Charles Winburn's seven-year career on Cincinnati City Council will end this month when he takes an appointment to the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.

        On Friday, Ohio Gov. Bob Taft appointed the Republican city councilman and minister to a seat on the commission that investigates civil rights complaints.

Charles Winburn

        The position opened earlier this month when Cincinnati lawyer John Burlew, commission chairman, was appointed to Hamilton County Municipal Court.

        Chris Monzel, a 33-year-old engineer who made an unsuccessful run for a council seat in 1999, is the front-runner to be appointed by the Republican Party to succeed Mr. Winburn, 50.

        The appointment comes 10 months before the four-term councilman would have been forced to leave by Cincinnati's term-limits law.

        “I just thank the voters for electing me four times,” Mr. Winburn said Friday.

        Since being elected as a first-time candidate in 1993, Mr. Winburn has been one of the most visible and vocal members of council — whether advocating deep cuts in city spending, railing against use of taxpayers' money to sue gun manufacturers, creating his own privately-funded gun-lock giveaway program or laying into the administration of City Manager John Shirey.

        He said he is leaving council because the less-demanding commission job will leave him more time to spend with his family. His wife, Colleen, has breast cancer, Mr. Winburn said.

        Friday's appointment was for the remainder of Mr. Burlew's term, which runs through May. Mr. Winburn will be reappointed to his own six-year term. The pay range for commission members is from nearly $48,000 to $71,000 a year.

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