As other have probably pointed out in this thread, the Office of Environmental Quality brings more money into the city (via grants) than it costs the city to operate. Eliminating it would be illogical.

As other have probably pointed out in this thread, the Office of Environmental Quality brings more money into the city (via grants) than it costs the city to operate. Eliminating it would be illogical.

 

Agreed, but think of who is making the decisions.  They wanted to kill the streetcar to "save money", despite how much that would have actually cost.

The Windbag's latest scam

 

http://www.68second.com/

I don't even know what to say...

Without a teleprompter, this video would have been an hour long...

Latest person to leave, due to job insecurity, is the head of planning. He's going to Baton Rouge.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2014/03/12/cincinnati-planning-director-headed-louisiana/6327619/

^He isn't leaving. He turned down the job in Baton Rouge and wants to finish his career in Cincinnati

that was quick

^I like how the Enquirer finds out he was offered a position in Baton Rouge, and immediately posts a headline saying he is leaving. Without consulting him first to see if he accepted...

Being that he turned the offer down, it makes you think he knows something. Like that Cranley does not intend to follow Winburn's plan to terminate the Planning Director position.

Fishwarp takes City Clowncil to task for $350K earmark for Bond Hill.

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/06/08/editorial-spend-bond-hill-money-wisely/10213585/

Winburn to run for state senate?  Looks like it

So, if the Windbag wins the senate seat, who so we get on Clowncil? Sam Malone?

Who gets his committee chair?

Sam Malone is a good bet.

 

I would look for David Mann to get the Finance Chair.... unless Cranley goes full crazy and gives it to Smitherman.

Would Winburn get to name his replacement? With 4 yr terms, I'd like to see a special election if they have 2 or more yrs left in their term.

^I would assume he gets to name whoever he wants, but I haven't read that charter amendment in a long time.  It would be nice if they could give it to Quinlivan, who barely lost the 9th seat to Murray in November, and who didn't drag the city through a recount/challenge.  That's unlikely, but it would be a classy thing to do.

If Winburn leaves, he gets to choose who names his successor. Since he is a Republican, he will likely choose Amy Murray to name his replacement or a combination of Murray and Smitherman. That being said, the outgoing council member has almost always, if not always, hand-picked his/her successor.

 

But Winburn is pretty unpredictable sometimes. Maybe he picks Seelbach to choose his successor since he's always gushing about how much he loves Chris Seelbach during council meetings.

Every member of council has a "successor designation certificate" on file. Last I checked, Winburn has Murray and Smitherman picking his successor.

I've created a new topic for the city charter. Please see Cincinnati City Charter Reform and Amendments for any more discussion on the reform process or future amendments to the charter.

The 'Warp speculates on a Windbag replacement.

Malone, Faulkner, Lippert but the best is Edith Thrower, who Smitherman ousted as NAACP president in a contested election when he marched in with a bunch of his minions & seized power.

I'm sure Thrower & her admin did a lot of the work to get the Nat'l NAACP convention here during a presidential election season but it was Smitty mugging for the cameras.

 

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/2014/06/20/who-could-replace-winburn-on-council/11045817/

Dunno if this is the best place to post this

County wins in fight over Responsible Bidder

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2014/06/26/county-wins-sewer-fight-responsible-bidder/11397721/

Cindi Andrews lambasts City Council for taking long summer breaks while earning $60k

 

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/cindi-andrews/2014/07/22/opinion-get-back-work-city-council/12984459/

She makes some solid points in that article.

PG Sittenfeld wants to know what your big idea for Cincinnati would be.

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2014/07/28/sittenfeld-big-idea-cincinnati/13305191/

^What do we need him to be a Councilmember for if he wants to crib our ideas?

Hey, take it easy on your alter ego  ;)

If Winburn is elected to the State Senate over Cecil Thomas, he will pick a successor who will serve until 2015. In 2015 there would be an election for that council seat.

