QUESTION: What are the reasons you are running for county commissioner?

BOOZEL: Many reasons.

With my background being what it is and working in the social services, I've worked in government, I've worked in for-profit and all those things, and then you add in emergency services, I think my background has been a training ground to be able to provide the best services possible.

When it comes down to making decisions, I would hope that whoever is sitting in that seat has experience in that decision-making process; they're able to think through how each decision will affect each party, each person.

QUESTION:What services should Butler County provide it's senior citizens? Should its 10 senior centers remain open or should some or all be closed or consolidated?

BOOZEL: I know it's a hot button; unfortunately, some people have made it hotter than it should be.

I really think that, working with the seniors, knowing that there's a reason for the changes coming, it's not somebody's wild idea. Understanding the full impact of what the proposals are and how they will affect each resident.

I've had a lot of discussion with the director, and I've had a lot of discussions with the senior center staff. What I found is that, while it was quoted by me that seniors don't like change, but it's coming, the reality is, change is not always bad.

I'm OK with keeping all of them open temporarily while we make a transition until we have a really good plan.

I think that there's some benefits in the model that is being proposed. One of them is enticing younger seniors, which, working in the senior high-rises for many years, I know that some of the younger seniors often are a support system for older seniors, and that's not happening currently at the senior centers. If there's a way to bring the population up in the senior centers, they should be doing that, absolutely.

But I also see it as an opportunity for private industry to step up and maybe maintain some of those systems that are already in place and expand. I think that if we look at it as an ongoing opportunity, we'll be fine.

I think the seniors need some transition time and really to work through it and feel a part of it and feel that their voice is being heard.

QUESTION:What is your view of the county budget? Should revenue increase to meet rising costs or should expenses be cut? Explain your specific proposals.

BOOZEL: The idea behind raising taxes is never going to be a comfortable one, nor do I think it should happen.

I do believe that more of the state's responsibility is being removed and the local government is being pushed to do more. That doesn't mean we can't maintain what we have. There could be more efficiencies.

I know, working in the social services world, that sometimes we have several agencies providing similar services. I know that in the private industry that's common; it's called competitive business. I really think that there's ways we can slim and make things more efficient, including using some technology.

I think, from what I've seen in the county, that some efficiencies could be increased. I was talking to the election director, Shari Brewer, and she was saying that she's looking at better technology and a better way to handle the system, and I think that's the way we need to look at it. Look at efficiency first.

I'm fully against raising taxes; I'm not going to do that, if I have a say about it. We have to protect our seniors and make sure they are able to afford living here, as well as new families.

QUESTION: How much should the county commissioners and county residents be allowed to talk at commissioners meetings?

BOOZEL: Being a resident currently, and still being a resident as a county commissioner, I will make sure that voices are heard in multiple ways.

I think that the public forum is one way. I do believe that people should have the ability to speak out at the public forum. There has to be time limits because otherwise someone may push it to the limit where you have to have a rule.

But, in actuality, one of the things that I feel is not happening is that the voices of the people are not being heard.

So there's different ways. I have instituted peer groups, focus groups; I think that's an important way to get the message across, including the seniors.

A great way would be to bring them together in a meeting and have a full, open, transparent discussion, as opposed to having it at a public meeting, where you can have a couple of representatives to bring that back. As opposed to having a full out discussion at a public meeting; I wouldn't be in favor of that, but I am in favor of letting people speak, and speak their minds. Yes, absolutely.

QUESTION: Explain what you think should be the role of the county commissioners in their oversight of county agencies such as the county housing and redevelopment authority, the county industrial authority, the tourism bureau and the planning commission?

BOOZEL: The reality is that they were formed as a quasi-government to pull some of the pressures off. And we're not a home rule (state) here, so the authority stays with the authority.

However, I can see in some of the practices in some of the agencies that there could be an argument to have a home rule, and to reassign some positions. However, at the current time, we're not there; I don't see that happening.

So I'm going to stay in reality and say that the county commissioners need to be aware of and attend meetings, make sure that any decision making is not a surprise to them. They should be fully engaged with each of these entities, and expect some transparency and some accountability.

That's where I would come in and make sure that each of the authorities are not overseen, but, obviously, attended.

QUESTION: What role do you think the county commissioners should have in economic development in the county?

BOOZEL: A large role. I think that county commissioners are really representative of the county as well, so if they don't understand what the needs and the focus of new development are, or if we're looking to entice different revenue, that has to be a cooperative effort.

As far as development, director of planning, municipalities, really need to be involved, and I really don't see that happening. Aside from Cranberry and Buffalo and some of those other townships that are growing and doing quite well at it, I see some of the central and northern parts of the county that are kind of left there out on their own.

I think that as a part of that economic development, we need to include and make sure that we're looking at all of Butler County equally and make sure that they're developing, or at least have the supports necessary to develop, not only from the county commissioners, but from everyone in the county including economic development and redevelopment authorities.

QUESTION: What role do you think the county commissioners should have in helping to coordinate with community services such as water and sewer authorities, emergency medical services and bus transportation?

BOOZEL: Obviously, sewer and water is a large cost; they need to be part of the plan of economic development. Infrastructure has to be placed there.

But I think the burden should ride on the resident. I think it has to be a part of a coordinated effort to bring in commercial industry to help cover some of that infrastructure.

Of course, we want to provide the best service to the residents as far as emergency services, 100 percent we need to be involved. It's about making sure that they have the tools and equipment.

Ninety percent of all fire companies are volunteer, so, if we can't at least provide them with the tools that they need to do their job, then we've really set them up.

As far as the cost goes, there's always going to be a cost. County government assumes part of that and we need to make sure that each of these entities are going after state and federal dollars as much as possible. And we'll help them do that; part of our job is to help them coordinate all of those things.

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