CITY OF LOVELAND COUNCIL (Includes Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren Counties)
4 to be elected – 4 year term
Andy Bateman – 901
Tim Butler – 2009
Pamela Gross – 799
Barry Kuhn – 704
Neal Oury – 1912
Ted Phelps – 1875
Rob Weisgerber – 1833
Stephen G. Zamagias – 341
Andy Bateman – 347 E. Loveland Ave.
Clermont County Votes – 193
Hamilton County Votes – 610
Warren County Votes – 98
Total Votes – 901
Tim Butler – 1102 Hickory Ridge Ln.
Clermont County Votes – 454
Hamilton County Votes – 1370
Warren County Votes – 185
Total Votes – 2009
*Pamela Gross – 343 Huntington Dr.
Clermont County Votes – 139
Hamilton County Votes – 571
Warren County Votes – 89
Total Votes – 799
Barry Kuhn – 806 Kenmar Dr.
Clermont County Votes – 139
Hamilton County Votes – 509
Warren County Votes – 56
Total Votes – 704
Neal Oury – 401 Lowell St.
Clermont County Votes – 483
Hamilton County Votes – 1254
Warren County Votes – 175
Total Votes – 1912
*Ted Phelps – 137 Pheasantlake Dr.
Clermont County Votes – 436
Hamilton County Votes – 1263
Warren County Votes – 176
Total Votes – 1875
*Rob Weisgerber – 240 E. Loveland Ave.
Clermont County Votes – 435
Hamilton County Votes – 1230
Warren County Votes – 168
Total Votes – 1833
*Stephen G. Zamagias – 212 Thomas Paxton Ct. Zamagias was appointed to serve the unexpired term of Linda Cox after her resignation.
Clermont County Votes – 66
Hamilton County Votes – 238
Warren County Votes – 37
Total Votes – 341
*Incumbant
(The unexpired term term (till 12/02/2019) of Mark Fitzgerald has yet to be filled). Fitzgerald resigned on 8/14/17 rather than face a recall election this November. The other members of the current council whose terms expire in 12/02/2019 are, Angie Settell and Kathy Bailey.
LOVELAND CITY SCHOOL BOARD (Includes Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren Counties)
3 to be elected – 4 year term
Michele N. Pettit – 2953
Ned Portune – 2961
Eileen Washburn – 2963
Dave Blumberg (Write-In Candidate)* – 403
*We will report on election night how many write in votes were received. It is not until the official count that we will have a true total of “valid” write in votes.
The other members of the current Board whose terms expire in 12/31/19 are, Kathryn Lorenz, Ph.D. and Art Jarvis. Tim Taggart was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Linda Pennington. The term ends after this November’s election. This Board position is one of the open seats you see above (3 to be elected – 4 year term).
HAMILTON COUNTY ISSUES
ALCOHOL, DRUG ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES
Links associated with a candidate’s name are to the Candidate Statement provided to Loveland Magazine. Go HERE to read all of Loveland Magazine’s Election News PUBLISHED IN 2016 – 2017
CeeCee Collins, President of the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance said she was very pleased with the number of residents who turned out to hear from City Council candidates.
Loveland, Ohio – “Our hope was to allow the Loveland voters an opportunity to meet each of the candidates that are running for Loveland City Council and hear their position on specifics issues and topics. We were pleased to see the largest crowd ever at a City of Loveland Candidate Forum,” said CeeCee Collins, President of the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance. On Thursday, October 26 The the Chamber and Loveland Magazine sponsored a Meet the Candidate Night at the Loveland Intermediate School.
Moderator for the evening was Judge Brad Greenberg a former Loveland Mayor and now a resident of Symmes Township. Pastor Bill Hounsell selected the questions that Greenberg asked of the candidates. The questions were submitted by the more than eighty residents who attended. “We would have liked to get to more questions asked to each candidate, however, it is invaluable to put a face, personality, and position in context with their yard-signs before going to the polls on November 7.”
The forum was broadcast live on Loveland Magazine’s Facebook Page and 24-hours later, more than 1,500 people have viewed portions or all of the forum.
Collins said, “In addition, thanks to Loveland Magazine, we were pleased to offer the forum to those unable to attend in person via Facebook Live. Overall, the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance feels that the voters in the city are better prepared to vote because of the forum.”
Many of the audience had to stand when chairs ran out at the forum to meet the Loveland City Council candidates.
Candidates Andy Bateman, Tim Butler, Pamela Gross, Barry Kuhn, Neal Oury, Ted Phelps, and Rob Weisgerber were there to answer voter’s questions. Candidate Stephen Zamagias did not attend.
