Wednesday, January 06, 1999
Let's-dissolve-Cleves trio want on council
BY LEW MOORES
The Cincinnati Enquirer
CLEVES — Some of the participants in the unsuccessful campaign to dissolve the village are asking village council to choose from among them to fill a seat being vacated by an incumbent council member.
Councilman Larry Sutton has resigned, citing health reasons and the need for a new voice on the six-member council. Mr. Sutton's seat is up for election in November. He is a former mayor who was last elected to council in 1995.
At least three people who were involved in the campaign last year to dissolve the village and for it to become part of Miami Township have expressed interest in filling the vacancy. They are Jeff Wullenweber, Larry Loebker and Sharon Mueller.
The candidates say the vote last November indicates the need to have someone on council to represent the view of the 42 percent of those who voted to dissolve the village.
They also say they would be representing a geographic area of the village not heard on council. All three live in the relatively new subdivision of Coleman Woods.
But there is some concern among village officials that the former Team EFFECT members, who led the fight for dissolution, will try to achieve from within what they were unable to do at the ballot box — get rid of the village.
“I took the election to heart,” said Mr. Loebker of the defeat of the dissolution effort. “The democratic process works. I'm not going to sit back and gripe about it. If we can get the government to operate more efficiently, ... we can spur growth and community development and keep services at a high level. We'll give it our best shot.”
Mr. Wullenweber said those who had worked to dissolve the village plan to run a slate of candidates in November — two council seats, the mayor and clerk-treasurer positions are up for election — but that it will not be a back-door attempt to dissolve the village.
“Because we didn't win the vote doesn't mean we're going to become any less involved,” Mr. Wullenweber said. “We'll stay the course. But there's a better way to steer that ship and run it financially. We're not going away. We need to open that council up. We need to make it a more diverse council.”
Linda Bolton, the village's clerk-treasurer, said the vacant council position will be posted and council members will schedule interviews to fill the seat.
They have 30 days to do so; if they can't agree, the appointment is made by the mayor. Whoever fills the seat will have to stand for election in November.
“He had thought about resigning earlier in the year because of health,” Ms. Bolton said of Mr. Sutton. “He also said he felt like it's time for some new blood.”
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