BY GREGORY A. HALL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
VILLA HILLS -- Local Councilman Tim Sogar isn't sure a merger with Crescent Springs is right. But he thinks it's what people want, and he's willing to try to put it on the ballot.
"I'm a big believer that you let the voters decide what they want to do," Mr. Sogar said.
The councils of both cities would have to agree to the proposal, which is unlikely. Mr. Sogar said he thinks the Villa Hills council is interested, but he isn't sure about Crescent Springs.
Crescent Springs Mayor Ken Robinson said he doubts council members in his neighboring city would support putting a merger on the ballot.
"It would be a takeover, not a merger," he said.
The proposal will be discussed again by Villa Hills next month. If both councils approved, the referendum would be on the ballot this fall -- in addition to council and mayoral elections in both cities.
To pass, a majority of voters in both cities would have to approve.
"We're basically all in the same area here," Mr. Sogar said. He's heard residents suggest merger at various times throughout his 12 years on council. A recent park flap with Crescent Springs led him to propose it during a meeting last week.
"If we'd have been one city, we wouldn't have had that issue," he said.
The cities have debated forming a joint authority at various times over the last few years for a park at Buttermilk Pike and Collins Road.
Currently, Crescent Springs is asking Villa Hills to pay for a third of the $1.5 million facility. In addition, private donations would be sought.
The park issue is the reason Mr. Robinson said he's opposed to a merger. He said he would have been interested several years ago. "It shows the personality of Villa Hills council," Mr. Robinson said. "And I don't think they want to work with us. They talk a good talk, but when it comes down to action you don't see a positive action from them. It's just good talk."
"He's got it totally backwards," Mr. Sogar said. "There's no sense to get into a bickering affair here. . . . Put the ordinance in, and let the people decide."
Mr. Robinson said a merger would mean higher property taxes for Crescent Springs residents.
Mr. Sogar said he doesn't favor larger groupings of cities, as some advocates of consolidation have suggested. However, he said Crescent Springs and Villa Hills would be likely candidates. "We're still going to be a small city if both cities merge anyhow," he said. The two cities combined have about 11,000 people.
"I'm not even sure I'm for it -- how I'd vote for it if it came up" on the November ballot, he said.
Kenton County Clerk Bill Aylor said both cities would have to adopt ordinances and submit them to him by the Aug. 11 filing deadline for the referendum to appear on the ballot.
The possibility of a Villa Hills-Crescent Springs merger comes after a bill was signed into law a week ago by Gov. Paul Patton that would allow Fort Mitchell to annex Crescent Park.
One other pair of city officials who have talked about merging cities could use the new legislation -- with Fort Wright annexing Kenton Vale.
The larger cities could annex the smaller ones provided both councils approve an ordinance and either a majority of registered voters in the smaller city sign a petition or a referendum there is approved.
Additionally, Taylor Mill and Ryland Heights are in preliminary merger discussions, said Taylor Mill City Administrator Jill Cain.