“We appreciate both Pastor Bill Houndshell, Judge Brad Greenberg, the staff of the Intermediate school, and Business Manager John Ames for their time in helping,” said Collins.
The video is embedded below as a rebroadcast.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE:
Loveland Magazine Publisher David Miller
Love it or hate it, Facebook served the Loveland community very well Thursday night. New technology, love it or hate it, served the Loveland community very well as well – in bringing the forum to voters that could not attend in real time. We brand our videos, LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV because residents embracing new technology can view Loveland’s “First TV station in this fairly young, 21st Century” right in their living room, whether on a smartphone, a tablet, or a smart television. Viewers could even comment in real time on how the candidates were answering questions.
In addition, Loveland Magazine is extremely grateful for the old-timey things that happened last night. Judge Brad Greenberg’s and Pastor Bill Hounsell’s call to duty, volunteering to stand in the spotlight putting their personal reputations on the line, making the forum fair and impartial to both the candidates and to the voters who attended. And we are very grateful for the old-timey call to duty of all of the residents who attended acting out their civic responsibility to be better-informed voters.
We are also so very appreciative of the calm and polite demeanor both audience and candidates displayed throughout the evening.
Personally, I want to thank CeeCee Collins, President of the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance for all of her attention to detail in ensuring that each candidate felt comfortable with the forum’s agenda, never an easy task when interacting with candidates vying for political office.
LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV is TV on the Go and on-demand with a smart-phone. It may not be long before you witness our videos being projected on the wall of a living room or bar by a viewer who owns one of the new phones that come with “projector adapters” that project video images onto a wall of up to 70-inches. We are pleased that readers are embracing the new technology we are using and we are always open to your suggestions on how to improve and pay for those improvements.
Imagine the feeling of being wrapped in a wave of support that would sweep you toward a cherished aspiration. It won’t happen overnight, but this little girl won’t be alone on her path.
Loveland Sweets is a purveyor of hand-crafted chocolates, caramels, marshmallows, and ice creams. Our house-made candies are prepared in small batches.
Loveland Sweets is a purveyor of hand-crafted chocolates, caramels, marshmallows, and ice creams. Our house-made candies are prepared in small batches.
Barry Kuhn is a candidate for Loveland City Council and provided this Candidate Statement to Loveland Magazine.
Loveland Magazine invites all candidates for public office in the 45140 zip code or within the Loveland City School District boundary to send a similar Candidate Statement for publication. Send to lovelandmagazine@cinci.rr.com
My name is Barry Kuhn, and I’d like your vote for Loveland City Council on November, 7th.
I have been a resident of Loveland for over 40 years. This has allowed me to see the progress our city has made over the years in making Loveland a place where people are want to live, and raise their families. I am involved in several local organizations, and feel that I have a good understanding of the things that our citizens want from their local government. My experience of the last few years serving on the city’s Finance Committee has exposed me to the budget process, and where our tax dollars are being spent. I am also the Vice-Chairperson on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Serving the city in this capacity has allowed me to develop strong working relationships with the various departments in City Hall. My experience in the business world has allowed me to develop leadership skills, and the ability to partner with different groups in working towards our goals. I am also an effective communicator. I plan on leveraging all my experience in making myself successful as a member of City Council.
Our city has gone through some tough political issues this year. My top priority will be increasing the amount of communication between City Council and our residents. I will be looking for opportunities to expand resident participation in decisions that are made regarding city owned land development, city policies or ordinances that effect organizations or businesses, and other matters that directly impact them. My goal would be to hold quarterly or semi-annual town meetings so that a dialog can occur outside of City Council chambers. This will allow our residents an opportunity to have their voices heard and have their questions answered. Another priority will be to review the City’s Charter, and its’ ordinances. Our city has changed over the years, and I believe that our Charter may need updating to change with it. I support both the direct election of our city’s Mayor, and term limits for our elected officials. These changes would require a Charter Amendment. City Council should take an active role in ensuring that our Charter is serving the citizens of Loveland. Another top priority would be to repair the relationships between City Council and our local Chamber of Commerce, Farmer’s Market, Amazing Race, and other organizations and businesses that make our city a great place to live. We need to view them as partners, and collaborate with them instead of viewing them as enemies. We’re all in this together, working towards the same goal. Making our city the best that it can be.
