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Neal: City needs to fix streets, bring back bus service

Hamilton City Council candidate Larry Neal answers a question during the Decision Hamilton 2009 candidate forum Sunday, Oct. 19,at the Harry T. Wilks Conference Center at Miami University Hamilton.

Staff photo by Nick Graham Hamilton City Council candidate Larry Neal answers a question during the Decision Hamilton 2009 candidate forum Sunday, Oct. 19,at the Harry T. Wilks Conference Center at Miami University Hamilton.

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By Richard Wilson, Staff Writer 8:56 PM Wednesday, October 28, 2009

HAMILTON — In his second bid for a Hamilton City Council seat, Larry Neal said he wants to see the new council get in touch with small businesses and residents.

Neal said streets need to be fixed and people in the community need more transportation options, like bus service.

“We are the county seat and it makes no sense to me why we continue to die while all around us continues to progress,” he said.

Plans to develop the riverfront might be a good idea, Neal said, but Council must find a way to involve East Side residents in the planning process.

“Nobody from the East Side is on any of these committees,” he said. “Nobody is going to support a plan that affects their lives when they weren’t included in the planning process.”

Neal said the city needs to invest in the small businesses that are already in the city to promote job growth. He said Council needs to hold the administration more accountable and be more cautious on decisions that involve using general fund revenue.

“We can’t spend more money than we have coming in. You can’t continue to operate a city that way,” he said.

The city needs to find a way to take advantage of its municipally-owned utilities, Neal said.

“I represent those people who don’t have a voice,” he said. “I still hear the same complaints that I heard five years ago. That means someone is not listening or someone doesn’t care.”

City Council candidate Larry Neal

Age: 46

Occupation: Kohl’s Warehouse in Monroe.

Education: Hamilton public schools, bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Bronte International University in Philadelphia.

Having grown up in the Second and Fourth wards, Neal worked 12 years in the juvenile court system and serves on the Hamilton Utilities Appeals Board. The Lindenwald resident is co-chair of the Hamilton Community Council.

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just the facts:

I agree with you. I hope Larry has the guts to do just that and to take on the Fire Union.

GG Hamilton
12:46 PM, 10/29/2009

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If GM or GE or Toyota were to come to Hamilton and tell the city that they were thinking of building a plant here, the city fathers would bend over backwards to give them tax abatements, breaks on start up costs, construction assistance and utility deals to get them to bring their business to our town. We have a downtown thats dead. What would be the matter with getting small businesses that are already located in the city's outskirts the same incentives to move to downtown!? Larry's right on!

just the facts
9:55 PM, 10/28/2009

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