Teacher for Cincinnati Public Schools Why should voters support you? Just like my Congressional run in 2020, I am in this For The People! I am an educator and mother and will lead with empathy and integrity, prioritizing ways that our city can empower people with resources and opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty through quality education and skills training that will lead to better wages and home ownership. We will be choosing, in addition to nine new councilmembers, the path which our city will take for a decade to come. It is time that we put citizens and small businesses first and grow our city in an equitable and sustainable way, aiming to be a model city for others and not the city that is behind. We can fix our zoning codes, streamline the tax abatement program, prioritizing development in neighborhoods needing investment and in projects that include affordable housing. It is overdue that our communities have a voice and true representation, and I will be accessible, transparent, continuously looking for ways to offer citizens the best services and the least waste, being a good steward to your tax money and your trust.LaKeisha CookParty affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: WestwoodWork experience: I gained a B.A in Political Science. I have experience in youth engagement, education, public health, affordable housing, mental health, resource development, employment specialist, FEMA grants and development for communities.Why should voters support you? I am running for Cincinnati City Council, to ensure we are continuously using community-based assessments to provide services for all 52 neighbors while Cincinnati grows. I believe we need updated blended policies to allow our neighbors to thrive. I plan on creating opportunities for economic development with environmental sustainability at the forefront. The top five issues I am focused on are affordable housing, public safety, youth engagement in collective impact initiatives, and revitalizing neighborhoods. Creating a city-wide initiative that aims to prevent gun violence, domestic violence, and youth violence by engaging the community. I will focus on building infrastructure to deal with the problem long term. Increase African-American homeownership and previously owned homeowners, by updating tax abatement. I aim to stabilize and strengthen neighborhoods by creating affordable housing. Creating a collaborative effort to track all of the programs that are being provided for the youth. The collaborative would outline gaps in the community that need to serve the youth and their families. Creating a Mobile Health Crisis Unit of mental health specialists to address non-violent mental health calls to 911. We have an opportunity to work together to improve our city and support each other, please join me in these efforts.Jeff CramerdingParty affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: Price HillWork experience: Labor Lawyer (American Association of University Professors at the University Cincinnati), Price Hill Will (founding board member and board chair), Parks Foundation (board member), Center for Alcohol and Treatment (board member), Kids Voting of Southwest Ohio (board member), Cincinnati Recreation Commission (advisory committee), Chamber of Commerce Ballot and Issues Committee (member), United Way Public Policy Committee (member)Why should voters support you? As a child, I was raised with the belief that Cincinnati was the greatest city in the world. This belief and passion has translated into my civic involvement. I have experienced City Hall as a council aid, a neighborhood activist, a political operative, a parks and recreation supporter, and in many other capacities. Although I have never run for council, I have unparalleled experience with City Hall and I understand how city government works (and sometimes why it doesn’t work.) I believe that council must return to its traditional role of 1) setting the priorities for the city; 2) funding those priorities; 3) hiring and evaluating a city manager based on those priorities. Finally, I believe that my experience and understanding of the city government, including the city budget, has positioned me to address difficult issues that face the city.Michelle DillinghamParty affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: EvanstonWork experience: I have years of experience in the non-profit and higher ed sectors that include: Responsible for setting balanced budgets and meeting budget goals; Over 20 years of board experience overseeing financials and program operations of organizations ranging from neighborhood-based to statewide; Public relations, including serving as the face of philanthropic organizations; Public service: I have served in leadership positions for many organizations over the years who are subject to public scrutiny and rely on public funding. Previous offices held include Precinct Executive, Hamilton County Democratic Committee and State Commissioner, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD).Why should voters support you? As a social worker and community organizer for over 20 years, I’ve been working on the toughest issues facing the City of Cincinnati. My work in coalition-building and policy advocacy has made positive change in many settings including affordable housing, food access, public education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. While working at City Hall for former Vice-Mayor David Crowley for four years, I was responsible for drafting legislative