Miami Student

Issue date: 10/30/07 Section: Community

Oxford citizens meet Wednesday, Oct. 24 at the League of Women Voters candidates forum to discuss issues and candidates' platforms running for various city positions in the upcoming Nov. 6 election.

The League of Women Voters of Oxford is working to help Oxford citizens make informed decisions about the upcoming Nov. 6 election.

The league held its annual Candidates Forum Oct. 24, which allowed the public to meet the candidates and gain information about the issues at hand through a question and answer session. The league also created a voters' guide that was distributed at the forum with information about the election.

The forum featured the candidates running for the open positions in the Oxford City Council, the Talawanda Board of Education and those running for the positions of township trustee and township fiscal officer. Each set of candidates brought a set of issues to be discussed.

According to Mike Crowder, candidate for school board and Miami University chemistry professor, Issue 16 was one of the major issues of the night.

"Issue 16 seems to be the hot button," Crowder said.

According to the voters' guide put out by the League of Women Voters, Issue 16 is a tax levy for the Talawanda City School District that would raise the income taxes to .25 percent for 28 years for renovations for the schools. Issue 16 would also issue bonds for the construction and the proposed plan to renovate and rebuild schools in Oxford to improve the quality of education.

This issue was subject to heated debate at the forum with two very opposing viewpoints.

"Whenever a tax issue comes up for schools in the district, people get very emotional," Crowder said.

Another important issue that was discussed included the proposed Charter Amendment that would exempt uptown from the three dwelling per unit rule to attract more businesses.

According to the voters' guide, the density of apartment buildings on the lots in Mile Square is currently limited to three dwelling units per lot. The amendment would allow the council to exempt the three dwelling unit within Church, College, Walnut and Campus streets.

The third issue that was discussed at length was the replacement of the tax levy passed in 2002 for Reily Township firefighters, which would provide and maintain more fire equipment, buildings and water supplies. While Oxford citizens will not vote on this issue, but was widely discussed at the forum.

Continued...

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