Incumbent Campbell County District 3 Commissioner Tom Lampe, a Republican, is looking to be elected to his third term on the fiscal court, while his challenger, Democrat Patti Piatt, is seeking her first term.
There are three commissioners in Campbell County. Commissioners must live within their district boundaries, but everyone in the county gets to vote on each commissioner, not just the district’s residents.
A county commissioner is like a liaison between citizens and the county government. One can think of a commissioner as a voting member of a board of directors with a $40 million budget that runs the county government. The budget is distributed for things like the county’s transportation department, police, and senior center. The county clerk, jailer, and sheriff are responsible for submitting budgets to the court, and commissioners vote on whether they’re appropriate.
Lampe is a lifelong resident of Fort Thomas, alongside his wife, where they are raising their three kids.
Lampe works as vice president of New Sales Development for Horan when he is not attending meetings or events for the fiscal court. He also serves as a board member for the St. Elizabeth Healthcare Foundation Business Support Committee and the Northern Kentucky Area Development District.
Lampe was elected to District 3 commissioner in 2014. He said he decided to run for reelection because he loves serving the Campbell County community.
He said he believes the quality of life in Northern Kentucky, between the urban and rural areas, is among the best in the state and country.
“Rooted in conservative values, we have struck a balance between economic development while preserving our heritage in both the rural and urban parts of our county,” Lampe said.
He said he is proud of the fiscal court’s successes, but there are still a lot of challenges ahead.
“As a proven collaborator, I’m confident that I can work with my fellow commissioners as well as local government officials to accomplish a lot of important things for our community while being a responsible steward of your taxpayer dollars,” Lampe said.
Piatt moved to Florence when she was 7 years old and currently calls Bellevue her home. She said she chose to live in Bellevue because the river cities in Northern Kentucky offer a sense of community, something she hopes to contribute to as a commissioner.
For over 35 years, Piatt has worked in food service and food service management.
“I’ve been responsible for creating multi-million-dollar budgets, ensuring those budgets were met, and supervising hundreds of employees,” Piatt said. “However, it was the people I met all along the way, making the connections I made, and the excitement of the daily challenges that drove me then, and that can be of specific use to a county commissioner.”
Piatt said she decided to run for Campbell County Commissioner to preserve the county’s history and facilitate sustainable growth.
“We have the opportunity, with the new administration, to secure vital funding for the county,” Piatt said. “That money could help the people who built this county. A new commission can ensure those funds are dealt with in the most efficient and effective manner possible. In the past, too much money has been allowed to fill the pockets of the already extremely well-off.”
Lampe said he is a better candidate for commissioner because of his experience and relationships. He said he has a proven track record of “collaboration and accomplishments” at the city and county levels. Lampe previously served six terms on the Fort Thomas City Council.
“Despite having a full-time job, I have spent a good part of my life serving the communities of Fort Thomas and Campbell County,” Lampe said. “During this time, I have developed excellent relationships with our local business community, state elected officials, federal elected officials, fellow county officials, and many local officials.”
A specific accomplishment Lampe mentioned was the county’s purchase of a new emergency digital radio system, done in collaboration with Boone and Kenton Counties, that improved community safety and saved taxpayers more than $2 million.
He also noted the fiscal court’s project with Altafiber, then Cincinnati Bell, to bring fiber-optic internet to every household in the county.
Should he be reelected, Lampe said his top priorities would be preserving and improving Campbell County’s quality of life through:
- Committed to the region’s fire and police departments to maintain community safety.
- Remain transparent and responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars.
- Search for ways to cooperate regionally with municipalities and other counties where possible.
- Maintain a responsible tax structure and regulatory environment that promotes economic development and business growth.
- Preserve conservative values rooted in Campbell County.
- Be committed to green spaces, parks, and recreational activities within the county.
Piatt said she is a better candidate for commissioner because “if elected, the people of Campbell County will know who their county commissioner is and what they do. I am not running to get the title; I am running to do the job and to be a servant of the people of Campbell County.”
She said her top priorities should she be elected include “protecting” the area from charter schools.
Piatt said charter schools would “segregate and divide our citizens even more.”
“The proposed charter school in Newport would exclude many students,” Piatt said. “I will not support any policy or law that will take money from our already underfunded schools. All policy considerations should include everyone in the county.”
She said she would not support “unchecked” growth in the river cities and unincorporated areas.
“We need infrastructure and careful future planning to grow and preserve our history, to protect the integrity of the rural areas of the county, and to defend the rights of all our citizens,” Piatt said.
