This op-ed is written by Ken Rechtin, candidate for Newport city commission.
March is a fun month to me. The college hoops event called “March Madness” is the culmination of all the hard work the college basketball teams have done during the season and preseason.
It is often said that one runs for office as an individual but governs as a team. The same applies to basketball. The individual tries out and competes to be a team player, but once on the team he/she works for the best for the team.
The choices made by the coach and the recruitment staff comes to fruition to create a team focused on fulfilling its vision.
Not too dissimilar is what occurs every two years in the city of Newport. The voters are given the opportunity to choose the leadership team for their city. Every four years the full team is chosen and every two years four team members are chosen. This year is one of those years that four players are chosen for the team.
What does one look for in picking their players? How a potential player comports themselves. How a person behaves, how they make decisions, their commitment to the vision and their commitment to being part of the team are all factors to consider. The history of an office-seeker should be of utmost consideration. What are their opinions and how do they act on them?
So, how do I stack up? (This is the point of the column that I pitch myself.)
Many times, when we are speaking about a hoops player we might say, “He/she certainly showed up tonight!” This means that the player performed well. Woody Allen once said that showing up is 99% of life.
Not just during an election cycle, but throughout the years, I show up for you:
*Attending all neighborhood association meetings: East Row, Westside, and Clifton
*Attending all ReNewport, Newport Business Association and as many Newport School Board meetings as possible.
My action is not just “showing up”. I answer questions, I take note of comments and complaints and engage with the attendees.
In addition to showing up here for you, I show up there for you as well:
*At my weekly personal meeting with the city manager, I advocate and give voice to the comments, concerns, and complaints that I heard at the meetings that I attend.
*At the hearings on Duke Energy’s rate changes, I was there contesting those increases.
*At Sanitation District 1 Board Meetings I successfully lobbied for more financial support for the storm water back flow preventer program. I lobbied the same agency for additional catch basins along 9th street which eliminated the overflow into business along 9th.
*To TANK’s management and board representatives I lobbied against planned cuts to mass transit services in our westside.
*I have spoken with Northern Kentucky Water’s management and Board encouraging them to remove all lead lines!
*I have presented potential programs for storm water mitigation and lead line elimination and installation of brick streets.
*I advocate for the peaceful enjoyment of our homes and a city absent of the explosions and pollution coming from River Metals Recycling.
That’s enough of the “pitch” for voting for Ken.
Now, the ultimate question is:
“Ken, why do you want to be a Newport City Commissioner?”
And the simple answer is, I love it! I love the opportunity to meet the citizens. I love the chance to listen to their concerns and comments and issues. I love debating public policy and finding solutions. I love seeing the city advance. I love everything about serving you!
So on May 17th please consider casting one of your votes for Ken Rechtin.
P.S.: Want to learn more about me or have a specific question? Please look to my LinkedIn or Facebook sites or my blog, Ken Rechtin or Another Voice for Northern Kentucky. Or you can call me at 859.259.2263 or send an email to kennethrechtin@gmail.com.