Cincinnati's strong mayor race is pretty much a done deal. How his mayorship will be sworn in, though, is still up in the air.

        The winner of the mayor's job — barring a catastrophic upset linked to a meteor flattening the earth — will be a guy who used to read the news on Channel 5. His first name will start with “C.” His last name will have two vowels, “u” and “e.”

        Both major candidates — Charlie Luken, the former TV-5 anchor who is the mayor, and Courtis Fuller, the former TV-5 anchor who wants to be mayor — fit that description.

        Courtis Fuller decided to ditch his day job and run for mayor on the Charter ticket because he felt “this city cannot afford to have a coronation for mayor.”

        No matter what office is up for grabs, incumbents need opponents.

        In Cincinnati, the Democratic mayor has no competition from the city's other major party. The Republicans couldn't come up with a candidate.

        The people deserve a choice. Different candidates running for the same office rule out a coronation and call for an inauguration.

No plans

        No matter who wins, someone will be sworn in as mayor Dec. 1. That's less than five months away. So, I wondered what plans the city has for Cincinnati's Inauguration Day.

        History will be made that day. For the first time in 76 years, a directly elected mayor with strong executive powers will take office. It should be a big day at City Hall.

        Turns out, there are no big plans.

        “I take my directions from the mayor or mayor-elect,” Sandy Sherman told me. He's the clerk of council. His many duties include overseeing the swearing-in ceremonies of the mayor and city council.

        He told me there's no council committee, commission or city employee charged with getting the inaugural ball rolling.

        “No one has told me anything,” he said. “They're scared.”

        Of what?

        “They don't want it to look like they're jumping the gun.”

        Typical Cincinnati. Our humbleness prevents us from planning a party.

        Granted, it's unwise in politics to count your votes before they're cast.

        Still, this Inauguration Day deserves some special plans. Mr. Luken told me, if he wins, he envisions the inauguration “having something to do with chili” and becoming “an opportunity for a coming together of the community.”

        Good ideas. But it should not be up to the mayor or any other candidate for the city's top office to plan the inauguration. They're too busy campaigning.

Party planner needed

        Instead of leaving the inauguration's details up to the winning candidate, City Council should hire a party planner.

        Instruct the planner to turn this occasion into a celebration. Add a little pomp and circumstance. It's not every day Cincinnati changes its form of government.

        Dec. 1 falls on a Saturday this year. So, make the inauguration the event of the weekend.

        Invite the whole town. Give tours of City Hall. Hand out miniature keys to the city to thank the people for coming. Make it fun.

        Some kid might attend the party and be impressed enough to want to grow up and run for mayor.

        Even without anchoring the news on Channel 5.

        Past columns at Enquirer.com/columns/radel

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