proposals, setting policy for human services, gun violence, housing, and the environment. I will bring my experience to City Hall from a long career of helping families facing homelessness, drug addiction, and mental illness, and leading a philanthropy organization. I’ve also served as a Field Instructor and Adjunct Professor for the University of Cincinnati’s Social Work Department for over a decade. My top priorities include:Tax Incentive Reform for Fiscal ResponsibilityNeighborhood Support to Improvement of Quality-of-Life IssuesGun Violence, Community Policing, Housing and Homelessness, and the Environment We deserve a Councilmember who will serve all of us at City Hall, not just the wealthy and connected. Your vote matters, and I thank you for a casting one of your votes for me, Michelle Dillingham.Kevin FlynnParty affiliation: Independent Neighborhood: Mt. AiryWork experience: Real Estate Attorney for 34 years; UC Adjunct Professor (College of Law 27 years, Lindner College of Business 3 years). Cincinnati City Council 2013-2017Why should voters support you? This was not my intended path after I left Council in 2017. Frankly, I didn’t, and don’t, like the naked politics that gets in the way of having an effective and efficient city government. The events of the past couple of years, with 1/3 of the Council being indicted or convicted of corruption crimes, were a call to me to return to serve the city that we love, to restore trust, integrity, and transparency so that people can have faith in city leadership. Council sets its priorities by the funding provided in the budget. Council needs to provide oversight and serve as a balance to the actions of the Mayor and City Manager. Emphasizing the performance audit function and following up to make sure that the Administration is implementing the recommended improvements is a process improvement that no one on Council is doing or wants to do.I am the candidate who understands that the city must take care of: Prioritize Public Safety (Police & Fire); Restore and maintain city infrastructure; and Create Public/Private Partnerships to create a favorable environment for development so that all Cincinnatians have a place to live and a place to work.Jackie FrondorfParty affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: WestwoodWork experience: 4th Grade TeacherWhy should voters support you? As a mother of five young children, a school teacher, and a community volunteer, I am constantly planning, solving, negotiating, caring, helping, guiding, cooperating, budgeting, and protecting. I want to do the same for the people of Cincinnati. Our city government should work for all — not just some — and I am motivated to make that happen. I will focus on supporting safer streets for better pedestrian safety. I will work to start an office of Neighborhood Development to provide a focus on neighborhood business districts to generate community supported growth. Basic city services like litter cleanup and mowing city maintained right of ways are important to me and I will work to ensure they taken care of in a timely manner. Now is the right time for me to serve. I want to make sure Cincinnati is governed by family focused people and I cannot sit on the sidelines and just hope that happens. There has never been a mother of young children elected to Cincinnati City Council and I need your help to end that streak. Please visit www.JackieFrondorf.com to learn more and to volunteer! Thank you!Bill FrostParty affiliation: Charter Committee of Greater CincinnatiNeighborhood: Pleasant RidgeWork Experience: 33 year Engineer at GE Aviation; Previous Offices Held: President of Pleasant Ridge Community CouncilWhy should voters support you? Bill believes that people in power have a responsibility to make a difference to the city. City residents have a right to expect that they can trust in, and have faith in, those that serve them and that the best solution to the city’s problems will not come from any national political party, but from a dedication to doing what is best for the city, no matter who comes up with the solutioThere is no "Republican or Democratic" way to fill a pothole, no "Democratic or Republican" way to recruit business to the City of Cincinnati. Cincinnati's government should be free of partisan politics, and should be led by individuals committed to the city, not the fortunes of their party or their budding political careers. Bill’s belief in the people of Cincinnati and experience of bringing about positive change that benefits communities, has led to Bill’s taking up the 2021 challenge. Volunteering for the residents and businesses of his local community (Pleasant Ridge), Bill gained valuable experience and insights. He now wants to use this knowledge combined with his professional background and technical leadership experience to make positive change benefitting the wider city and its citizens.Brian GarryParty affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: CliftonWork experience: Founder and owner of Green City Ecostruction, a construction company specializing in affordable housing, lead abatements for houses, and managing for Working in Neighborhoods new construction houses with net-zero carbon emissions. Previous Offices Held: Currently Hamilton County Democratic Ward 15 Chair and Precinct ExecutiveWhy should voters support you? My platform is ONE Cincinnati -- Opportunity, Neighborhoods, and Equality. I believe in creating equitable economic opportunity. I believe in building safe, inclusive, walkable and affordable