There are eight 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 October and reposting all their answers together in the first week of November. Answers will be posted in order they're received. Our first candidate, Jim Lynch, is featured below.

Jim Lynch
www.Lynch4UA.com

If the election were today, would you vote for or against the school levy and why?
I’m a home-grown product of UA schools, and with two kids now at Tremont Elementary, my wife and I have made the decision to support the levy. But, we also understand the concerns of others in Upper Arlington – including those without school-age children – and respect their decisions.

What qualifies you to be on Upper Arlington City Council?
I believe I can add significant value to City Council with my life-long knowledge of Upper Arlington, its people, traditions and values.  I want to use my 25 years of public policy communications experience – in senior roles with The Ohio State University, Ohio Office of Budget & Management, and state government – to help UA improve the ways it speaks and listens to residents about key issues impacting our neighborhoods and quality of life.

If you had a magic wand and an unlimited budget, what infrastructure project you would implement?
I would upgrade our public green spaces: for recreation, health and wellness, and the simple enjoyment of nature.

Looking around Central Ohio, give an example of a community you think is doing it right and one that’s doing it wrong. What could Upper Arlington could learn from both? 
Clintonville does a great job of fostering a strong sense of community and inclusiveness.  Upper Arlington does that as well, but we can always do more to benefit from new ideas and more diverse perspectives.

Communities that struggle are those that give in to endless sprawl.  That may not be a problem for land-locked Upper Arlington, but we need to work with businesses to foster smart, responsible economic development that’s sensitive to our neighborhoods and existing business community.

At Pencilstorm, we all have a love of music. In that vein, what's your favorite album and why?
Watershed’s “Brick and Mortar.”  Duh!

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.