There are seven candidates running for four seats on Upper Arlington City Council.  Pencilstorm asked each of the candidates five specific questions centered around issues that impacted Upper Arlington residents and questions that were being raised by fellow voters.  Pencilstorm will be posting their complete and unedited answers individually throughout September and reposting all their answers together before the election. School Board candidates will appear in October. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our first candidate, Jim Lynch, is featured below.

Jim Lynch
www.Lynch4UA.com

What makes you qualified to have oversight of the $72 million city budget?
As a current member of UA City Council and from my previous experience as a senior staff member of the Ohio Office of Budget and Management, I have a solid understanding of public sector fiscal policy. As a member of council, I have continually monitored the city’s budget and spending priorities to ensure that we keep our community on a strong financial footing. I am proud to report that Upper Arlington’s budget has never been stronger and the nation’s leading bond-rating agencies recently reconfirmed Upper Arlington’s AAA rating. On council, I championed an independent performance audit of city operations and helped create a citizens task force to help us develop a blueprint for staying fiscally strong. Ensuring fiscal stability requires continued diligence and if re-elected I’ll continue to vote against unnecessary city spending.

What steps do we need to take so that the new community center is the best it can be for all Upper Arlington citizens?
Overwhelming support for the ballot issue to construct a community center was driven by a transparent, citizen-led effort that required extensive communications with the public.  As a member of council, I will continue working to ensure that our city government is effectively engaging the community over the next several years as we design, construct and operate this facility. Just as important, with the construction and operation of our new community center we will need to keep a sharp eye on the city’s budget and spending priorities to maintain Upper Arlington’s solid financial footing.

Much work has been done over the past two decades to improve the financial well-being of our city. What are the next steps we need to take for our parks and pools as we continually improve?
The City of Upper Arlington recently completed a comprehensive review of our park system, and those findings are providing a blueprint for needed improvements over the next 10 years. We can’t be afraid to spend funds to preserve these assets, but that must be done in a fiscally responsible way. As a member of council, I have been proud to support this important work and help launch the necessary improvements to these vital recreational assets that are so strongly supported by our community.

Central Ohio is the fastest growing area in the state and the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission projects we’ll have 3 million residents by the year 2050. What are two things Upper Arlington needs to do to maintain its position as one of the best places to live in Central Ohio? 
Job creators and potential new residents are attracted to communities that foster a culture of inclusiveness and value high-quality educational opportunities. Make no mistake, while Upper Arlington is a great community to work, live and raise a family, we still must compete with other communities for new residents and businesses.  That’s why we have worked hard and need to continue efforts to improve city infrastructure and services, polish up our parks and other community assets, and upgrade our school buildings.  Fortunately, our community took a major step forward in keeping us competitive by approving a new community center at Kingsdale.  This new facility will strengthen the fabric of our community by bringing people together.   

We also need to continue our efforts to become more welcoming and inclusive. As a member of council, I am proud to have helped champion the creation of a Community Relations Committee with diverse members to help ensure that we are doing all we can to make sure Upper Arlington is known as a welcoming place for all new residents.

Here’s a fun question. We’re all musicians here at Pencilstorm and are excited about the return to live music. What band or performer are you most excited about seeing live again?
I’ve long been a sucker for live music, so after 18 months of living through a pandemic, I won’t be picky, but I love that band Watershed. Anyone remember that? They’re awesome.

Pencilstorm would like to thank Jim Lynch for taking the time to answer our questions.  Learn more about Jim at his website: www.Lynch4UA.com.  Look for responses from future candidates in the coming days. Pencilstorm is an independent news source and does not endorse any individual candidate.

Local UA Politics coverage provided by Wal Ozello. You can email him at Pencilstormstory@gmail.com or try to catch him at Colin's Coffee.