Elsmere City Council (7 candidates, vote for 6)

Click on the candidate’s names to learn more about them:

Joanne Barnett-Smith

Joanne Barnett-Smith has sought more feedback from Elsmere citizens since she became a council member. “There’s a lot of people out there that I want to hear from to see how they’re doing, to make it better for them to stay in Elsmere,” she said. A resident since 1974, she looks to enact citizen-informed improvements that make living in Elsmere as pleasant as it has been for her and her family.

“Everybody tells me you’ve got to get on social media, but to me, I’m old-school. I’d rather talk to somebody face to face, shake their hands and say I’m here,” Barnett-Smith said. She encourages Elsmere citizens to approach her and the city council with suggestions for change—she can be reached by phone, but face-to-face dialog is even better. “I have my opinions, you have your opinions,” she added. “But if your opinions are better than mine, my God, they’re the ones that count.”

Gloria Grubbs

Gloria Grubbs has been serving on Elsmere City Council for the past ten years, during which time she has witnessed and played a role in the city’s forward momentum. “We’ve had a lot of good staff. Our police, our city clerks, our maintenance department run by Chris [Zerhusen] have done an excellent job,” Grubbs said.

Her foremost priority is to quickly begin the park project at Woodside, as well as address the issues of blight and speeding. She aims to keep the tax rates in Elsmere level so that citizens will have more money in their pockets.

Serena Owen

Councilwoman Serena Owen describes herself as a loving leader with a servant’s heart and a “win-win” spirit. Her goals for the 2025-26 city council term outline supporting students with civic education, engagement and college scholarships, improving parks, roads and sidewalks, encouraging the city’s businesses and economic growth, promoting education and public services. One particular goal involves providing Elsmere families with emergency housing and shelter resources, clothing, transportation advocacy and over 12 thousand pounds of food from local farms each month. “My vision for Elsmere is to maintain a welcoming community, provide transparent orderly management of city resources while empowering and prioritizing our community members’ health, safety, wellbeing and quality of life,” she said.

Already waiving her city council stipend, she wants to continue cost-saving measures for taxpayer dollars, collaborate with city departments to develop a fiscally responsible budget and combat blight. Owen also hopes to provide resources for seniors and people with disabilities—being one herself—and continue collaboration with community partners including Erlanger Councilmember Renee Wilson, the Planning and Development Services of Kenton County, the Kenton County Conservation District, local schools and churches.

Having earned a master’s degree in education at Northern Kentucky University, Owen has volunteered as an educator, grant writer, school volunteer, deaconess for Elsmere’s First Baptist Church and represents Elsmere on the OKI Regional Council of Governments. A Kenton County Government Academy graduate, she has experience serving on the Erlanger-Elsmere School Board, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Women in NAACP, the Kentucky Voting Rights Coalition and the Erlanger-Elsmere Historical Society. She has completed the Kentucky League of Cities training for elected officials and received the Commonwealth Ambassador Award.

Rusty Smith

Rusty C. Smith III previously served as chair of Elsmere’s Board of Adjustments. When the board was dissolved, the mayor asked him to represent the city on the Planning and Development Services of Kenton County, a position he maintained until he resigned for cancer treatment. He returned to PDS in 2022.

With 15 years of experience in local administration, Smith notes that involvement between the city and its citizens was greater a decade ago than it is now. He wants to reimplement a system where city departments, such as recreations and public works, would have designed city council members to consult when they need help. “That went to the wayside. All of that needs to come back to take the load off [city departments when] they need to concentrate on what they’re supposed to be doing,” Smith said. Additionally, he aims to attract more business to Elsmere, citing the industrial park project as a great example of what is benefiting the city.

Missy Tester

Councilmember Missy Tester has a concise and humble goal: to make Elsmere a better community for the future. She hopes to see the city plans that are already in the work come to fruition, emphasizing the Woodside Park project in particular.

Maria Vogt

Maria Vogt’s priority for the next election year is to continue attracting new businesses to Elsmere. “We have acquired several new businesses built on lands that have sat empty for many years. Now we’re making progress filling those vacant spots,” she said, adding that new businesses mean more employment opportunities for Elsmere residents.

As a city council member, Vogt hopes that she can provide citizens with the resources to address issues they may have, be it service requests or improvements to their neighborhood. “We are a small town but we have big goals and aspirations for our citizens and our city,” she said.

Justin Wade

Justin Wade is a small business owner and author, who has lived in NKY all his life. As a city council member, he aims to improve the lives of the people of Elsmere by lowering property taxes, ensuring fiscally responsible budgeting, and promoting transparency and accountability. He also wants to attract more businesses to the city and ensure safe clean parks for its residents to enjoy.

“I want to bring a personable and approachable personality to the residents of Elsmere. I pack my lunchbox and go to work every day and that is exactly what I plan to do for the people of Elsmere,” Wade told LINK nky.