Colerain Township Board of Trustees

I greatly enjoy the work and the continuous opportunity to meet with people; thank you to the
hundreds of residents that have personally contacted me to help resolve various neighborhood issues and improve our community. If you are going to do this job, make yourself easily accessible. I can always be reached 7 days a week at 513-404-3057 or by email at dunger@colerain.org

Hamilton County Convention Facilities Authority - Board Member

This is the 11 member volunteer board whose purpose is to maintain the Cincinnati Convention Center and the Sharonville Convention Center while providing support to local communities for marketing and convention business.

This volunteer board is composed of appointments from the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners; appointments from the City of Cincinnati, appointments from other cities located in Hamilton County and one appointment from the township association. I am that representative and I continue to serve. We meet 4-6 times per year, depending on activity.

As a board, we oversee the pool of funds collected through hotel room taxes. These funds support the Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau and are also used for maintenance and improvement of convention facilities located in Hamilton County.

It is interesting service and has allowed me great experience in working across various entities.

Northwest Local School District Board of Education 2008-2015

Took responsibility for and instituted numerous improvements to advance the confidence and trust of the public. Specialization of legal counsel to handle various needs which resulted in reduced legal and settlement expenses.

Strengthened internal policy to improve employee discipline and morale.

Chaired meetings following Roberts Rules of Order with no process of meeting issues.

Solicited RFP for a new district architect, replacing a two decade incumbent, which resulted in many new “first time ever” vendors bidding work, bringing new ideas, lowering costs and ultimately providing funding to replace Taylor, Struble and Pleasant Run schools with new buildings.

Hired a CPA with 11 years experience in the State Auditor’s office to be our new treasurer, resulting in much needed modernization and improvement.

Worked with then State Treasurer Josh Mandel to make Northwest the very first of 612 public school districts in Ohio to post our detailed expenditures online in a searchable database.

Explained and publicized these many changes, which helped pass the first new building program in 16 years and the largest single modernization program in the now 66 year history of the district.

The new 2015 combination bond issue and operating levy rate was slightly lower than the tax rate it replaced, which made the 2016 school tax rate for property owners a few dollars less than the previous rate, making it the first time since 1971 that taxes actually decreased in real dollars.

Great improvement in relationships with other local governments, including the Colerain Township Board of Trustees.

Hamilton County Commissioners Tax Levy Review Committee 2005-2017

Volunteer Service 2005-2017 for Commissioner(s) Portune, Heimlich, Pepper, Hartman and Monzel to review existing levies and expenditures per county policy.

I had chaired reviews of the Cincinnati Zoo Levy, the Museum Center, Senior Services Levy and Family Services Levy.

I served on committees to review the other levies that are on property tax bills. Made numerous recommendations for cost savings and each renewal recommendation was AT or BELOW the level of inflation, none higher.

I toured most of the agencies that receive property tax dollars including but not limited to Talbert House locations, the Justice Center, UC Hospital, Anna Louise Inn, non-public areas of Union Terminal and the Zoo.

I also served on committees to review Hamilton County Public Library Funding and the Stadium Tax Fund.

Other Activities and Hobbies

Active Member – St. James Church Father’s Ministry, Clippard YMCA, Germania Society, I enjoy fixing things, home updates, personal auto repairs, appliances etc. I have been taking adult piano lessons for the past ten years and appreciate and understand the importance of music education for persons of all ages.

Personal

Married to Jeanne, (career pre-school teacher), 2 adult children, (teacher and a software engineer) hosted a foster student during his 4 years of high school and he is now an RN (we are very proud of him) and hosted a German Exchange student for 18 months, who now teaches English in a German High School in Paderborn. I work full time for a private sector specialty service business.