Incumbent councilmembers Joel Lauer, who is running for a second term, and Tim Naab, who is running for a fifth term, are two of five seeking a seat on the council. The other three, Pat Bach, Andrew Conn and Lauren Copas Smallwood, also want to represent the citizens of Hamilton.
The deadline to register to vote in this election has passed, but voter information can be accessed online at ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/.
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Patrick Bach
Bach grew up in the Lindenwald neighborhood, and the Badin High School graduate now lives on the west side of the city with his wife, Amy.
He runs his family business, Norwell Sourcing Solutions, with his brother. Bach believes that business experience is needed on Hamilton City Council, especially in the near future as the city continues its focus on economic development.
“I’ve seen a lot of good progress, and I want to make sure we keep this thing going,” he said. “I think right now, from now until probably the next six years out, it’s going to be pretty critical that we have a business focus on our community.”
Bach said he wants to see the city’s services strengthened, whether it’s police and fire in the public safety sector, or utilities and other services within Hamilton, he said, “I definitely want to make sure we’re strengthening them in a growing city.”
“A lot of people feel safe here, but we want to keep that going,” he said. “I want to keep people in our downtown enjoying different parts of our community.”
Bach also wants to “stay on top of” the city’s road improvements, especially making sure the street improvement plan, which was developed after voters passed the 2021 streets levy, is on target.
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Andrew Conn
While Conn didn’t win two years ago when he first ran for City Council, he still characterizes it as a victory “because I learned so much.”
His mission is still the same two years later: “I just want to serve,” he said.
Conn’s parents came to the city in the early 1950s “and Hamilton gave my family a place to land and plant and grow roots and begin a family. I feel I owe the city a debt of service.”
He also believes “serving is in my blood” as a former youth pastor.
If elected, Conn said he wants to be able to “find answers” for residents’ questions, especially when they’re about big and broad topics, like the roads. Of the thousands of people he’s spoken with over the past few months, Conn said roads are probably the number one issue.
“I want to be a part of those talks and be able to give good answers to people, and be accountable to them,” he said.
Communication between the city and residents is another thing he wants to focus on.
“I believe you can’t overcommunicate, I believe council can’t be too visible, and I want to improve on that and be more visible to the community,” he said. “While most people won’t attend a city council meeting, I just feel like it means a lot when council members come to their neighborhood, or some of council shows up at an event.”
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Joel Lauer
Lauer was uncertain when he first ran four years ago but said this past term on council has let grow some “talents (he) always knew (he) had, just never used.”
In that first term, the Garfield Middle School teacher and Badin assistant football coach had strong words in 2024 when the Miami Conservancy District’s planned a seventh property assessment that would have drastically raised fees on parcels near the Great Miami River.
In a second term, Lauer believes he can have an impact on continued economic growth in Hamilton at a time when the worldwide economy has slowed.
He also wants to see projects and initiatives that started in recent years come to fruition, and to continue to be a champion for the youth, engaging with Hamilton and Badin schools, which have “been a huge piece of developing our neighborhoods.”
While voting to authorize city staff to start construction projects, negotiate business deals, and perform other administrative duties is an important part of strengthening the city, a bigger impact is having “boots on the ground” in Hamilton’s neighborhoods.
Lauer said he ran because he had students struggling and studying in stressful and dangerous situations. Though he didn’t realize it at the time, he got involved. Over the past four years, he’s walked hundreds of miles in the communities, talking to and learning from residents.
“That hands-on approach has had an impact, and I’ve witnessed that first-hand in the school, how much better it’s gotten,” he said. “Healthy neighborhoods create healthy schools and healthy schools paint a better picture for who we really are.”
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Tim Naab
When Naab was first elected to City Council almost 20 years ago, there wasn’t much to do around Hamilton after 5 p.m.
But now said Naab, “It’s lights on pretty much 24/7.”
A big part of having a variety of options is the Spooky Nook project, which brought the second location of the Pennsylvania-based event center and sports complex to Hamilton. It’s the largest indoor sports complex in the United States.
Naab has been a part of just about every major decision on Hamilton City Council in the past 20 years, including discussions and votes that helped to bring Spain-based Saica Pack and 80 Acres Farms to the city, and supporting small businesses with tax abatements or incentives.
“What it means is people are coming to Hamilton with a purpose, to visit our restaurants, to attend our concerts and events,” Naab said. “It comes back to that ‘Work, Live and Play’ promise we made to all of our residents and businesses 15 years ago.”
Naab, a U.S. Army combat veteran, has been involved in the city’s Hometown Heroes banner program and the Hamilton Veterans Hall of Fame.
The councilmember said he wants to also help bring online the new hotels planned at 20 High St. and the corner of High Street and North MLK Boulevard, and see the Crawford Hoying mixed-use development begin construction.
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Lauren Copas Smallwood
Hamilton City Council’s importance goes beyond managing the city manager and passing balanced budgets, Smallwood said.
“(It’s) listening to Hamiltonians, hearing their voices and being general ambassadors to our community,” she said.
Embracing long-term vision and steadfast leadership is what ensures the recent successes of the past 10 to 15 years is locked in for future generations, Smallwood said.
“We all can agree that Hamilton looks quite different than a decade ago,” she said. “Continuing that momentum is vitally important.”
Smallwood said Hamilton needs to continue to lean into showcasing its revitalized downtown, its arts and culture scene, and unique neighborhoods. But a big strength of the city is “there is always something new going on.”
“But that’s not to say there are areas or pockets of our community that we can focus on a little bit more,” she said. “I hope to bring new ideas and how that can be advocating for youth and young families.”
The fourth-generation Hamiltonian said hearing the concerns of residents, turning those concerns into ideas, and those ideas into actionable plans “is what I think city council needs to represent.”
Smallwood has been involved in the city, including being a former 17Strong’s board member, honored as a Woman of Achievement in 2020 by the YWCA Hamilton, and co-founded the Hamilton Flea with her husband Ty.
“I know how that there might be times where we’re moving kinda fast and then kinda slow, but as long as we’re moving forward, we’re going in the right direction,” she said.
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