As part of CityBeat's continuing election coverage, we’ve once again sent a questionnaire to the non-incumbent Cincinnati City Council candidates to get their reactions on a broad range of issues.
Nine of the 14 non-incumbents chose to answer our questions. Others either didn’t respond or couldn’t meet the deadline.
During the next few weeks, we will print the responses from the non-incumbents to a different topic each time.
Today’s question is, “Do you consider the operation of public swimming pools to be an acceptable function of municipal government?”—-
Mike Allen (Independent): “Yes. Every effort should be made to keep the pools open.”
Kevin Flynn (Charterite): “Not just acceptable, but a necessary function of our city.”
Nicholas Hollan (Democrat): “Swimming pools are not only an acceptable function of government but a critical function. Pools are a source of neighborhood pride, a welcome relief to the summer heat and a diversion to keep our youth occupied and off the streets. We must maintain funding for the current number of pools.”
Patricia McCollum (Independent): “Recreation is funded as a service provided by the city and it is the cities responsibility to oversee operations of these public facilities.”
Catherine Smith Mills (Republican): “Swimming pools are very important to our children and our communities. The city has not, in recent years, had the funding to keep them all open. We have been very fortunate that community members and leaders step in to support our pools. To ensure long-term support and operation of pools, we need to pursue public-private partnerships to keep them open. ”
Sandra Queen Noble (Independent): “Why not? The municipal government is accountable for childhood poverty.”
Jason Riveiro (Democrat): “Yes, it is part of creating safe and healthy neighborhoods. We cut them every year, and every year we collectively agree we should re-fund them.”
Chris Seelbach (Democrat): “Absolutely. Our public swimming pools not only raise the quality of life for tens of thousands of children, of all income levels, each year, they give kids a safe and well-maintained place to play. Kids enjoying our swimming pools and learning how to swim are safer than those 'playing' in our streets.”
P.G. Sittenfeld (Democrat): “Yes, I do – and have even helped generate private support to sustain them.”
