Half of all Cincinnati voters picked David Pepper as one of their nine choices for City Council.

        To a politician, that spells “mandate” — and Mr. Pepper has pledged to use his to create livable neighborhoods, make Cincinnati more family-friendly and promote economic development.

        But to do those things, Mr. Pepper said, City Council must get its own house in order. He proposes:

        • Getting City Council to agree on a common “two-year strategic agenda” at the beginning of every term;

        • Creating a “report card” to track progress toward those goals;

        • Making City Council more efficient by cutting the number of committees, meeting less often, moving routine and noncontroversial items to a “consent calendar,” and re questing fewer reports from the city manager;

        • Improving relationships with other government entities and beefing up the city's clout in Columbus and Washington;

        • Scheduling regular briefings with top city officials, so council members stay better informed on issues facing city departments;

        • Setting regular “town hall meetings” to get input from citizens other than the handful who usually attend — and sometimes disrupt — City Council's weekly meetings.

        To be sure, Mr. Pepper is only one of nine council members and, as a freshman, a low-ranking one at that. But already, some council members are volunteering their services to his causes.

        “I'm really looking forward to working with City Council on some of David Pepper's initiatives,” said Councilman Chris Monzel, a Republican. “Like the report card. That's a business thing that makes sense: You set goals and then create programs and milestones to get you there.”

Election 2001 coverage with searchable results

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Veterans Day events
Veterans Day closings
RADEL: A Veterans Day view of America
Council gets a dash of Pepper
Newcomer has ideas to make council better
Preacher in jail on drug charges
CPS language school to open
First meeting on race yields plans
UC faculty seek more than cash in new contract
Blue Ash to add $4.8M fire station
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Fairview Heights man shot to death in store
Good News: Local charity picking up
Lebanon service to honor fallen heroes, donation efforts
Local Digest
Murder suspect held
Road extension to open Dec. 10
Rumpke cleans up all night
School keeps Bahamas plans
You Asked For It
Congrats
Social workers on edge
Study: Ohio has most racist groups
Auctioneer chant fades into murmur
Budget cuts curtail halfway house expansion
Campbell rechecking addresses
Ky. Baptists' neutrality up for vote
Scaled-back Kentucky tobacco auctions begin this week