BY LISA DONOVAN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati's newest member of city council may be Paul M. Booth, a 44-year-old businessman and Republican-turned-Democrat.
During a news conference Sunday afternoon to announce his resignation, Councilman Dwight Tillery introduced Mr. Booth as his choice to fill the vacancy.
"I believe Mr. Booth will do an excellent job, and this opportunity will give him a chance to get started in serving the people of the city," Mr. Tillery said.
"He has a long record of public service, and I believe he will do an excellent job in serving the people of this city."
Councilwoman Minette Cooper, whom Mr. Tillery chose as the person to designate his successor, said she thought Mr. Booth would be an excellent candidate.
Mr. Booth, a resident of Amberley Village, said he is looking for a home in Cincinnati so he can comply with residency requirements. Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke said he was not consulted before Mr. Tillery recommended Mr. Booth. However, he said he talked with Mr. Booth on Sunday afternoon and raised no objections to his appointment.
In 1989, Mr. Booth was appointed to council when Ken Blackwell left to become undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Mr. Booth ran for election but lost. Since then, he was mentioned as a candidate for several council elections, but declined to run.
Mr. Booth said he is confident he could make a successful bid for office next year and looks forward to getting started on council in the coming weeks.
Though he hasn't developed a detailed agenda, Mr. Booth said his priorities would focus on the city's 50-plus neighborhoods. He also said that downtown development - specifically the riverfront - would be high on his list. Mr. Booth hasn't had time to list his goals because Mr. Tillery made the offer Saturday.
Mr. Booth is president of the board of the Citizens Committee on Youth (CCY), a publicly funded agency that came under fire several years ago. The Cincinnati Enquirer -->reported in 1997 that several board members - not Mr. Booth - had conducted commercial business with CCY. An internal audit confirmed problems with operations at CCY, and ordered a ban on commercial business between CCY and its board members. CCY has provided tens of thousands of young people with summer employment and job training, among other programs, for 40 years.
Mr. Booth is president Seven Hills Management Inc., which manages federally subsidized housing for low- and moderate-income residents. He is former head of the Cincinnati Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
He is married and has two sons.