Thanks for your consideration. If you have any questions, or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly at barryk98@gmail.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Please excuse the quality of our recent video work from the Loveland City Hall council chamber. After the City recently hired a Public Information Officer (PIO), LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV, USA-Today videographers, and Cincinnati Area TV stations have been put into a small corral to one side of the room, and the podium was placed so that when the public rises to speak, they have their backs toward the audience and our camera. We have talked to the PIO, City Manager and the Clerk of Council about how this arrangement significantly degrades our video, “The old set-up allowed a video camera to swing back and forth between those at the podium and the council table. That arrangement had been used for decades.”
Our plea has fallen on deaf ears. The PIO, however, did respond saying, “Unfortunately, the arrangement of the media area will not be moved to accommodate better angles at this time.”
So, for the time being, LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV is forced to show butts instead of faces, except when Councilwoman Pam Gross uses the podium. (See this recent video)
[/quote_box_left]Loveland, Ohio -Business owner and former Councilmember Tim Canada, and residents Diane Powers and Barry Kuhn want the community and Loveland Council to consider changes to Loveland’s Charter. Their proposal is for voters to directly elect the Mayor and Vice-Mayor, and to implement term limits for all members of City Council. They are presenting several proposals for Council to consider. They want Council to initiate putting the question to voters on the November ballot. However, if Council fails to do so, the three pledge to circulate Initiative petitions and get enough signatures so voters can make a decision this November.
Canada appeared at the July 11 Council meeting to explain their proposal.
Later in the meeting Council member Pam Gross made a motion to direct the City Solicitor to give Council a report on the process for a Charter amendment and to also prepare a report on how a “Charter Review Committee” would work. The motion passed 6-0. Mayor Mark Fitzgerald was not at the meeting.
Cc: City Administration, Council Clerk, Media personnel
RE: Open Forum Statement – June 27, 2017 – Governance: Elections
From: Diane Powers, Main Street, Loveland, OH
Note: This was the essence of my statement that I planned to make at Tuesday’s Council meeting prior to the abrupt adjournment. Thought sending it to you all now and making it a part of the City’s public records for citizen communication would keep at least my position open and transparent to everyone.
I want to address Council to share my thoughts on the governance of “We the People”—we citizens of Loveland. I feel there is a fundamental difference between politics and governance. Politics is a focus on the past, manipulating facts, and building small alliances and favoritism that are not representative of the citizens. What it appears we have now, and have had for the last 15-20 years. Governance, on the other hand, is how our elected officials and public employees interact with the citizens to create a community that improves the quality of life by ensuring equal opportunities and access for everyone. As elections are once again coming up in just over 4 months, I feel it is important to state my perspective of the difference and why my efforts are focused only on improving governance. [quote_right]If we want to fix the now, we have to fix the how.[/quote_right]
It was during the height of some of this campaign toxicity, about a month ago, I had made a statement on a Facebook “conversation” (and I do use that term lightly) that, “If we want to fix the now, we have to fix the how.” How we choose the leadership of Loveland. How we ensure the city does not stagnate under a system of “status quo”. How we communicate a vision for the city’s future and elect the individuals most in-tune with setting policies to bring the vision into existence – our Mayor and Council Members. How we citizens address how we want to be governed.
Simultaneously, it appeared to quite a few people that a good start to “fixing the how” was 2-fold:
To move to direct election of the Mayor. This will eliminate the equivalent of Loveland’s “Electoral College”—in essence, 4 people/Council Members—that select the Mayor. It will also require individuals seeking the office of Mayor publicly declare it.
a. Provide for the Council Member receiving the most percentage of votes in Council Member elections becomes Vice Mayor.
2. To establish term limits for all elected officials.
Attached are 2 DRAFT Motions for each Item that were created with verbal input from a number of Loveland citizens. Establishing the language of the ballot measure and change to the municipal code is most definitely open to and, asked for, respectful dialogue from each and every Loveland citizen, Council Member, and the Mayor. I have also attached reference municipal code for Direct Elections from Beavercreek, OH and Cincinnati, OH. Both are local, comparable City Manager/Mayor-Council forms of government. We see these as building blocks for the final ballot language. They are what Tim Canada, a stakeholder in Loveland, was going to bring forward for Council consideration at the Tuesday session. We will be prepared to move this forward via a ballot initiative with necessary eligible voter signatures if Council does not.
It would be encouraging to see any or all Council Members, including the Mayor, demonstrate they are truly independent thinkers and voices and want to let voters decide critical issues by showing their support of the Motions and offering to officially bring these to Council for discussion and potential vote. Having a symbolic “John Hancock” signature on the informal Motions would go a very long way in demonstrating an ability to govern and not just engage in politics as usual. (This was for the Draft Motions at the meeting. At this point, an official Motion from any/all of Council desired.)
