Crescent Springs City Council (9 candidates, vote for 6)

Click on the candidate’s names to learn more about them:

Jeannine Bell “J.B.” Smith

Jeannine Bell “J.B.” Smith is the past president and current secretary and program director at Optimist club of Covington.

“I am an advocate for the consumer, and if someone needs something their voice will be heard and I will make sure that happens,” Smith told LINK nky.

Smith said she is passionate about civic engagement and bringing people into the process.

“We need that so desperately,” she said.

Smith, who is a current city council member, said she is grateful to LINK nky for covering city council meetings.

Brian Barclay

Brian Barclay only moved to Crescent Springs five years ago but has lived in Kenton County for over 20 years. He currently works in the health insurance industry as a director of product development. 

Barclay has served on the city’s council for one term and is currently a member of the communications/transparency committee. He is also heavily involved in the local veteran community through volunteer work.

When asked about his start on council, Barclay said his goal was to “just trying to leave it better than I found it.”

“If you’re going to be a voice from the crowd, you know, come with solutions or come ready to work,” he said. “I’m going to be a part of the solution, not a part of the problem.”

Barclay said that he doesn’t “always go with convention,” but that he thinks about what will benefit the city and its residents the most. 

“It was just like, ‘Is this the right thing to do for the people that are involved?’” explained Barclay. 

He urges residents to look at the way council has voted over the past few months and decide “‘What is on the right side of history and the right things to do for the city?’”

“Vote for me. Great. Don’t vote for me. Great too,” said Barclay. “Just get out there and take a look at it and really think about the representation that is wanted and needed for the city. I’m just here as a guy who is just trying to make the best decisions possible for the community he cares about. And at the end of it, that’s really all it is.”

Don Kiely

Don Kiely has been a resident of Crescent Springs for a little over a decade and is finishing his first term on city council this year. He is an aerospace engineer and has been working in the aerospace industry for over 20 years. 

Kiely is currently a city council member and serves on the safety committee as well as the public works committee. He is also a member of Kenton County’s planning and development services committee. 

One of his goals if re-elected is to prioritize spending within the city. 

“As far as tax dollars go, prioritizing things that need to be done, rather than things that are more of a want,” Kiely explained. 

Kiely hopes to see the updated Lou Hartiel Memorial Park completed as grant money from the state is finalized. 

He also hopes to see the issue of traffic within the city tackled. 

“Traffic is a huge issue for the city, and I would like to see, I guess, more collaborative effort within the council as far as addressing those concerns,” he said. “It’s usually just residents complaining about the traffic, rather than us actually voting or doing anything about it.”

Carol McGowan

Carol McGowan moved to the city of Crescent Springs in 2017 and started attending city council meetings to know what was going on in the city she just moved to. A vacancy on council in 2021 led McGowan to step-up and fill the seat. She has held a seat on council since. 

McGowan is currently retired but has worked in a variety of fields before her time on council. 

“I’ve held federal jobs. I’ve held city jobs in a school; federal was the Postal Service. And I worked at a law firm, also for 15 years,” she explained. 

McGowan also prides herself in attending a variety of other committee meetings despite not serving on them. 

“I go to the fire committee quite a bit,” she said. “I’ve gone to Villa Hills council meetings because the two cities work together on fire and police.”

She also frequents Kenton County’s planning and development services committee meetings as well as board of adjustment meetings. 

“I just feel that the more you go, the more informed you are when it’s time to vote on something,” McGowan said. 

One of McGowan’s main goals for the city is to work with the police department to purchase a new canine. With the legalization of marijuana, Crescent Springs is looking for a new canine that won’t be trained to detect the now legal drug. 

“I’m concerned about the next dog,” she said. “Where we’ll get the funds from.”

She is also concerned for the state of the streets in the city. 

“When I walked campaigning last time, I talked to a lot of people,” McGowan said. “I think it’s a shame what the streets in ‘old’ Crescent Springs look like. Not just looks, but it affects drainage safety.”

McGowan said if re-elected she hopes to see more money going towards fixing the streets in the city. 

Bob Mueller

Bob Mueller has been a resident of Crescent Springs for over 40 years. He attended Covington Latin High School, Northern Kentucky University for his undergraduate degree and Xavier University for his Masters of business administration. Mueller worked as a mid-level manager at Procter & Gamble for 27 years before he retired in 2018. He now works as a realtor for Cincy Kline. 

Mueller previously held a seat on Crescent Springs’ City Council in the early 2000s where he was both a member and chair of the economic development committee as well as a member of the Crescent Springs/Villa Hills safety committee. During his time on council, Mueller also sent out the request for proposal for police services, resulting in the current interlocal agreement between the two cities. 

With the recent vacancies on Crescent Springs’ City Council, Mueller ran both times and ultimately received the vote from council for the seat. 

“I think that’s showing continuity,” Mueller said regarding running for the vacancy twice. 

If elected, Mueller said he would like to address the traffic issues the city has as well as work to keep the tax rate low. 

Mueller said that overall, he believes in a “safe, livable community that is welcoming to all.”

Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith has been a resident of Crescent Springs for over 35 years and prides himself on attending all city council and caucus meetings. Smith has been retired for the past eight years, but has worked in a variety of fields including policing, public works and parks and recreation. 

Smith ran for the city’s vacant city council seat the first time around, but ultimately stepped down and supported Bob Mueller instead. 

“I would prefer to wait until November and let the voters decide,” Smith said when asked why he decided to withdraw from running for the vacancy the second time around.

Smith said one of his main goals if elected is to address issues promptly.

“I never like things to drag on,” he said. 

He also said he wants to work with the state highway department to tackle the traffic issue the city has. 

Smith also has a focus on community involvement and said that programs for seniors and all residents are something he would like to see in the city. 

“Like a puzzle exchange or a kids day in the park,” he said. 

Mark Wurtenberger

Mark Wurtenberger was born and raised in Crescent Springs and after moving away for most of his adult life, found himself back in the city in 2020. He is a certified public accountant and works for a national accounting firm. 

Wurtenberger currently serves on the city council and is chair of the finance committee. 

“My expertise applies also to city council,” said Wurtenberger. “It is a corporation, and having experience in the business world, I feel translates pretty easily.”

When asked what his goals were, Wurtenberger said, “two more stable years is all I’m looking for.”