There are seven candidates running for the six seats on Crescent Springs city council. Three incumbents are not seeking reelection. On the ballot Nov. 8 are incumbents Carol McGowan, Patrick Hackett, and Jeannine Bell Smith, and challengers Mark Wurtenberger, Brian Barclay, William David Schult, and Donald Kiely.
LINK nky submitted questions to the candidates and their responses are included below.
Jeannine Bell Smith did not respond.
Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Why are you running for this office and what would be your top priority if elected?
Patrick Hackett: I decided to run for a third consecutive term for Crescent Springs City Council to continue to give back to the community. I take my job as councilman very seriously and put in the time to do the job right. It is important to me, if re-elected, to continue serving the city by making careful and knowledgeable decisions that reflect what our residents want and what we can afford. It is so important to be cognizant of the city and residents’ needs. I enjoy being part of a team looking out for the best interest of our citizens. I have four years of experience on council and feel this will help with future decisions that need to be made for Crescent Springs. On city council I bring a commonsense approach to move the city forward in a conservative way. The biggest accomplishment that I am most proud of during the last two years on council is finalizing the new Crescent Springs-Villa Hills Fire Department station. This was something that has been of the utmost importance over the last four years to Crescent Springs and the City of Villa Hills. The project is the largest either city has ever undertaken as a joint project and both cities achieved this together. The new facility will greatly enhance the safety and well-being of our firefighters and EMS as well as improve their on-site training capabilities. I am also excited to see a few city projects completed that we have been working on the last two years to incorporate aesthetically pleasing signage throughout the entire city.
My top priority is to be an advocate for the residents of Crescent Springs. I will work to
ensure we remain good stewards of taxpayer monies while ensuring viable and value-
added projects, such as parks and green space improvement, community-wide
infrastructure improvements, and ensuring that we are providing the highest quality
services for the Crescent Springs residents. One priority that I feel is so important to
Crescent Springs is to develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan and move
the city forward; this should include a long-term Street Repair, Maintenance, and
Replacement Plan for all city-maintained roadways. Recently we have taken some very
important steps with the implementation of an Asset Management Program for the city.
The Planning & Development Services of Kenton County (PDS) will be cataloging the
following data along all city-owned and maintained streets: Streets (Condition &
Inventory), Curbs (Condition & Inventory), Sidewalks (Condition & Inventory), Street
Signage (Inventory Only), and Street Lights (Inventory Only). An up-to-date Asset
Management Database will assist Crescent Springs on deciding how best to allocate the
city’s tax dollars. The final product that the PDS staff will deliver is a fully functional,
digital database for the City of Crescent Springs to plan ahead 5 to 10 years.
Mark Wurtenberger: Transparency is my top priority. I think the government should be as transparent as possible when it comes to how decisions are made and how taxpayer funds are spent. The government is a business and my background as a CPA in different cities across the country (Chicago, Detroit, San Diego, New York, and Charlotte) give me a unique perspective on how to tackle challenging issues.
Carol McGowan: I am running for council to keep our city vibrant. My personal priority is to make my votes in council be a vote for the city. I do not have any personal agendas, backing by any political parties, or any financial backing by anyone that may have an agenda. I have voted in council, in the past, what was best in my mind, for the city. I want more transparency with a team of council members and city employees working together for a better Crescent Springs. I would appreciate your vote, to make this possible.
Brian Barclay: I am running to be involved and hopefully bring a cooperativeness to the council chamber that seems to be missing at this time. Folks seem to have lost focus on our residents and the needs of the city. I would like to be involved with the continued advancement of needs and concerns of my neighbors and friends. This city is my home and I want to continue to make it a better and more inviting place to live and do business in. Safety and financial security will be my top priorities when serving on council.
William David Schult: I am running for city council because I believe that elected officials serve the residents, not the other way around, and I want to ensure that residents are able to access their representatives as easily as possible. In addition to prioritizing transparency and accessibility, I intend to prioritize our financial situations, to ensure that Crescent Springs remains as one of the lowest property tax rates in Kenton County, and if feasible, to go even lower!