neighborhoods. Above all, I believe in equality for all persons, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, or socio-economic status. My platform revolves around key issues including affordable housing, pedestrian safety, paying a living wage, racial justice, stopping gun violence, affordable and accessible mental health care, and investing in our youth -- all issues that seek to bridge the divides we see in our city.In this year’s crowded field, it’s crucial that voters choose candidates with long histories of serving our community. We need to restore trust in local government by electing known and proven community leaders who have listened to residents even when it isn’t election season and who display integrity when no media is around. We also need new Council Members -- we can’t keep re-electing the same career politicians. We need new ideas to help promote opportunity in Cincinnati.We need to invest in our people, we need to build ONE Cincinnati, where we care for and support each other. That is the Cincinnati I am working toward.Steve GoodinHas not responded to candidate questionnaire.Galen GordonParty affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: West EndWork experience: Sales Manager, Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza; proud first time candidateWhy should voters support you? We need proactive and intentional leadership from our city government. Proactive and intentional about how we attract top-tier corporations, fill storefronts through entrepreneurship and how we incentivize families to stay and/or move back within our city limits. We live in a great city with plenty of opportunities. I want to ensure this feeling is shared by residents in all 52 neighborhoods. I believe in 1) Small Businesses - entrepreneurship and small business are the backbone for stability in our neighborhoods. 2) Equitable Housing - I have a unique perspective as one who has experienced gentrification and eviction, yet rebounded to become a homeowner and landlord. This helps me to have a balanced approach to solving our housing issues. 3) Multimodal Transportation - working families and students need access to quality jobs and healthcare. A robust, affordable transportation network will go a long way in securing those opportunities.Kurt GrossmanParty affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: DowntownWork experience: Worked for Magnavox and Motorola while earning my Electrical Engineering Degree (cum laude) at University of Cincinnati. Worked full time as a law clerk/paralegal with a prominent DC law firm while earning my law degree (with Honors) at George Washington University, followed by a two-year Law Clerk appointment to a Federal Appellate Judge. I returned to Cincinnati where I practiced as a Patent Attorney for over 30 years at Wood, Herron & Evans (the last 25 years as a Partner) before retiring early to pursue community volunteer and advocacy endeavors. No elected public offices, but I serve on a number of local Boards including the Downtown Residents Council, American Jewish Committee, and the Immigrant and Refugee Law Center, and served on the Rights and Safety Committee of Mayor Cranley’s Immigration Task Force.Why should voters support you? My priority issues are:Enact a written Code of Ethics for City Council.Reduce crime by emphasizing community policing, foot patrols, and focusing resources on high crime areas.Address our affordable housing shortage by adopting neighborhood-supported zoning modifications and private and publically-backed fiscally responsible funding plans.Develop tax abatement policies that promote beneficial development without unduly burdening homeowners and schools.Address the root causes of poverty by investing in workforce development and eliminating barriers to work (e.g., lack of childcare).Invest in infrastructure to create jobs, improve our sewer, water, and transportation systems, and fix our roads and bridges.Offer relocation incentives to encourage people who work remotely to move to Cincinnati.I offer voters a unique combination of engineering know-how and legal expertise (I was repeatedly recognized among “Best Lawyers in America”). I am the only candidate in the field who is endorsed by 314 Action, a national organization dedicated to science-oriented candidates.I am not running because I need a job (I am comfortably retired), but to give back to my community. I will donate my Council paychecks to local charities that advance education, job-training, and job creation here at home.Reggie HarrisParty affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: NorthsideWork experience: Former Professional Ballet Dancer, Social Worker, Director of Community Life for an Affordable Housing DeveloperWhy should voters support you? As a clinical social worker who now works in affordable housing, I have witnessed my clients work tirelessly to improve their life circumstances. Through spending years connecting people to healthcare, education, housing, and employment, I know that these services are only effective if the city treats them as a priority. In my current role, I have helped bring millions of dollars to cities across the region to invest in traditionally disinvested neighborhoods without displacing their original residents. That is my area of expertise, and with Cincinnati growing for the first time in decades, we need a voice on council who values and understands how to invest in our most vulnerable communities in a way that centers and maintains the residents that already live there.That is