by Sam Smith

Loveland, OH- On Monday, December 4th, Loveland City Council held elections for mayor and vice-mayor. After months without a mayor following Mark Fitzgerald’s resignation, Loveland unanimously voted 5-0 to elect Kathy Bailey as mayor and Rob Weisgerber as vice-mayor. Former vice-mayor Angie Settell refused to vote as she “could not remain impartial”.

The packed city council meeting saw a handful of regular attendees move from the audience to the governing body. Neal Oury, Tim Butler, Ted Phelps and Rob Weisgerber were victors in the November election. Weisgerber and Phelps, as a result, retained their council seat. The meeting began by swearing in newly elected members Oury, Butler and Weisgerber into office. 

2017 Election Results

Pamela Gross and Stephen Zagamias were defeated in their bid to be re-elected. Since Mark Fitzgerald’s resignation on August 14th, Loveland has operated without a mayor. Previous vice-mayor Angie Settell called the meeting to order and immediately addressed the open mayoral seat and called for nominations; Bailey was the only nomination. She was approved by five members of the council with Settell refusing to vote.

Mark Fitzgerald resigns as Loveland Mayor and councilmember

Bailey has been a Loveland resident for 22 years and raised children in the city. Bailey has been an assistant prosecuting attorney for Hamilton County since 1992. She has a B.A in sociology with a focus on criminology from Miami University and attended the J.D. University of Cincinnati College of Law.

Bailey will miss her first meeting as mayor (and the first missed meeting since being elected to council) to pick up her daughter, Kaitlyn, from Ft. Sill in Oklahoma where she is completing advanced millitary training.

“We are all here because we love serving this city. I’m honored to be given the opportunity now to serve your city as your mayor,” Mayor Bailey said in her acceptance speech.

This story was updated at 7:20 AM, 12/8/17


9 COMMENTS

  1. We will do the same thing to Mayor Bailey as she did to Mark Fitzgerald if she fails to toe the line.

    • I think you have it wrong. We will do the same thing to Mayor Bailey as WE (not she) did to Fitzgerald. Of course I think Fitzgerald did it to himself & nothing I’ve seen from Kathy Bailey suggests there would be any issue. You couldn’t watch the last 6 months of Fitzgerald’s reign of terror without coming to the same conclusion. Election results further prove that as the 4 became 1 (who somehow couldn’t be impartial). At that rate she might never be voting.

    • ^ this!

      I think it means “could not stop pouting”.

      Loveland Magazine / Sam Smith, thanks for reporting on these newsworthy events.

      I find it puzzling that city hall didn’t push out anything about this (via Twitter or email) on Monday or even Tuesday – or at all. There’s also nothing at http://www.lovelandoh.com! Announcements about water rate hikes and applications for the council vacancy make the homepage’s “In The News” section; certainly swearing in new council members and electing a new mayor ought to be worthy of mention too!!

      What’s up with that?!

      • There you go … The Fires Center of Excellence … once exclusive home of Field Artillery, a recent Garrison Commander who was raised in Loveland Thought that might be what you meant. Thanks for the correction.

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