Pat Moeller best choice for mayor

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2:54 PM Friday, October 30, 2009

When Don Ryan announced that he would not seek re-election as Hamilton’s mayor, the door was opened for others to step into the role. Fortunately, four accomplished candidates — including three current City Council members — are seeking election to be the city’s next mayor.

Council members Carla Fiehrer, Archie Johnson and Pat Moeller are each seeking the mayor’s gavel. The fourth candidate is police officer Gary Gabbard who is seeking public office for the first time.

In a meeting with our editorial board, the current council members all expressed dissatisfaction and disconcerting frustration about the relationship between City Council and the city’s administration, and the “that’s-the-way-it’s-always-been-done” culture at City Hall. The candidates say they would hope, as mayor, to improve that relationship, improve communication and change the unbending culture that has frustrated them so far.

And the new mayor may have that opportunity because the council roster will change dramatically in January. Three council incumbents — Kathy Becker, James Noonan and Edward Shelton — are not seeking re-election, and will be replaced by three newcomers.

For the record, Fiehrer, Johnson and Moeller each have two years remaining on their current council terms; running for mayor does not require them to step down from council. If Gabbard wins, Fiehrer, Johnson and Moeller would simply complete their council terms. If one of the three council members wins, he/she would assume the mayor’s role and council would appoint a replacement for the remaining two years of his/her term.

The challenges that face the new mayor and council are familiar to City Hall observers — declining revenues, increasing costs, a stagnant downtown, the need to bring more jobs into the community, deteriorating streets, a vacant Mercy Hospital site, and too little money for economic development, parks and other amenities — and the candidates generally do not differ much on what needs to be done and what shouldn’t be done. The city needs to focus on basic services, a new tax levy will not be proposed, and a heartier economic development effort must occur. Without question, they also share a love for their hometown and a desire to lead the campaign to rebuild Hamilton, for which we applaud all four.

The difference? Experience.

Moeller, a local attorney, has already served six years on council, including two stints as vice mayor. Fiehrer and Johnson, elected to council in 2007, cannot match the level of experience that Moeller offers. However, his tenure on council does not mean that he is satisfied with the status quo, he says.

Like other candidates, he says he has been frustrated with the administration and “it will not be business as usual,” if he’s elected. He has pledged better communication with the community and better access to city departments, even suggesting that top administrators ought to move to the first floor of the Government Services Center to better interact with the public. He also insists the city must have “a strong, identifiable economic development department” in order to land those elusive businesses that Hamilton needs to replace disappearing factory jobs.

Fiehrer and Johnson, we believe, are not as prepared or as seasoned as Moeller, and would be well-served by getting a full council term under their belts. We particularly like Fiehrer’s pluck, passion and indignation at the way she feels council has been manipulated at times by administrators (“we look like idiots”), and her desire to change that relationship. We would have been more impressed, however, if she had protested more vocally during her first two years on council.

We also admire Johnson’s desire for better communication and to better involve the citizens of Hamilton in their local government. We look forward to Johnson taking a more active leadership role on council in the next two years.

Not having served in public office, Gabbard is not as well-informed on city issues and we believe would have benefited from running for and serving on council first, before seeking the office of mayor. Given his occupation, however, he may draw votes from those concerned about public safety.

While his experience gives him an advantage over the other candidates, we expect to see Moeller, if elected mayor, assert himself as the city’s top elected official and be more forceful and vigorous than he’s been in the past as a council member and vice mayor. The city needs a dynamic mayor with a vision for a prosperous future. This is Pat Moeller’s opportunity to prove that he can be that leader. He has our endorsement for mayor.

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I agree with Mr. Cunningham! Mr. Moeller has not shown any leadership or financial accumen whatsover. His votes for union wage increases, especially the very overstaffed fire union, sealed the City's economic doom. I wonder how many Council meetings the editor attended to ever support Mr. Moeller. He has shown no growth at all in his time on Council. Archie Johnson's showed real leadership by voting against the fire union contract and will get my family's vote.

luvacop
4:06 PM, 11/2/2009

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I think Hamilton needs some new leadership. No offense to the good old boys, but I'm ready to see someone with new, progressive, and innovative ideas - not someone who has already worked in the machine for years.

m
5:12 PM, 11/1/2009

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Mr. Moller has consistently voted for higher spending and shown no fiscal discipline. He knew when he voted for the the fire union contract it would put the city on the brink of bankruptcy. He consistently ignores the financial advice of not only the City Management (Finance Director, City manager etc.) but he ignored the recommendations of the Decossimo Report - an independent review of City Finances by a respected accounting firm. Putting him in charge of the purse strings will be a disaster.

Joe Cunningham
4:36 PM, 11/1/2009

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Thank you for the endorsement Journal News. Now I will vote AGAINST your endorsements.

My endorsement will be Gary Gabbard because he is not a part of the problem. Yes he may lack some experience, but I am willing to give him a chance.

Right now Hamilton has the county seat. But with the current state of politics as usual I see West Chester taking in about 5 years unless we get a council and mayor that will actually do something.

Transplanted Hamiltonian
9:07 AM, 11/1/2009

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