Jay Fossett, a former Covington City Manager and city solicitor and the current city administrator in Dayton, has filed to run for the Covington City Council race.
After a ballot initiative passed last November, the city of Covington will transition from a city manager government to a city council government on Jan. 1, 2027, which will increase the size of the city’s legislative body from five members to seven members. The Covington City Council race will be on the November 2026 general election ballot.
“I believe the city of Covington is in a solid place right now, with a strong city staff, mayor, and city commission,” Fossett said in a press release. “I believe my background, experience, and training would complement this team and allow me to pursue my retirement passion project – serving the City of Covington.”
Fossett announced that he will retire as Dayton’s City Administrator at the end of next year after five years in that position. In addition to serving as either a full-time city administrator or city attorney for 13 years, Fossett has practiced law for nearly 40 years, including 10 years as an adjunct law professor at Salmon P. Chase Law School. Prior to law school, he worked as a journalist at the Louisville Courier-Journal, The Kentucky Post, the Cincinnati Enquirer, and other publications.
Fossett, along with the late Patrick Crowley, founded Strategic Advisers, LLC, a public relations and public affairs agency, where he served as a partner for 12 years, including as managing partner. Fossett obtained a master’s degree in Executive Leadership and Organization Change from Northern Kentucky University in 2010.
“I believe that my experience in local government, as a lawyer specializing in municipal law, operating businesses in the private sector in Covington, and serving on several Covington-related boards and organizations make me uniquely qualified to serve the city’s new legislative body, the Covington City Council,” Fossett said in the release.
To learn more about Fossett and his candidacy for Covington City Council, visit his campaign website.