Elona Hamilton: Candidate for Avon Township Clerk

Name: Elona Hamilton

Age: Candidate did not respond.

Family: Candidate did not respond.

Education: 2004: Coldwell Banker - Real Estate Education 2003: Clayton College - Natural Health 1979: Chrysalis/Alvernia High School

Occupation: I am the managing broker/owner of Hamilton Realtor Group, a real estate brokerage firm specializing in distressed properties and consultation for distressed homeowners.

Previous Elected or Appointed Offices: N/A

Other community involvement: -Girl scout leader for 9 years -Past Board Member for Calvary Christian School -Prince of Peace, Member -L.U.C.I Award (Leading Us in Commerce and Industry) - 'Businesswoman of the Year in Lake County for Manufacturing" (1999-2000) -$350,000 of inventory

Position sought: Avon Township Clerk

Campaign E-mail address: Candidate did not respond.

Campaign committee: Avon Action

Campaign Website: www.avonaction.com

Campaign Facebook: www.facebook.com/avonaction

Campaign Twitter: Candidate did not respond.

Why are you running?

I am so excited to be part of a group that has started such great things for the people of Avon Township. Our goals are a continuation of the outstanding things members of the Avon Action Team has already started. A transparent government is foremost, as it is essential for the process of the next two goals. To continue down the already paved path of reducing spending and unnecessary costs for tax payers.

In what ways would Avon Township benefit from your service?

I am a self-starter, detail oriented, I work well under pressure, am able to always find the needle in the haystack, all the while meeting any deadline. No job is too small or too large, especially as it relates to public service. I have managed 116 employees for the better part of 15 years; I can multi-task better than most. Keeping tasks flowing, forecasting, and troubleshooting is where I excel. I started a manufacturing company located in Avon Township; I built the company from very little to a five million dollar corporation. I employed mainly Avon Township residents. I have had my real estate brokerage since 2009, I have managed to ride the storm of the real estate crash, and know that my vast experience in managing records, people, family, a household, and business will certainly be a great asset to the people of Avon Township.

What is the biggest challenge the township faces and what should be done to address it?

As the Avon Township Clerk, I believe a significant challenge we face is ensuring we continue to modernize the disbursement of public information and educate residents on Township activities. I believe this is a unique challenge for township government because in many aspects it has become an outdated layer of government, often not needed in the collar counties. With this said, as long as Avon Township is around it is my job to make sure the public is informed and the Township is as transparent as possible. I am proud that Avon Township uploads its financials onto our website, including audit reports and tax levy information. Over the next term, I will make it a priority for the Avon Township website to become a shining example of local government transparency, showing even more financials and the flow of taxpayer dollars. I also believe taxpayers should be able to clearly see how taxpayer focused Avon Township has been over the past four years, returning salaries, lowering tax levies, and eliminating wasteful spending. These are important actions to highlight because these actions are an unfortunate rarity in government. Ultimately, I will give the taxpayer the ability to see exactly where their money is going, why it is going there, and the financial restraint the Township exercises. We’ve accomplished tremendous things at Avon Township and the public should know we are part of the solution to lowering property taxes, not the problem.

What do you think the township does well?

In Avon Township, where most of the township is incorporated under a municipality, there are little mandatory responsibilities. I believe Avon Township should be at the forefront of emergency assistance, specifically helping seniors and veterans with staggering property tax bills. While I am committed to seeing reforms in the Township Code that reduce redundancies and property taxes, it is my job as clerk to be certain that all business is conducted in a professional and transparent manner and all residents' suggestions and concerns are heard.

What should be some of the township's priorities over the next several years?

There are very few expenses and programs that the clerk controls. However, I fully support Avon Action's platform that we must save taxpayers money on all fronts. Toward these ends, I will promote additional reductions in overhead and always be on the look out for additional ways to control costs.

What else would you like voters to know?

I’ve lived in Avon Township for decades. I absolutely love our community and its vast diversity. I’ve run businesses here, employing many Avon Township residents not because it ironically happened this way but because I wanted it to be this way. Employing local residents was a good business decision but more importantly a good community decision. I wanted local employees to feel that they didn’t just work for the company but rather they were the company, taking ownership and turning it into something they helped build. I look at my public service the same way and I want local taxpayers to feel the same way. Public servants, accountable to you – the taxpayer, have led Avon Township. We answer to you and to you only. We’ve heard from you that property taxes are too high and we couldn’t agree more. This is why we helped build, at your direction, a fiscally responsible Avon Township.