Tuesday, May 25, 1999

Six eligible to fill Kaiser's empty office

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Position open for month

BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        NEWPORT— Six people from Campbell County, including the mayor of Bellevue and a Newport school board member, are eligible to replace Bill Kaiser as the county's Property Value Administrator (PVA).

        The six passed the PVA test given Saturday by state officials. Candidates for the office must pass the test before they can run or be considered for the position.

        The office is vacant because Mr. Kaiser resigned last month amid an investigation into how money was being spent in the office.

        Gov. Paul Patton, a Democrat, will appoint a replacement. He has not said when.

        A special election will be held in November to fill the remaining three years of Mr. Kaiser's four-year term. The candidates will be chosen by the executive committees of the Campbell County Republican and Democratic committees.

        On April 25 Mr. Kaiser, a six-year Democrat from Southgate, resigned after county prosecutors revealed an ongoing criminal investigation into funds missing from the office.

        Mr. Kaiser, 50, has not been charged with any crime. He is cooperating with a team that includes investigators, auditors and prosecutors from the Newport police, the state auditor's office, the Campbell County Attorney's Office and the office of Campbell County Commonwealth Attorney Lou Ball.

        The state Revenue Cabinet appointed a temporary PVA.

PVA CANDIDATES
        The six eligible to replace Bill Kaiser as the county's Property Value Administrator are:

        • Tom Wiethorn, Bellevue mayor, a Democrat whose father, Ray, and uncle, Elmer, served as PVA a combined 48 years. Mr. Wiethorn also worked in the office for 15 years.

        • Jim Hesch, Newport Board of Education member, a Democrat.

        • Connie Beiting, Fort Thomas, a Democrat who worked in the PVA's office for three years and who ran for the position last year, losing a close primary to Mr. Kaiser.

        • Kevin Gordon, an Alexandria Republican who lost the November general election to Mr. Kaiser. He is the only Republican who passed the test and will presumably be the party's nominee for a November special election.

        • Mariann Dunn, an Alexandria Democrat.

        • Alan Collins, an independent from California.

       

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