Donald Kiely: I’m running for Crescent Springs City Council because I feel that we need a more balanced representation of the residents in the city. There is a lot of current development in our city and I feel there’s a lot to consider as our city grows. Safety, roads, infrastructure and keeping Crescent Springs the desired location it has been in the past.
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?
Hackett: In Crescent Springs, we’re blessed with a second-to-none team of police, firefighters and first responders. The service that we receive from the Villa Hills Police Department and Crescent Springs-Villa Hills Fire & EMS is top notch. We can improve pedestrian and cyclist safety by using education and enforcement together. The city has laws in place to address public safety concerns and community education is key. We should be reviewing traffic patterns, speed limits and intersections on best practices and looking at different safety measures with equipment including flashing LED stop signs, pedestrian
signs, radar speed signs, and flashing/lighted crosswalks where needed and proper
lighting for intersections/sidewalks. Lastly, we also need to address accessible
sidewalks that meet ADA compliances in our city to ensure safe sidewalk access and
navigating for all.
Wurtenberger: Pedestrian and cyclist safety should always be a priority for any community. I feel the city does have ample access to sidewalks (on the streets I use most) which are pretty active with walkers and runners, especially on the weekends. The newly updated Bromley-Crescent Springs Road has some pretty wide sidewalks too.
McGowan: Visibility. More lighting and signs to bring heightened visibility to drivers in areas of higher traffic where pedestrians and cyclists are prominent.
Barclay: Enforcement of speed and stop signs in neighborhoods will continue to be a focus. Also looking into how to improve visibility at intersections in neighborhoods. Most intersections do not even have a stop line and are dark at night. With daylight savings approaching we need to make sure that our streets are better illuminated.
Schult: Many residential roads in Crescent Springs are actually shared with Villa Hills. One of my highest priorities is to ensure extremely open and frequent communication with Villa Hills and one area where this will positively impact both cities is pedestrian/cyclist safety.
Kiely: Our development is happening at a rapid pace and there’s a lot that needs to be done in our city. We have sidewalks along many streets but very few have proper crosswalks. We need painted crosswalks, additional lights and better resources to bring awareness to motorists and direct children, walkers, runners and cyclists on the safest spots to travel. Due to the development, many streets in Crescent Springs have become higher traveled spots. They no longer feel “residential” and we can fix this by bringing awareness to to the high traffic spots with signage, better visibility and crosswalks.
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?
Hackett: I co-chair the city’s Finance Committee, and in four years I have seen firsthand the years it takes of planning and executing a budget in order to be on the firm financial footing that we currently enjoy. I have spent countless hours analyzing the budget, proposing cost savings ideas, and questioning decisions, all the while making sure I am
representing what the Crescent Springs residents want. By adhering to a fiscally
responsible budget Crescent Springs can remain financially strong. Our rainy-day fund
should be designed with clear objectives on how much financial cushion will be needed
in the event of an emergency or downturn. We need to be cautious to make sure we don’t
spend tax dollars on unnecessary amenities or projects that don’t add any value to our
city. We need to concentrate on the needs of our city and not the wants. I am a big
believer that we need to ensure decisions are accompanied by long-term financial
analysis and planning. I have come to find that federal, state and local grants can be a
huge help during this uncertain time as seen with other cities regionally being awarded
grant funding for city projects. Providing such funds, and making the application
process manageable, can be a great way to keep our economy strong. Spending and
investment are essential to keep Crescent Springs an attractive place to live and to
support future growth; however, short-term spending decisions should be thoughtfully
considered before being undertaken, because they can have longer-term financial
impacts. I also believe that a thorough, continuous review of our finances and financial
decisions is necessary to ensure that we are not wastefully spending our residents’ tax
dollars.
Wurtenberger: The ARPA funds received were for lost revenue caused by the COVID pandemic. Planning and budgeting are keys to financial stability. Through proper planning the city can build a roadmap of city projects to conduct based on city needs and expected future city revenue. Without the proper planning and budgeting, you can quickly lose your financial footing when unexpected expenditures arise.
McGowan: A strong balanced budget, keeping a reserve for emergencies, with transparency regarding all city monies.
