Thursday, November 04, 1999
New mayor visits old haunt
City Hall regulars remember Luken well
BY PHILLIP PINA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati Mayor-elect Charlie Luken returned to City Hall on Wednesday afternoon and got a glimpse of his future. There were plenty of reminders of his past, as well.
Standing outside the third-floor entrance to council chambers, Mr. Luken was welcomed by employees and visitors. Many remember him as mayor from 1984 to 1990 before he became a congressman and then a TV news anchor.
Voters returned him to the mayor's office on Tuesday.
“It's a very different place. It's a very different city,” Mr. Luken said.
He said the politics today are more biting and the needs are more apparent.
He illustrated that by kicking off his campaign in front of a boarded-up Fountain Square, calling it a symbol of a civic treasure neglected.
His campaign often criticized the city's management, as well as its elected council for inaction and misdirection. The day after the election, he had already turned his attention to the transition of power.
Current Mayor Roxanne Qualls said the city is in the midst of a major renovation, with efforts to boost home ownership and redevelop the riverfront downtown.
“We have built up a lot of momentum,” Ms. Qualls said. Mr. Luken will be looked upon to continue that, she added.
The success of a politician is no longer judged by whether the streets are paved and the garbage is picked up, said Gene Beaupre, a Xavier University political scientist. There has been a big push toward regional cooperation,
and how the city works with its neighbors and compares to its neighbors are being watched, he said.
To the 48-year-old Mr. Luken, running Cincinnati is a family tradition, of sorts. His father, Tom Luken, is a former mayor and councilman. His uncle, the late Jim Luken, was also a mayor and councilman.
On Wednesday, the mayor-elect said he is eager to get working. He has already made efforts to meet with Hamilton County commissioners and other regional leaders, he said.
He said development projects are a main priority, but he cautioned they must be done within future budget constraints.
After years of predicting budget surpluses, City Manager John Shirey reported in October that if no cuts are made, the city's 1998 $40 million surplus will have dwindled to nothing by 2003 and the city will have an $18 million deficit in 2004.
Mr. Shirey said he is ready to work with the new council and Mr. Luken. Before leaving City Hall on Wednesday, Mr. Luken had a brief conversation with Ms. Qualls before a council meeting.
As he walked with her up to the bench where she presides at council meetings, she offered the seasoned veteran a few words of advice: “Be careful.”
Mr. Luken will be sworn in Dec. 1.
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