 

I'm inclined to vote for Winburn for State Senate (which is a joke in terms of even representation) and give Cincinnati the opportunity to vote in a progressive candidate to council in 2015. I think the potential for a huge swing in the majority on council for 2 years (and incumbent in 2017 council electons) far outweighs the negative of having Winburn in the State Senate.

 

Anyone else agree with my logic?

If Winburn is elected to the State Senate over Cecil Thomas, he will pick a successor who will serve until 2015. In 2015 there would be an election for that council seat.

 

I'm inclined to vote for Winburn for State Senate (which is a joke in terms of even representation) and give Cincinnati the opportunity to vote in a progressive candidate to council in 2015. I think the potential for a huge swing in the majority on council for 2 years (and incumbent in 2017 council electons) far outweighs the negative of having Winburn in the State Senate.

 

Anyone else agree with my logic?

 

We have never had this scenario happen before so it's hard to predict what will happen. Will we have a dozen people running for the one open city council seat? If so, what happens if there are 11 Seelbach/Simpson/Young type candidates and 1 Smitherman-type candidate running for that one seat? The good candidates will split the vote and the wacko candidate will win.

so, the Queen of England is off her hit list now?

If Winburn is elected to the State Senate over Cecil Thomas, he will pick a successor who will serve until 2015. In 2015 there would be an election for that council seat.

 

I'm inclined to vote for Winburn for State Senate (which is a joke in terms of even representation) and give Cincinnati the opportunity to vote in a progressive candidate to council in 2015. I think the potential for a huge swing in the majority on council for 2 years (and incumbent in 2017 council electons) far outweighs the negative of having Winburn in the State Senate.

 

Anyone else agree with my logic?

 

We have never had this scenario happen before so it's hard to predict what will happen. Will we have a dozen people running for the one open city council seat? If so, what happens if there are 11 Seelbach/Simpson/Young type candidates and 1 Smitherman-type candidate running for that one seat? The good candidates will split the vote and the wacko candidate will win.

 

Have the same fear. But at least there are some growing powers within the progressive movement in Cincy (like Believe, and existing councilors), that could do some back-door pressuring to keep the field small.

If Winburn is elected to the State Senate over Cecil Thomas, he will pick a successor who will serve until 2015. In 2015 there would be an election for that council seat.

 

I'm inclined to vote for Winburn for State Senate (which is a joke in terms of even representation) and give Cincinnati the opportunity to vote in a progressive candidate to council in 2015. I think the potential for a huge swing in the majority on council for 2 years (and incumbent in 2017 council electons) far outweighs the negative of having Winburn in the State Senate.

 

Anyone else agree with my logic?

 

We have never had this scenario happen before so it's hard to predict what will happen. Will we have a dozen people running for the one open city council seat? If so, what happens if there are 11 Seelbach/Simpson/Young type candidates and 1 Smitherman-type candidate running for that one seat? The good candidates will split the vote and the wacko candidate will win.

 

Have the same fear. But at least there are some growing powers within the progressive movement in Cincy (like Believe, and existing councilors), that could do some back-door pressuring to keep the field small.

 

And maybe the Hamilton County Democratic Party will grow a spine and actually endorse the best candidate. Preferably not endorsing more candidates than seats or ignoring the race.

Really would depend on who the Republicans appoint as to whether or not any Dem has a chance for that off year election.

Looking at 2013 elections, the top 4 vote-getters who missed the ballot (Quinlivan, Landsman, Dillingham, Thomas) were endorsed Democrats. Then Sam Malone. Then Melissa Wegman.

 

I would think that Dillingham and Landsman would be the two contenders and Melissa Wegman would run, but lose pretty handily to either of the other two, unless, as mentioned before, they both run and split the vote. I don't think Quinlivan would want to try again so soon, but I could be wrong.

I was envisioning a scenario where Sittenfeld would run for County Commissioner and we'd have an election where the top two candidates would replace Sittenfeld and Winburn. However it looks like Landsman is more likely to run for Commissioner.

