Even with three new candidates on the ballot, this election is not likely to be a shake-up for the city. That’s because six of the seven current council members are running for reelection.

Two-thirds of this year’s candidates are incumbent.

Though every candidate has a slightly different agenda for their campaign, a key issue for everyone is the road construction at the intersection of Charter Oak Road and Dudley Road

Edgewood City Council (9 candidates, vote for 7)

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

Ben Barlage

Ben Barlage was first appointed to the Edgewood City Council in 2013 and is looking to continue his 11-year tenure.

Barlage works as an architect in Cincinnati. In a future term, he said he will use those skills to focus on Edgewood’s “built environment.” That includes the design of local parks, master planning and more. 

At Presidents Park, Barlage has designed a sensory garden with a group of local volunteers. The ongoing road projects are another concern of Barlage’s campaign.

As a lifetime resident of Edgewood, Barlage said that running for city council is “the right thing to do.”

“I feel there still a lot to be done in the city that would improve our way of life,” Barlage said.

Joe Messmer

Joe Messmer is a lifetime resident of Edgewood and a longtime member of its city council. He has served as a council member for 16 years and is campaigning for another term again this year.

Messmer said he has a passion for serving his community. In addition to working on the council, he also served as Edgewood’s fire chief for 26 years.

Though Messmer has no specific campaign agenda, he said he is focused on “staying the course.” For the council member, that includes seeing out ongoing road development and infrastructure projects.

Because of his long tenure on the council, Messmer said he brings history to the table this election cycle.

“We’ve got something that works and I don’t want to see it go astray,” Messmer said.

Matt Tarka

Matt Tarka is seeking his first term on the Edgewood City Council. The 28-year-old candidate is one of only three candidates fighting for a seat on the council that does not currently hold the position.

This is Tarka’s second attempt at running for city council; he ran unsuccessfully in 2022.

His campaign platform revolves around financial transparency, communication and infrastructure. With a background in finance, Tarka cited Edgewood’s budget and spending as a key issue.

“It’s going to be a line-by-line scrub,” Tarka said.

Tarka cited pensions as one of the city’s largest liabilities. In his term, he would look to balance Edegewood’s personal needs with the projects that need to be done.

Tarka said it’s time for the city to gain new leadership. He feels “uniquely qualified” to join the City Council with his skills in understanding income statements and balance sheets.

“When you look at Edgewood, nothing’s really changed in 10 years,” Tarka said. “I think it’s time we get some fresh eyes.”

Rob Thelen

Rob Thelen, an incumbent member of Edgewood City Council, is running for another two-year term. The candidate has a background in IT, public administration and non-profit management.

The pillars of Thelen’s campaign are focused on Edgewood’s fire and police departments. Thelen said Edgewood hires many younger employees for its police and fire departments, so he is focused on retaining those individuals for longer.

Additionally, Thelen said he wants to continue improving Edgewood’s roads and parks without raising taxes.

He was first elected to the council in 2014 and has served continuously for the last decade. He said his experience with understanding the inner workings of the council will be an attribute. 

“I’m ready to hit the ground running on day one,” Thelen said.

Jeff Schreiver

Jeff Schreiver has served on Edgewood’s City Council longer than any other incumbent member. He has been working on the council for nearly 30 years.

Because of his long tenure, much of Schreiver’s reelection platform involves continuing ongoing projects like construction on Dudley Road and the Presidents Park sensory garden.

Schreiver sits on the city’s zoning committee. This committee has been working to make Edgewood’s zoning ordinances more consistent with other Northern Kentucky cities for the past two years.

“I feel like there’s a lot of things that I’ve been working on that I still need to accomplish,” Schreiver said.

Jamie Ruehl

The biggest improvement he can make as a councilmember, Ruehl told LINK, is his responsiveness to the residents of Edgewood.

“I’ve been attending all of the city council meetings this year and the biggest trend that I see is the city administration ignoring concerns brought before the council,” he said.

Ruehl’s number 1 priority as a council member, he said, would be transparency.

“Whether it’s a small project our city has undertaken or a major change in vision, right now many of our residents have expressed concern to me that they can’t get basic information from our Mayor/City Administrator,” he said.

The first change he would make as a council member, Ruehl said, is to bring back oversight committees. Without those committees, he said, citizens have no visibility on supplemental spending.