Barclay: We need to ensure that we are recession planning and managing to a tight budget that does not involve increased taxes. Prioritize spending reasonably and continue to invest funds like the city has started to do.
Schult: One of my strongest skillsets—as an entrepreneur and CPA—is related to analyzing financial statements, especially expenses. I plan to contribute in both reviewing spending to see what can be eliminated but, even more so, reviewing spending to see what can be reduced.
Kiely: We need to ensure spending is approved through appointed committees that are fairly selected. We also need to ensure multiple bids are provided for a project and the selection is well thought out through the necessary committee. Consider longer-term planning. We need to think ahead when development reaches suburban areas. The infrastructure should be in place (or at least a feasible plan) prior to residential development. Without a proper plan, problems will eventually follow that will in turn lead to costly fixes.
Access to affordable housing in Northern Kentucky, as well as across the country, is increasingly a challenge. What role do you see the city government playing in addressing these concerns?
Hackett: We have to work together regionally. The lack of affordable housing is at the
center of a national crisis that is getting worse. More Kentuckians are experiencing
unstable housing situations as rent prices continue to increase. The lack of affordable
housing has been created by unbalanced growth and development; affordable housing is
being removed and not enough is being added. Sustainable urban development can be
achieved through a regional development approach. Cities that have adequate public
transportation, available jobs and community services should have a common goal of
increasing the amount of affordable housing to the region. We need to take a more
regional approach with Kenton, Boone, and Campbell Counties doing a housing study
that collects data; for example, on workforce housing and senior housing in Northern
Kentucky. Most of the factors that drive housing costs can be out of our control at the
local level.
Wurtenberger: I am not aware of the city owning any land that could be utilized to help with this increasing challenge. If you have to purchase property to develop affordable housing then the property needs to be acquired either through a generous donation (hard to find in 1.5 square miles) or with tax revenue; the latter simply replacing one problem with another which doesn’t actually solve anything.
McGowan: Safety. Crescent Springs offers many levels of housing. There is subsidized housing, small homes, many apartments, condos, and higher-end homes. All levels of housing can only be successful with quality safety policies in place. If Crescent Springs keeps our affordable housing safe, the affordable housing will not be a challenge.
Barclay: Many of the homes that you speak of would not fall into the definition of affordable housing. Given that the average household income in Crescent Springs is around $70,000 annually, that would leave a mortgage payment of $1,750 (30% of gross) and with current interest rates where they are that leaves about a $200,000 loan today (before utilities). For example, Fischer Homes’s new development (80+ homes) starts at $424,000.
Schult: While problems with affordable housing are primarily a result of inflation (which lays at the feet of the federal government and Federal Reserve), city government should be generally in favor of development, as an increase in the supply of housing would decrease the cost of housing. That said, city government shouldn’t have its own initiatives, it should represent the initiatives of the taxpayers of Crescent Springs.
Kiely: Crescent Springs offers a variety of diverse housing from homes to condos and apartments. I believe the city can keep housing affordable by not raising the taxes so residents can afford monthly rent and spend their money elsewhere back into the community. The biggest issue with growing affordable housing in Crescent Springs is the lack of available real estate space.
What are the most significant infrastructure concerns in your city and what should be done to address them?
Hackett: The biggest issue facing our small city of 4,340 residents is the regional traffic flow. There is high traffic flow on the Buttermilk corridor; residents and non-residents utilize Buttermilk Pike at high rates on a daily basis. Buttermilk Pike flows through the heart of our residential community and is not efficiently handling the current flow. The problem will be exacerbated when local residential, retail, and commercial projects are completed. We need to calm the current flow and explore all options to route significant traffic and alleviate the high amount of traffic on Buttermilk Pike. This will not be an easy task. We will need to become more active with the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments along with lobbying the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for much needed
change and improvements to I-75 Exit 186. Moving forward Exit 186’s corridor design will
make our community and communities around us even more safe and more easily
accessible for our residents, business owners, and emergency first responders. A
regional approach will need to be taken in order to develop a transportation plan to address future increasing traffic problems from the home, retail, and commercial
construction projects locally. It’s important to start this discussion now and develop a
list of priorities in order to alleviate increased traffic onto Buttermilk Pike.
