The year’s final Covington City Commission meeting was slated to honor Mayor Joe Meyer at his last official meeting, but the night culminated with the arrests of two people.
Those arrested were former commission candidate Morgan Davenport and Zayd Samir Chandiwala, both of whom are affiliated with a group that had unsuccessfully campaigned for a city resolution supporting a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip earlier this year.
Covington resident Mohammad Ahmad acted as the group’s spokesperson during the meeting, during which he expressed his displeasure with the commission for their unwillingness to take up the resolution.
It wasn’t until after the meeting that one of the people involved with the group confronted commissioners, eventually leading to the arrests.
Davenport was charged with obstruction of justice, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Chandiwala was charged with disorderly conduct.
During the meeting itself, Covington Schools Board of Education President Tom Haggard, Lexington-based Rabbi Shlomo Litvin and Westside neighborhood resident Nicole Erwin commended Meyer’s time in office and Meyer as a public figure. Meyer’s son Dave Meyer (who formerly worked with Kenton County Democrats) also commended Commissioner Steve Hayden’s time in office.
The commission also passed a resolution honoring Meyer as mayor.
Meyer did not run for reelection this year, and current City Commissioner Ron Washington ran unopposed for the mayoral seat.
The current commissioners lauded Meyer’s time in office, as well as the tenure of Hayden, who had been appointed to an open seat on the commission after former City Commissioner Nolan Nicaise resigned in August of last year. Hayden did not run for election in November, and the commission also passed a resolution honoring his time on the board.
Meyer made his own statement at the end of the meeting after everyone else had spoken.
“Mayor-elect [Ron] Washington and the new city commission, my aspiration for you is that you leave this government and this city better than what you found it on January the first,” Meyer said toward the end of his statement.
“I also want to thank all of the people from throughout Covington who have advised, participated, supported my service as mayor,” Meyer said. “Even those who have objected to my service have sometimes offered valuable insights, which I recognize. I am very proud of my work over the past eight years and the city’s progress and the role that I have been able to play, bringing my lifetime of experience to the benefit of my hometown.”