LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: joe braun

  • Blair gets Bailey nod for vacant council seat

    Blair gets Bailey nod for vacant council seat

    Loveland Mayor Kathy Bailey – File Photo

    Loveland, Ohio – On Wednesday, Mayor Kathy Bailey announced she has selected Kent Blair to fill the vacant seat on City Council. The council seat has been vacant since the resignation of Mark Fitzgerald on August 14 of last year. Blair will serve the remaining two-year’s of Fitzgerald’s term. Blair is expected to be sworn into office at the next council meeting scheduled for January 9.

    In a press release, Bailey said she conducted personal interviews with several candidates before making her decision. “I selected Kent because he shares my commitment to community engagement and transparency,” Bailey said. “The voters made clear this November what qualities they want in their council members, and Kent exemplifies them all. He is committed to working with this new council to make the City proud of the work we do, and the manner in which we do it.”

    Blair had submitted petitions to run for one of the four, four-year open council seats in last November’s election but withdrew from the race when Neal Oury submitted petitions to run.

    The Back Story

    On August 11 the Hamilton County Board of Elections ruled that Oury and the Loveland Community Heartbeat Political Action Committee (LCHPAC) had submitted sufficient petitions to recall Fitzgerald. The petition effort was successful, and could have resulted in a head-to-head race, Oury vs. Fitzgerald, however instead of facing the voters to retain his seat, resigned. That left Fitzgerald’s seat open and Loveland without a Mayor.

    Oury then submitted petitions to run for one of the regular open seats on Council and that is when Blair withdrew his petitions to run. It was an apparent deal with LCHPAC who endorsed five candidates. If there was not a recall election, Blair would withdraw making room for Oury’s name on the ballot. Others receiving the LCHPAC endorsement were incumbents, Rob Weisgerber, Ted Phelps, and newcomer Tim Butler. 

    Fitzgerald stepped down as Mayor at an August 14 meeting so that he could still cast a vote on who would be the next mayor and vice-mayor. The votes were 4-3 in favor of then vice-mayor Angie Settell and then, council member, Pam Gross. After the meeting was over, Fitzgerald distributed a letter that he was resigning from Council. The attempt to elevate Settell to Mayor was later ruled illegal by City Solicitor Joe Braun because there wasn’t proper public notice of the meeting. Braun also ruled that the council seat would remain open until new council members were sworn in on December 4 and a new Mayor elected. Bailey was elected Mayor.

    About Kent Blair

    Kent Blair is expected to be sworn into office at the next council meeting scheduled for January 9.

    In announcing his withdrawal from the ballot, Blair said on August 18, “I was one of nine candidates on the ballot for four City Council seats. When I was first asked to consider running, I made it clear to all that, while I want to serve, and believe that I would do a good job, the main outcome of the election must be removing the existing majority on Council. To help achieve that, if necessary, I would withdraw my own candidacy so that the full support of those in Loveland who share my goal could be focused, laser-like, on four candidates for four seats. With the recall election no longer a possible ballot question, the mathematics of the race have changed. It is in celebration of that victory, and in keeping with my commitment, that I have withdrawn my name for the ballot for November, and strongly urge any and all who share my views of the future of our city to support now and cast your votes when the time comes for Rob Weisgerber, Ted Phelps, Neal Oury, and Tim Butler.”

    Blair is employed at U.S. Bank where he is an investment advisor and broker. He is a 12-year resident of Loveland and dad to a senior at Loveland High School. He has been a member of the Amazing Charity Race Committee since its inception and as a 7-year coach of SAY Soccer.

    In announcing his candidacy Blair said he would advocate for transparency and resident engagement. At the top of his list for reform is the makeup of the Community Improvement Corporation. Blair added, “I am a strong supporter of accountability of elected officials to the people they serve. I believe in process, good stewardship of resources, an expectation of inclusion, and sensible growth. Loveland should stand for all of the residents, not the few who lead it. Development of a future master plan must be approached with an emphasis on community representation, not strategic power plays that benefit only a few.”

