Highland Heights City Council candidates Gary Chinn, John Hoffert, Virgil Miller and R. Alex Bramel recently spoke with LINK nky about issues important to their campaigns. Read some of their responses to our questions below.
Note: some responses have been edited for space and clarity.
LINK: Why are you running for this office, and what would be your top priority if elected?
Gary Chinn: I have been on city council since 2006. I love my city. I have been instrumental in getting the shelters for the bus stops on US-27. I also voted to annex NKU into the city and voted for the block grant for the Highland Village Senior Center. I voted for the Opportunity House, which provides affordable housing for students. I would love to continue to serve the residents and business of the city. Finally, I will never vote to raise Property Taxes in our city.
John Hoffert: I originally ran for Council to gain a better understanding of the city budget, to learn how our tax dollars were being spent. I quickly learned we are a conservative city when it comes to spending. We live within a very tight budget, which is what the citizens prefer and deserve. Now as I reflect on the last few years and see the developments that have occurred and the ones in progress, I feel it is time to communicate more with the entire citizenry about what is going on and to solicit their involvement and input. I recently suggested a communication team and the expansion of our social media presence, as well as a regular newsletter. When I started on Council, I re-started our newsletter, and it was shut down during COVID. Now is the time to resurrect it.
We have the best police force in the County, and our public works department is one of the finest. We need to share all their accomplishments with the community on a regular basis. In addition, we need to look at the north end of town and how it can be developed for the citizens that live there (improved parks and other amenities).
Virgil Miller: I enjoy being part of a team looking out for the best interest of our citizens. I have years of experience on Council and feel this helps in decisions made. My top priority at this time is making the best choice and following through with the green space.
R. Alex Bramel: When I decided to run for the office of City Council, I attended a council meeting where another resident was present. That resident addressed the Council and Mayor regarding an email they had sent to each of them several months prior, relating to one of the city’s parks. The resident never received a response from the Council members or the Mayor. This scenario is unacceptable and not uncommon. These reasons–the lack of responsiveness and regard–are why I decided to run. If given the privilege to serve the residents of Highland Heights, I vow to be accessible to all residents at all times, not simply during an election cycle.
LINK: Highland Heights, NKU and the Brighton Center recently celebrated the grand opening of the Opportunity House on Alexandria Pike, which provides wrap-around services and affordable housing to underprivileged young adults looking to continue their education and enter the workforce. What other measures do you hope to institute or explore to address the issues of workforce development and poverty alleviation in the local area?
Gary Chinn: I would like to see grants that help seniors and people that can’t repair their homes to be established to help them.
John Hoffert: The Opportunity House is a great example of how partnerships can create a great product. The Brighton Center and NKU and the city and state worked together to accomplish that goal. NKU still has a lot of empty space on their property, and there are a few vacant buildings in the city. It seems like an opportunity to create a joint task force to explore another opportunity.
Virgil Miller: The Council is always open to working together to create opportunities for citizens, young and old. It was a great opportunity for the Council and NKU to create with Brighton Center and students to have affordable housing to continue education for underprivileged students. We will continue on Council to find more opportunities in the workforce in the future.
R. Alex Bramel: It is these types of relationships and partnerships that make Highland Heights a city that continues to show growth through progress. But there are areas where the city can expand upon services and look to the residents to identify their needs. For example, our police department hired a part-time social worker, who has assisted not only the police department but also the residents. This is a role that should be a full-time position, offering the residents additional access to expanded services.
LINK: There was discussion at a recent council meeting about re-instituting ad-hoc committees and other committees, such as a finance and a communications committee, in an effort to increase the council’s ability to better govern the city. What other measures might need to be instituted in order to ensure that the council is staying involved in the day-to-day operation and well-being of Highland Heights?
Gary Chinn: The ad-hoc committees is a good idea for certain ones. For example, infrastructure is a good one concerning the streets in the city. Another one is beautification for planting flowers within the city. So, yes, I am for ad-hoc committees.
John Hoffert: I am the one that suggested we re-establish the involvement of the council members, to keep them informed and involved in the city processes. It really creates a gap and a difficult situation when you only meet formally once or twice a month to approve ordinances and budgets and spending. The council members should be involved in the process along the way, as they were in the past. I think social media advancement is a way to keep the Council involved daily but also the community. When there is going to be a topic of interest coming up at a council meeting, there should be an announcement to the public. And the council members need to be informed and involved. We need to figure out how to get the citizens informed as we only get two or three at a council meeting, and we had none at the public hearing on a tax rate increase. They trust the Council to make the right decision or they did not know about the meeting or they felt comfortable that the options presented on our Facebook site were acceptable. It would be better to have more citizens at our meetings. Our City Manager and Clerk do a good job of bringing things to the attention of the Council ahead of time, but they can only do so much. We need an intern from NKU to run our social media and be responsible for daily communication. Also, electronic signs are in discussion that will also give updates for important events in a timely manner.
Virgil Miller: I do not feel it is in the best interest to re-institute committees. The Council is always open for new ideas or issues citizens have. The city has events throughout the year that the Council can volunteer for.
