Friday, December 31, 1999
Council delays recreation post vote
BY JANE PRENDERGAST
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON — Mayor Denny Bowman still doesn't know if his colleagues are prepared to give him a salary-boosting new job or not.
Appointment of a new recreation director was on the agenda for the city commission's special meeting Thursday night. Commissioners bought an ambulance, set employees' salaries and promoted a police officer, among other things, but did not make the much-talked-about selection.
That may be, in part, because they're doing more than choosing a recreation director. If they give the mayor the job, they'll be set ting up an interesting competition for mayor.Three members of the commission already have expressed interest in the job.
Commissioner Butch Callery has said he will run for mayor in November. Commissioners Jim Eggemeier and Jerry Bamberger have said they might.
City Attorney Joe Condit said the recreation director vote was placed on the agenda so commissioners could take a vote in case they had a consensus.
Mayor Bowman said commissioners wanted to wait for Mr. Bamberger to be part of the discussion. Because of the death of his father this week, the commissioner could not attend the meeting.
Mayor Bowman is one of three candidates for the recreation job. If appointed, he would have to resign as mayor. That would mean trading an $18,000-a-year job for one that pays between $45,000 and $50,000. His time as mayor ends at the end of 2000; he can't run again.
Another recreation job candidate is David Buerger, currently the department's acting director. The third candidate has not been pub licly identified. The job became vacant when Chod Hobbs resigned in October amid an investigation into undescribed misconduct.
The mayor did say the vote likely would be taken next week in another special meeting. Commissioners want the new director on board, he said, in time to prepare goals for the city staff retreat Jan. 14.
“There's a lot of work to be done between now and the 14th,” Mayor Bowman said.
The job is a department head position. The director is in charge of more than 20 parks, softball fields and basketball courts as well as any competitive running events.
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