Fort Thomas has named Andy Ellison as the interim mayor.
The city council unanimously voted to appoint Ellison as the interim mayor at a special meeting on Dec. 2. Ellison steps into the role following former Fort Thomas Mayor Eric Haas’ vacating the position for health reasons.
“I would like to thank everybody for this honor,” Ellison said during the meeting. “I’m humbled and grateful for your trust as I accept the responsibility of being your interim mayor.”
Haas has been absent from his role as mayor since September, when he had a stroke. Fort Thomas City Administrator Matt Kremer said he has been in contact with Haas and his family, and they gave their support for the council’s vote to vacate the position.
Kremer read a letter to the council and the public at Tuesday’s meeting on behalf of Haas and his family.
“He has been called a visionary with a passion for the city, as well as a peacekeeper by coming up with compromises among all, his goal has always been to help Fort Thomas be a safe and wonderful place to live, raise a family and work as we did not imagine this being his way to end his term as mayor,” Kremer read from the letter. “We know that he needs to focus now on himself, rather than others. He will take this time to heal, be close to family, and continue to enjoy this beautiful town of Fort Thomas.”
Haas’s political career started in Newport as a city commissioner when he was asked to serve in 1987. He served on the Fort Thomas City Council for 17 years and as mayor for three terms.
Since 2022, Ellison has served multiple terms on Fort Thomas City Council, currently chairing the Fort Thomas Law, Labor and License Committee and sitting on the Fort Thomas Finance, Public Works, and Parks & Recreation Committees.
Ellison announced his campaign for Fort Thomas Mayor in July, though he has not officially filed for candidacy through the Kentucky Secretary of State. Fort Thomas Resident Sharon Macknight is the only official filing as of now. Anyone interested in running for mayor can file by Jan. 9. Those folks will appear on the November 2026 ballot.
Multiple people spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting, asking the council to appoint Ellison as interim mayor. One of those people was Fort Thomas resident Peggy Maggio.
“At this time, it is imperative that the acting mayor of the city for the next calendar year is willing, ready and able to do such deep dives, the pension, union, budget, taxation and human resource issues that we face require that we have a chief executive who has the time, the interest, the business background, the courage and the wherewithal to identify, deeply understand and analyze the various issues related to these big ticket items,” Maggio said. “To divide and enact procedures going forward that will preserve that special thing that we have here in Fort Thomas. I believe that the person currently on council who can best accomplish such a program of good government is Andy Ellison.”
Another person who spoke on Ellison’s behalf was Senator Shelley Funke Frommeyer, a Republican from Alexandria.
“I just wanted to share a few words of reinforcement that this is a very important job that you have tonight to elect someone interim,” she said. “I also believe he might be running for the job, so perhaps you’re going to get to test drive the fella before election day. There’s something nice about that, but that’s tough for you (Ellison) too, because it puts you in a bit of a spotlight and increases your risk a bit.”
Due to the vacancy left by Ellison’s mayoral appointment, the city council must also appoint someone to that role. Those interested in applying must do so by submitting a letter of intent (a resume is optional) via email to Kremer at mkremer@ftthomas.org or by dropping it off at the city, 130 N Ft Thomas Ave, by Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 4 p.m.
The city council will then review those submissions and select and/or hold a discussion on the candidates at its next meeting on Monday, Dec. 15.