Seriously doubt Landsman can beat Monzel in 2014, simply because of how important turnout is for getting Democrats elected.  But basically anyone who runs a credible campaign in a Presidential year should have a pretty good shot at beating Hartmann.  Actually, if Hartmann wants to keep that seat, his best bet might have been keeping that deal with Burke running, rather than simply fear a Tea Party challenge.  Anyway, it just goes to show what a bonehead move it was for the local party not to put forward a credible candidate for that seat in 2008.

Thought y'all might get a kick out of this:

 

 

Does anyone have a good handle on the term limits for current council members?  I know the term limits used to be four 2-year terms, and now the limits are two 4-year terms, but how does that work with council members who current tenure overlaps from the 2-year to 4-year terms?

 

Current members:

 

PG Sittenfeld - He will have served a total of 6 years at the end of the current term in 2017 (one 2-yr term and one 4-yr term)

Wendell Young - He will have served a total of 6 years at the end of the current term (one 2-yr term and one 4-yr term)

Charlie Winburn - He will have served a total of 16 years at the end of the current term (four 2-yr terms in the 1990s, two 2-yr terms in 2009 and 2011, and one 4-yr term)

Christopher Smitherman - He will have served a total of 8 years at the end of the current term (two 2-yr terms in 2003 and 2001, and one 4-yr term)

Yvette Simpson - She will have served a total of 6 years at the end of the current term (one 2-yr term and one 4-yr term)

Chris Seelbach - He will have served a total of 6 years at the end of the current term (one 2-yr term and one 4-yr term)

Amy Murray - She will have served a total of 4 years at the end of the current term (one 4-yr term), but also served a partial term in 2011

David Mann - He will have served (many) years at the end of the current term (1974 to 1992 and one 4-yr term)

Kevin Flynn - He will have served a total of 4 years at the end of the current term (one 4-yr term)

 

 

So....

 

-I am thinking that term limits must have re-set back in 2001 when we went with a separately elected mayor?  Otherwise, it seems like Winburn and Mann would have already maxed out prior to the 2013 election.

-Winburn probably is reaching his term limit by 2017?

-Is Smitherman in his final term limit (he'll be up to 8 years since 2003)?

-What about the members that will have 6 years in 2017 (PG, Simpson, Seelbach, Young)?  Can they run for another term and serve the full 4 years?

-Murray and Flynn probably wouldn't reach term limits until the end of the next term in 2021?

 

 

I think when it went up to 4 years "it reset" the limits so everyone can get 2 set's of 4 year's. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Term limits are only 8 consecutive years.

 

It doesn't matter what someone did in 1788-2005 anymore. If someone will be at <8 years of consecutive service in 2017 they can run again. So everyone in limbo with 6 years in 2017 can run again for another 4 year term. It didn't reset the years, but allows for a current council members to run unless he/she is at 8 or more consecutive years already.

 

Winburn will be at 8 consecutive years in 2017 so he is term limited. Probably a big reason why he is running for state senate.

 

Sittenfeld will be at 6 consecutive years in 2017, so he can run again.

Here is the Charter language, from Article IX, Section 2a:

 

Notwithstanding any provision contained in Article II or in any other section of Article IX, no person shall hold the office of member of council for a period longer than two successive four-year terms of the council, except that a member of council who was elected to council in November 2011 may be elected to no more than two consecutive four-year terms commencing on December 1, 2013 unless such election would permit the member of council to serve on council for a period longer than ten consecutive years. After conclusion of any period of service commencing on December 1, 2011, any such person who was elected to council in November 2011 may not be appointed to or seek office for a subsequent council term unless that term is separated by four or more years from the member’s immediately prior service. Terms shall be considered successive unless separated by a period of four or more years from the member’s immediately prior service.