    Bailey added, “I appreciate and thank all of those candidates who applied. This was a very tough decision, but I think Kent will be a great addition to the new council, and I am excited to work with him.”

  • [EDITORIAL] Council and City staff must curb Mayor Fitzgerald’s reign of error

    [EDITORIAL] Council and City staff must curb Mayor Fitzgerald’s reign of error

    by Loveland Magazine Publisher, David Miller

     

    Mayor Mark Fitzgerald announced at the beginning of the May 23 Council meeting that he has instituted a “zero tolerance policy” towards whispering or passing documents during meetings. The Mayor in recent months has used his gavel indiscriminately and in a random manner to quiet the audience attending meetings. He routinely warns them against applauding what their fellow citizen’s say during the open forum portion of meetings. Lately, he has warned citizens he will use the police force to remove anyone who disrupts the meetings

    Less than five minutes later, when Councilwoman, Pam Gross walked to the same podium the public uses, he allows, and joins, in applauding Gross’ presentation. Then, seconds later, when resident, Mike Meldon followed Gross to the same podium, and the audience applauded Meldon’s comments about how important the environment was to the community, the Mayor said he was issuing his final warning about applause and he will be asking the police to remove anyone who, “Disrespects that request.”

    The Mayor was speaking on behalf of all of Council. None objected to the policy. There are two other people sitting at the council table who also remained silent, Dave Kennedy, the City Manager and Joe Braun, the City lawyer. These are the two professionals Council hires to keep them out of trouble. Professionals, who have been hired based on their knowledge and expertise of the law and how a municipality operates within the laws of Loveland’s Charter, the Ohio Constitution, the Ohio Revised Code, and the Constitution of the United States.

    [quote_box_left]No matter, Fitzgerald needs counsel now, and there are nine people who have a sworn duty to deliver it to him, because, sitting on your hands is equivalent to sitting on the Constitution.[/quote_box_left]In addition, the Loveland Police Chief is almost always in the room, another professional the City has hired to protect citizen’s rights.

    Nine people who are sworn to protect our citizens have sat silent and not objected while the Mayor, at random whim, takes away the public’s right to free speech, and threatens to use the “color” of the police department for enforcement.

    See below just recent examples of how Fitzgerald shows favor to certain subjects and individuals and bullies other silent.

    If in his randomness, Fitzgerald continues, or heaven forbid has someone removed from the room or arrested, he will have hoed himself and taxpayers a deep, deep furrow because of his discrimination. He will certainly lose in court, and it will be taxpayers paying the bills.

    Fitzgerald’s discriminatory, gavel is causing turmoil in our community and doing harm to the Community’s reputation.

    Perhaps there are three “majority” members of Council who are afraid that if they cross the Mayor they will be treated to the same wrath and scolding, but that is not an adequate excuse. Perhaps the other three “minority” members of Council are sitting on their hands, thinking ahead to election time, letting the Mayor dig his deeper furrow.

    No matter, Fitzgerald needs counsel now, and there are nine people who have a sworn duty to deliver it to him, because, sitting on your hands is equivalent to sitting on the Constitution.

    In this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video, you will see clips of the Mayor indiscriminately enforcing his rule against applause within about ten minutes of issuing his warning. He allows applause when fellow council member Pam Gross takes the podium, and himself is seen applauding, but gives the audience a final warning when the next speaker, a resident, speaks about the importance of Loveland’s environment.

    In this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video, you will see other clips of the Mayor indiscriminately enforcing his rules. In one clip from several meetings ago you will see Fitzgerald telling resident Tom Calarco to turn around and speak to Council and not the public. Calarco had only turned his head, looking to see if there were any police officers in the room, whom he had just complimented. In the next clip, you will see Fitzgerald allowing Councilwoman Gross to rearrange the microphone on the podium so she could stand behind the podium, and address the audience with her back to the rest of Council.