Lastly, it is also important to note that “my voice” is used to improve governance and not to campaign for anyone. Who I support is declared at the ballot box with my vote. I would love to say there is a person running that I trust their integrity, authenticity, intelligence, independence, and ability to communicate (listen to all sides of an issue) but I am not seeing these leadership qualities emerge. There’s four months remaining—someone, anyone, please step up.
Thank you for your consideration.
Diane Powers
Main Street
Ordinance Language for Motion – Sample Beavercreek
Proposed language to Replace SECTION 2.05 ORGANIZATION AND MEETINGS and SECTION 2.06 MAYOR AND VICE-MAYOR.
Six (6) Council members shall be elected as Council members at large to four (4) year terms on a rotation of three (3) members selected in one election and three (3) members selected in the next. This rotation will begin with three (3) persons being selected at the 2019 November general election and three (3) selected at the 2021 November general election and will continue at the November general election in subsequent off numbered years. The Mayor shall be selected by separate ballot to a four (4) year term beginning at the 2019 November general election and each four (4) years thereafter.
(A) Term Limitation.
(1) In no case shall any person be elected to either the office of Council member, Mayor, or a combination of the two offices, for more than two (2) consecutive terms of four (4) years each; provided that the term served in filling a vacancy or unexpired term shall not be considered as part of the two (2) consecutive terms of four (4) years each.
(2) Following the election to two (2) consecutive terms as either Council member, Mayor, or a combination of the two offices, no person shall immediately thereafter be eligible for election to either office, or a combination thereof, until a period of one (1) term consisting of four (4) years has elapsed.
(3) No person who has been elected to two (2) consecutive terms as Council member, Mayor, or a combination of the two offices, shall be appointed to fill a vacancy or unexpired term until a period of one (1) term consisting of four (4) years has elapsed since that same person last held office as either Council member or Mayor.
(4) Present members already elected to more than two (2) consecutive terms as either Council member, Mayor, or a combination of the two offices, shall finish the present term to which they were elected.
This proposed Charter amendment shall become effective from the time of its approval by the electors and shall apply to all present Council members and Mayor.
SECTION _______. QUALIFICATIONS.
The Mayor and each Council member shall be at the time of election or appointment, and shall remain throughout the term of office, a qualified elector of the City.
The Mayor and each Council member shall begin their term of office on the first day of January following their election. The Mayor and each Council member shall take the oath of office on or before the first day of January.
SECTION ______ OFFICERS OF THE COUNCIL.
The officers of the Council shall be the Mayor and Vice Mayor.
(A) Mayor. The Mayor shall have the right to vote on all issues before the Council but shall have no power of veto. In addition to the powers, rights, and duties as a Council member, the Mayor shall preside at meetings of the Council, shall be recognized as head of the city government for all ceremonial purposes, by the Governor for purposes of military law, and by the courts for civil process involving the City. The Mayor is recognized as the Chief Executive Officer [Executive Officer] as required by the Ohio Revised Code for purposes of declaring an emergency, but not for any action other than as required by declared emergencies. The Mayor may by ordinance have judicial powers and shall perform all other duties prescribed by ordinance or by resolution of the Council not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter.
(B) Vice Mayor. The Vice Mayor shall exercise all the power and perform all the duties of the Mayor in case of temporary absence or disability. The City Council Candidate receiving the highest number of votes from City electors at the most recent November general election in an off numbered year will be the Vice Mayor and will serve as such for the first two (2) years of his or her term. If the office of Vice Mayor becomes vacant, the successor Vice Mayor shall be the member who received the next higher number of votes at the most recent rotation election of Council members. If it is not possible to identify a successor in that manner, the Council shall choose a new Vice Mayor at its next regular meeting. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Mayor, the Vice Mayor will serve as Mayor until such time as the vacancy is filled in accordance with Section _____ of this Charter.
I have been a resident of Loveland for over 40 years. This has allowed me to see the progress our city has made over the years in making Loveland a place where people are want to live, and raise their families. I am involved in several local organizations, and feel that I have a good understanding of the things that our citizens want from their local government. My experience of the last few years serving on the city’s Finance Committee has exposed me to the budget process, and where our tax dollars are being spent. I am also the Vice-Chairperson on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Serving the city in this capacity has allowed me to develop strong working relationships with the various departments in City Hall. My experience in the business world has allowed me to develop leadership skills, and the ability to partner with different groups in working towards our goals. I am also an effective communicator. I plan on leveraging all my experience in making myself successful as a member of City Council.
![[VIDEO] Tim Canada proposes term limits and direct election of Mayor/Vice Mayor](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/maxresdefault-10-100x65.jpg)