why my platform is centered around community empowerment. This means making community engagement a part of the process in city hall, not an afterthought. This means investing in small and minority-owned businesses so that neighborhoods can thrive. Finally, this means creating the conditions for the expansion of our affordable housing stock so that as Cincinnati grows we are not leaving anyone behind.Rob Harris Has not responded to candidate questionnaire.K.A. Heard Jr. Party affiliation: Green PartyNeighborhood: WestwoodWork experience: Customer Service RepresentativeWhy should voters support you? I want to build back better, continue to create great public safety and make sure our infrastructure stays safe. Building back better for me means that we unify our communities. I want to engage with community councils to see how one growing community strategy or what may work for a growing community could help another community that isn't doing so well. Our public safety is doing a great job under the circumstances that have occurred over the past years. If we can get even better, I’m all for it. I want our police and fire to be the best of the best and set the example for the rest of the nation! Infrastructure needs to be safe for all. Currently living on the west side of Cincinnati (Westwood) and the Western Hills Viaduct is a big problem for our fellow westsiders. I want to make sure our water and streets stay clean. When potholes get created, we get them filled. When snow covers the ground, it gets up in a timely manner! My other other goals are to continue creating opportunities for individuals to earn livable wages, improving our public schools, and programs for single parents. “Once Heard, Stay Heard”Evan C. Holt Has not responded to candidate questionnaire.Nick Jabin Party affiliation: IndependentNeighborhood: Mount WashingtonWork experience: Various Management Jobs, Founder of Change Clothing Nonprofit. - Entrepreneur, Business Owner; community activist Why should voters support you? Hello, I am Nick Jabin and I am a Cincinnati Community Activist I have been aiding and providing local citywide support to individuals in Cincinnati for the past several years, I have independently helped over 24 individuals get jobs and housing or both as well as mental health resources to get back on their feet, I am a true Humanitarian when it comes to taking care of my people and working with them to situate situations and problems in their lives, I work through whatever situation they are going through wether it is getting them a birth certificate, connecting them to businesses for jobs, as well as aiding them and raising resources and funds to enter into housing, I am running for city council because I am 23 and have gone through a lot of traumas and situations of my own and watching my older brother and others suffer through mental depression and sadness, I want to give Cincinnatians a outside inside voice when it comes to inclusion and working directly for and with the people to solve our issues.Mark Jeffreys Party affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: CliftonWork experience: Currently, CEO & Founder 4Sight; former P&G executive of 16 years; founder non-profit go Vibrant. First time candidate other than elected Trustee Clifton Town MeetingWhy should voters support you? We’re at a critical juncture in our city with corruption, the pandemic and a new council. We have major challenges from making our streets safer, improving basic services, creating good paying jobs and building affordable housing. Now is not the time rookies or combative politics. We need Collaborative Leadership – bringing government, private sector, non-profit together to solve our city’s most vexing problems. My experience and results fit that profile. I am a start-up CEO of a company called 4Sight and spent 16 years prior to that at P&G as a marketing executive running brands like Gillette and Pampers. I also founded the non-profit go Vibrant and created the 4.5 acre goVibrantscape at Smale Park with the foot piano and flying pig. But like all of us, I did none of that myself: I had a network of support. I’m the son of an immigrant and grew up working poor. My first job was mopping floors, and was only able to earn my way through college through a union laborer job. Building together is what my campaign is about: let’s solve our most pressing problems by coming together across stakeholders. I have the experience and results to do just that.Scotty Johnson Has not responded to candidate questionnaire.Liz Keating Has not responded to candidate questionnaire.Andrew Kennedy Party affiliation: Independent Neighborhood: Pleasant RidgeWork experience: News Reporter, Sales & Marketing at TQL, Small Business Owner.Why should voters support you? The expectations I have for our city are very high, and I believe you should have very high expectations in your leadership.Over the past few months, I’ve spoken to Cincinnatians in parks, at street corners, and on front porches. In restaurants, at ball games, bus stops, and at picnics.It’s fascinating, you know, as I’ve been talking to folks, no one ever needed to be convinced that a lot is at stake here; and that we need a positive change in city hall. Because whether you’re a democrat, or a republican, or you identify with another party, or identify as an independent, Cincinnati voters understand that our city is in trouble. It’s going to take all of us to vote on November 2nd to set it straight.For me, working for Cincinnati families, like yours, ridding our city hall of corruption, fighting to make a more prosperous Cincinnati, a more united Cincinnati, a better-educated Cincinnati, and a more peaceful Cincinnati, will never be just a job to me. It is my passion and my mission.Greg Landsman Has not responded to candidate questionnaire.Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney Party affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: North AvondaleWork experience: Current Cincinnati City Councilmember; President of Sesh Communications (The Cincinnati Herald; Daddy-Daughter Dinner Dance, Nefertiti Awards), Attorney; Realtor. Served on Avondale Development Corporation, Avondale Community Council, and numerous non-profit boards such as the YWCA, United Way, Walnut Hills Alumni Foundation, The Seven Hills School, St. Xavier Parents Across Cultures, ArtsWave, the Zoo board, and others.Why should voters support you? I was born in Cincinnati, grew up in Avondale and attended Cincinnati public Schools: Rockdale Elementary School and Walnut Hills High School. I graduated from Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School and was in President Obama’s law school class. We brought him here and with other Dems turned Ham. County blue in 2008 – the first time since LBJ in 1964. I was appointed to a vacant seat on Council last year, and am committed to continuing to serve the people of our City. While Cincinnati is growing and developing, we cannot forget that many continue to suffer from displacement, and the absence of opportunity to enjoy the benefits from that growth. I am working on 1) safe and thriving neighborhoods – pedestrian safety, and decreasing gun violence by encouraging community & police partnerships, and by working on underlying causes of violence: poverty, lack of economic opportunity/socioeconomic mobility, job loss, stress, hopelessness. 2) affordable housing – not just for renters, but increasing opportunities for homeownership to allow low and moderate-income families also to build multi-generational wealth, and 3) More economic opportunity by supporting small businesses, MBE & WBE certification workshops, jobs for youth, and pushing for apprenticeship and training programs.John Maher Why should voters support you? My mother, Stefanie Sunderland, introduced me to a life of service through her many years as a volunteer and activist. She was a founding member of CNCURC, a non-profit, volunteer organization created to reverse the housing decline by increasing homeownership. My mom gained support from bipartisan government officials that led to the defeat of the Colerain Connector Project and agreement to allow the land to return to the community. She wrote and was awarded a grant of $123,000 to create Badgeley Run Park and worked with the Cincinnati Park Board to transform 10 of the acres, a 50 year-old illegal dump site, into a beautiful park. She helped establish the Northside Court Watch, which became a paradigm of community input and tracking in the legal process for crimes committed in the community and was among the first residents to participate in the Northside Citizens On Patrol. My mom was a member of the Community Problem Oriented Policing Team.She was involved with the Multi-Neighborhood Housing Task Force, a coalition of ten neighborhoods that worked with City and State officials to establish Ordinances intended to eliminate blighted housing conditions, protect tenants and homeowners and prosecute those involved in criminal investment activities. My mom never gives up, has a sense of community engagement and justice and taught me to do the same. I was shown that anyone can make a positive contribution to their community. I hope to do this very thing if I am fortunate enough to serve on City Council.Peterson Mingo Has not responded to candidate questionnaire.Phillip O'Neal Has not responded to candidate questionnaire.Meeka Owens Party affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: AvondaleWork Experience: After I graduated from Xavier, I started my own small businesses, one doing consulting for organizational development to improve the experience of employees and process. I have been on the board of Make-A-Wish, MUSE Women’s Choir, the YWCA, and Women Helping Women. I currently serve on the board of UMADAOP. In 2016, I was an organizer for the Ohio Democratic Party and Hillary for America based out of Walnut Hills, and in 2018 I organized in my spare time in OH-01. After the election in 2016, I joined the historic administration of Aftab Pureval at the Courthouse, and at the start of the pandemic, I began working as a contract tracer for the county. In 2020, I co-founded the Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative to provide resources to voters to help them navigate the election.Why should voters support you? I am a public servant deep in my heart, my life experience in this city is authentic and my advocacy for everyday families, women and all individuals has given me the ability to not only advocate, but to show up consistently for the values I believe in. I believe all of my experiences up to this point equip me to represent our city well. I walked away from organizing in 2016 with one major takeaway; we need to engage in communities, especially black and brown communities, more authentically. That is my inspiration for the work I do, and why I am running. It has been the impetus of seeing myself in Democracy. I am running because it is important for young women who look like me to see strong leadership at City Hall. I realize that governments at the