But this time around, she feels Hamilton has more of an opportunity to raise up its neighborhoods, which have in recent months been complaining about thefts and other crimes.
Fiehrer, 64, was the leading vote-getter for a four-year term in the 2015 election.
“The neighborhoods have always been a priority and concern for me,” she said. “And I feel like now we really have a lot of good things in place, and we have some momentum going with the identity of 17Strong (the citizen-led effort to strengthen neighborhoods), and trying to find people who will step up in their own communities, that we can really get a lot done now.
“That’s what I’d like to be able to help with,.”
She is one of eight candidates running for three seats in this year’s election, along with Council Member Matt Von Stein and six challengers: Danny Ivers, Casey Hume, Archie Johnson, Eric Pohlman, Jason Snyder and Susan Vaughn.
In her city council work so far, she said, “I’m proud of hiring (City Manager) Joshua (Smith), finding a city manager of his caliber. I’m proud of being instrumental in getting South Hamilton Crossing completed.”
She also takes pride in city efforts to tear down buildings that were detrimental to neighborhood property values, and other efforts to erase blight across the city, she said.
Why should voters choose her?
“Because I think I’ve proven myself as a leader,” she said. “I do look for everyone’s best interests, and I do try to take all parties into consideration with any vote. I do spend a lot of time doing any kind of research, reading over things carefully, asking questions if I have questions ahead of time.”
The city has many personalities and situations, “and I try to take all that into consideration, and do what is the best for everyone,” she said.
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The biggest issue for the city, she believes, is city government better connecting with citizen sentiments.
“I think us connecting with the citizens is huge, because any obstacle, any success, anything that we have accomplished or need to accomplish, if the citizens are not involved, if the citizens do not either know or have the right information, it really is a detriment to whatever we’re trying to do,” she said.
All the councils she’s served on, “but especially this one, it’s not political at all,” she said. “It is a creation of seven citizens who stepped up to do a little bit more. They’re not doing it as a stepping-stone to something else. When their terms are up, they’re going to step back into their role as a citizen. It’s like we’re going to have one extra council person that can kind-of be an ambassador of going out and communicating with citizens.”
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