R. Alex Bramel: It’s the duty of the council members to involve themselves in the operations of the city, fully understanding its needs and the needs of the residents. There have been too many instances where legislative items have been voted on by the council members without any public discussion or an attempt to educate the residents on its impact. So, yes, I agree that the Council needs to be involved in a more hands-on capacity with the day-to-day operations of the city. If that is through ad-hoc committees, such as finance and communication, I fully support that measure.
LINK (to incumbents only): What are your hopes for the proposed green space near the city building?
Gary Chinn: I am on this committee, and we are exploring different ideas right now.
John Hoffert: The green space project will be a great benefit to the city residents. We are hoping to have an amphitheater, water fountain, more playground equipment, pickle-ball court and trails and trees. It will become a go-to attraction for the city.
Virgil Miller: The green space is under discussion. It is still being talked about and a final decision has yet to be made.
LINK (to challengers only): From your perspective, what issues or aspects of governance have been overlooked by the current council, and what do you hope to do to address those oversights if elected?
R. Alex Bramel: Communication is the most basic aspect of governance the council has overlooked since I moved to the city in 2018, and it has only deteriorated since. When I first chose Highland Heights as my home, residents would receive a newsletter from the city several times each year. Now, we receive nothing. If given the privilege to serve the residents, a goal of mine will be to expand upon our means of communication to the residents through updating our website (making it more informative and user friendly), expanding our social media footprint and re-instituting a newsletter that keeps residents better informed. By expanding our communication reach, I believe it will have a ripple effect among residents, inspiring them to become more involved in the function and activities of the city.
LINK: The past few years have seen a lot of activity from the Tree Commission. What else can the city do to ensure that it remains environmentally conscious?
Gary Chinn: I work with NKU and our community gardens within the city. We should work more closely with the Extension Center in our city, which has good knowledge in this area.
John Hoffert: I started the Tree Committee 4 years ago, and we are now filing for Tree City status for the 4th year in a row thanks, to an incredible group of volunteers. There is much more that we could do, such as integrating a tree philosophy with our local businesses, having educational sessions on trees and integrating and gaining support from NKU and their students. The committee members need help. We need more people from the city to assist in these extra efforts. We have a tight budget for tree spending and have done very well with planting and giving away trees on Arbor Day.
Virgil Miller: The Tree Commission plays an important role in our community. They educate its citizens by having an annual tree, shrub and seed giveaway. This benefits the owners, property and the environment.
R. Alex Bramel: The Tree Commission is one of the few, if not the only group, that continues to be an active group. That is due to the dedication of a handful of residents. This Commission may be an area that can be expanded upon to include more of a “green” initiative throughout the city. For example, encouraging residents to take advantage of the curbside recycling services that are already included with their weekly waste collection or exploring the idea of new or updated sidewalks and bike lanes.
LINK: With heightened concern around the region related to pedestrian and cyclist safety, what do you think should be done to improve this area in your city?
Gary Chinn: We need designated bike lanes along US-27 from NKU North, and I would like to see a pedestrian bridge across US-27.
John Hoffert: As a lifelong cyclist, I know how important bike safety is. I won’t bike on US-27 through our city as it is too dangerous. We need a designated bike path that goes from Cincinnati to NKU.
Virgil Miller: Better crosswalks to get across main highways and bike lanes.
R. Alex Bramel: This is certainly an area where Highland Heights is lacking discussion and action. For example, many residential streets throughout the city do not have sidewalks. Pedestrians simply must walk in the street. Also, sidewalks we do have are in poor condition and in need of repair or replacement. This type of project comes with a very large price tag and must be carried out over many years, but a plan of action needs to be discussed and set in motion. This improvement will have a significant impact on the safety of those walking in the city.
LINK: Cities have benefited from federal funds to recover from the pandemic, but that one-time cash infusion is unlikely to happen again. What steps should be taken to ensure that the city remain on strong financial footing?
Gary Chinn: We need to bring more business to our area, and I believe our city is very financially sound.
John Hoffert: We continue to create a budget that can be supported by the income we receive. We will continue to seek developments that add value to the city residents as well as provide some income opportunities for the city. If I am re-elected, I plan to reinvigorate the involvement of the council, create a monthly newsletter, expand our tree planting and help with more development opportunities for our city.
Virgil Miller: The Council and the city administration work together to make sure the budget is spent wisely and in the best interest of citizens.
R. Alex Bramel: The amount of federal funds received and the loosening of restrictions on the approved expenditures for those funds has certainly had an impact on the financial position of the city. It is prudent that the city and its officials understand that these funds should not be used for normal operating expenditures or for the expansion of services that may cease to exist when these funds are exhausted. Alternatively, these funds should be invested in city infrastructure or existing debt service. Even though this may not be the most attractive option it will have a positive, long-term impact on the city. People are often too eager to use federal funds. This cannot be the answer to every new idea or problem that arises in the city. The council, and most importantly the residents, need to be given an accounting of where the federal funds have been used and the planned expenditure of the remaining funds.
Note: Incumbent council member Deborah Ball, who is also running for reelection, did not respond for a request to comment. In addition, candidate John W. Braun II and Democratic candidate Eddie Fessler are running as challengers for the Highland Heights City Council. Neither responded to Link NKY for comment.