BY CINDY SCHROEDER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEWPORT -- Five incumbent Dayton City Council members and political newcomer Kenneth E. Rankle were victors in Tuesday's Democratic primary.
However, the six victors in the only Northern Kentucky city council race with a partisan primary still may face opposition for the two-year terms that will start Jan. 1. Write-ins and anyone who is registered as an independent still can file in August for the November election. The six winners in Tuesday's Democratic primary for Dayton City Council were: Cathy Lenz Volter, Donald G. Seifert, Ronald "Ron Gunning, Miles P. Vaught, Kenneth E. Rankle and Robert "Bobby" Allen.
Mr. Gunning attributed Mr. Rankle's victory to his aggressive campaigning.
"He did a lot of door-to-door campaigning and introduced himself to a lot of the people," Mr. Gunning said.
The future of Dayton's main street, which is dotted with vacant storefronts, was a key issue in Dayton's primary.
While the eight Democrats agreed that Sixth Avenue needs a major face lift, they differed on how it should look.
Eight-year Councilman Miles Vaught, 62, described the avenue as "just the tip of the iceberg," and he said parts of the area from Clay Street east to Forest Street are just as bad.
Mrs. Volter, 42, has said she wants to buy and level several buildings in the 500 and 600 blocks of Sixth Avenue. She would like to see a bookstore and coffee shop, and she thinks people will look to Dayton when development in Covington, Newport and Bellevue is finished.
Five-year Councilman Robert "Bobby" Allen, 61, has said he is open to either residential or commercial development, as long as it looks nice.
Mr. Seifert, 43, a two-term council member, thinks building a park at Sixth and Berry avenues would draw shops to town.
Mr. Gunning, 66, a six-year council member, would like to see the city do more to attract companies to the industrial park on Clay Street to generate money to so something with Dayton's downtown. Mr. Rankle, 38, a carpenter and co-owner of a construction company, thinks Dayton should spend more time developing its riverfront into restaurants, condominiums and entertainment businesses. Mr. Ashford, 45, who ran seventh in the race for six council seats, had proposed making the Sixth Avenue area entirely residential, with storefronts converted to single-family homes.
However, last-place finisher Mrs. Shanks, 43, had proposed specialty shops, especially antique stores.
The new council members in this Campbell County city of 6,576 will earn $1,000 a year, and will oversee a $2.1 million budget.