local level impact people’s daily lives, and it is important that members of this community have someone who not only looks like them, but has similar experiences. This is how we can begin to bring more equity and diversity into City Hall. I am running because I believe Cincinnati can be a model city for this nation in how we provide opportunities for all people, improve policing and our justice system, and how we invest in our families and neighborhoods. We’ve done great things in our city, and I want to ensure that we can continue to build on those things while being equitable and innovativeVictoria Parks Party affiliation: DemocratNeighborhood: College HillWork Experience: Hamilton County Commissioner, Chief of Staff to Todd Portune, Development Director at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Development Director at Women’s Crisis Center, Community Liaison for Congressman Steve Driehaus, 30 years in the private sector and an Air Force VeteranWhy should voters support you? My parents - Civil Rights activists and grandchildren of slaves - taught me at an early age the importance of self-sacrifice, universal love, and community care. Their lessons inspired me to join the Air Force directly out of High School and pursue a career as a public servant. After serving at the Women’s Crisis Center and Freedom Center, I became friends with Todd Portune, and soon his Chief of Staff. I learned the importance of local government and became a fierce advocate for better infrastructure, good union jobs, and improved transportation. When Comm. Portune stepped down for health reasons, I was selected as his replacement for County Commissioner. I got to work creating meaningful change by distributing CARES Act funding to help small businesses, getting the homeless off the street, and authoring the Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis. Sadly, while I was working hard, I looked across town and was embarrassed to see scandal and infighting engulfing City Hall. I realized my journey as a public servant was far from over, took a leap of faith, and entered the race for City Council to restore faith in City Hall, create safe and equitable communities, and build back our neighborhoods.Te'Airea Powell Has not responded to candidate questionnaire.Logan-Peter C. SimmeringHas not responded to candidate questionnaire.Stacey Smith Has not responded to candidate questionnaire.Betsy SundermannHas not responded to candidate questionnaire.Jim Tarbell Party affiliation: Charter CommitteeNeighborhood: Mt. AuburnWork Experience: Concert Promoter, Restaurateur, Entrepreneur. Previous Offices Held: Cincinnati City Council 1998 to 2007Why should voters support you? This is as an important election as we have seen in many, many years. The corruption of the last few years has brought into focus the need for a strong city manager and a council that can put politics and their own interests aside to do what is best for our 52 neighborhoods. We all know the issues—public safety, affordable housing, assistance for those with mental health or addiction needs, public transportation, environmental protection—as well as providing basic services without ignoring our world class parks, arts and culture.The tough part is figuring out how to pay for it all. We need experienced leaders that are willing to take a hard look at our city’s budget to set the priorities and work with city administration, the business community, and community organizations on funding those priorities. Paying for it must include thoughtful economic development that adheres to policies set by city council and negotiated by professional administrators and commissions staffed by the best and brightest.John J. Williams Party affiliation: Democrat/Charter Committee endorsedNeighborhood: Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, for the last year a downtown residentWork experience: 12 years as prosecutor/attorney for the City of Cincinnati, small law firm/solo practitioner, currently in-house counsel for transportation company FirstGroup America. No elected office, but past president of the Cincinnati Bar Association, Black Lawyers Association, ProKids and ProSeniors. Currently on the board of Spring Grove Cemetery.Why should voters support you? My past employment with the City and my experience leading large non-profits who tackle our city’s social issues makes me a uniquely qualified candidate. I will bring integrity and common sense to council. I am known for being direct about my opinions while building consensus.I want to work on increasing the number of city residents that own their own home, look for ways to keep cash-strapped elderly folks in their homes, and preserve our housing stock without tearing it down. I want to purposely dedicate some funding through federal and state grants and developer participation to build more affordable housing units and evaluate smarter and more equitable ways to use tax abatements. I will work on initiatives to create more trust between our police officers and the black and brown communities, by ensuring that the city stays true to the programs committed to in the Collaborative Agreement and encouraging beat cops and programs that allow our minority communities to see police as their allies. This will create more cooperation to reduce violent crimes in the neighborhoods that need it most. Finally, all 52 of our diverse neighborhoods need to be listened to and work with city council through better interaction with neighborhood councils and other prominent neighborhood champions.