 

For the purposes of this term limit provision, any period of service during a term by a member of council elected to that council term shall constitute service for that entire council term, except that any period of service during a term in which the member was elected to fill a council term which was vacated in the midst of a four-year term shall not constitute service for that council term. For the purposes of this term limit provision, any period of service by a non-elected member of council during a council term shall not constitute service for that council term.

 

In plain language, if you were elected in Nov 2011 and again in Nov 2013 after the new terms went into effect you can serve two four-year terms in addition to any prior time you spent on council. That is true for everybody on the current council except for Kevin Flynn, Amy Murray and David Mann.

 

In regards to the time served by Mann and Smitherman prior to all of this, if you take 4-years off between running for council your term limits are reset (I believe). So, PG could win again in 2017, serve until 2021, go into the private sector for the 2021-2024 term, then run again for council in 2024 and be able to serve 2 more full terms.

 

Because Winburn would be serving more than 10 consecutive years, he is term limited.

I'm very distracted by the election even though there is absolutely no worthwhile information yet. Anyone care to speculate who might run for council if Winburn wins today?

 

Landsman, Dillingham, and Wegman have already been named upthread. I've heard Edith Thrower, Sam Malone, or Crystal Falkner as possible replacements for Winburn.

 

The Winburn-Thomas race is so difficult to call. The weak top of the ticket and lack of national political stakes in Ohio would lead me to guess that the Democratic turnout operation will be less substantial. On the other hand, I would imagine Pillich and Pepper put a fair amount into turnout in the 9th district. I guess it comes down to the obvious: has Winburn managed to convince enough African American Democrat or Democrat-leaning voters to forego the straight ticket for him? I'm also assuming that the "strategic" voter looking to capture a new city council seat next year will have a negligible impact.

 

We'll know the answer soon enough!

Anecdotally, I have seen a number of comments on various websites where people have said, "I'm a Democrat but I'll be voting for Winburn."

 

Mike Moroski has already created the hashtag #Moroski2015.

Winburn has designated Murray and Smitherman to choose his replacement. So if he wins, they get to pick the councilmember until 2015. I think Wegman would be the Republican's strongest contender in 2015, but I've heard people say the replacement will very likely be black. That leaves Sam Malone as the only black Republican who has run in recent years. Though this is definitely not set in stone. I don't think he has a chance against possible contenders Ryan Messer, Greg Landsman, Michelle Dillingham, or Derek Bauman.

Knowing that the Democrats have a deep bench in the city and with a strong desire to hold the seat for their coalition, Murray and Smitherman will likely do their best to pick a candidate with some chance of winning. Crazier things have happened but I would be shocked if they picked Sam Malone.

 

 

Thomas won State Senate with 57% of the vote. Which means Winburn will remain on City Council. Apologies to all of the Democrats who were already lining up to run for the special election.

The really painful results of this election for Cincy will be in 2015 when Winburn runs for something else, and his replacement stays on council until 2017 with that incumbent title.

The really painful results of this election for Cincy will be in 2015 when Winburn runs for something else, and his replacement stays on council until 2017 with that incumbent title.

 

Nothing to run for until 2016. County Commissioner is a possibility.

PG Sittenfeld Fundraising for US Senate

 

---

 

That was quick.

I believe this meeting occurred at 9AM this morning... would like to have listened in.

 

4 things we could learn from 3CDC's City Council talk

 

Delayed a few weeks by a winter snowstorm, the top executive from prominent Cincinnati development entity -- Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. -- will make a public presentation Tuesday to City Council members.

 

It isn't clear what 3CDC President and Chief Executive Stephen Leeper will cover in a presentation for council's economic growth and infrastructure committee. A recap could be provided on the several projects it has under development.

 

Since gaining the mandate from regional business leaders to stabilize and rehabilitate key sections of the city's urban core in July 2003, 3CDC has become one of Over-the-Rhine's biggest developers and expanded its development role beyond real estate and finance.

 

Cont