Wurtenberger: For Crescent Springs, I would say the roads and inflow/outflows of traffic are the biggest infrastructure concerns. There has been a significant uptick in new home construction in our city (and even more so when you include the Sanctuary in Villa Hills), but not a lot of improvements to the current roads and accessways. We need to figure out some sort of solution that both relieves the increased traffic congestion we are currently seeing and can adequately handle all the new traffic set to be coming through in the next few years.
McGowan: Current roads. There are many existing roads that need repair, repaving and possibly curbing. Along with these roads, there is a possibility/probability that drainage will also need repair/restructuring. Being a small city with low taxes, all roads cannot be completed at one time. A plan (5-10 years) needs to be in place to prioritize road repair/replacement.
Barclay: The fire department expressed concerns about having ingress and egress back to the new Reserve at Meadowood subdivision, a concern shared by the residents. No progress has been made in securing a road. All options were abandoned due to cost implications or concerns raised by citizens whose property would have been impacted. The city filed a concern with the Phase 2 of the development and continued unaddressed safety concerns, but it was after the county and PDS had already approved the plans to build 80+ new homes. We need to continue to apply pressure to provide adequate ingress and egress to first responders.
Schult: A recent major topic is the potential for a new access road to the new neighborhood Reserve at Meadowood. What needs to be done is that the voices of the residents should be heard and given multiple forums to share their perspective. Besides that, the city should focus on essential items (i.e. general road maintenance instead of significant overhauls to flowers and landscaping). Lastly, the city should review which of our roadways are the responsibility of the state or county and ensure that undue burden isn’t falling on our city staff.
Kiely: The biggest infrastructure concern in Crescent Springs includes the Reserves development that is accessible from Meadow Wood Drive into the Crossings neighborhood. The residential development has happened in phases allowing the developer to avoid offering a solution to mitigate traffic, solve the ingress/egress and safety vehicle concerns. The response time for safety vehicles into the back of this development is a major concern and not to mention the families with small children and zero safety plans in place. Buttermilk Pike is also a concern being highly traveled and a main road in and out of Crescent Springs. This four-lane road has become increasingly busy, stoplights are not synced and the turns do not allow for good visibility.
The city has a major interstate exit with bustling commercial development, but there is also a city that is home to residents. How would you describe the Crescent Springs that others don’t see as they drive past or pop in quickly for a trip to one of your chain stores?
Hackett: Crescent Springs has a desirable mix of residential and commercial spaces: quiet
suburban streets, dynamic mix of shopping, a variety of dining options, a beautiful city
park with walking trails. Our residential neighborhoods attract families with their quiet
suburban streets, cul-de-sacs and ponds with beautiful views. The city has apartments,
condos and single family living for all household income levels. Since Crescent Springs
is centrally located 10 miles south of downtown Cincinnati and only 7 miles east of the
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), we have multiple opportunities
for growth available. We are committed to creating and maintaining a comfortable,
convenient, safe and prosperous place to live, work and play. If you go to our city
website, I feel that the city’s tagline says it perfectly: “At the heart of it all”.
Wurtenberger: Its a great place to raise a family and obtain all the necessities to do so.
McGowan: Crescent Springs has a variety of unique opportunities to see, visit, and live. We have many small, quality, successful businesses, including but not limited to a hardware store, salons, restaurants, grocery stores, a hobby shop, financial services, and a clothing and accessory shop. As a person passes the business district, a beautiful park is found that has something for all ages and backgrounds. The park also has within, an awesome Veterans Memorial. The variety of housing that is a available in Crescent Springs makes our city inviting to all.
Barclay: This city is big enough to have everything that you need but small enough to remain connected to its residents and business owners.
Schult: Crescent Springs and its residents offer the perfect blend of convenience, safety, and community-mindedness. It’s a terrific place to raise a family or run a business.
Kiely: Crescent Springs is a great city located right off the interstate less than 10 miles from downtown Cincinnati. The city offers plenty of restaurants, a great park and neighborhoods to raise a family. Crescent Springs has been a home for my family and I for the last twelve years and I could not pick a more welcoming, friendly city to live in.