By Susan Vela
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Hochbein

NORWOOD - Dogged by controversy, criticism and health problems, embattled Mayor Joe Hochbein announced Monday he will step down early next year and not seek a third term.

The Republican mayor said he is worn out from heart ailments and constant, ineffectual squabbling with a City Council that numbers eight Democrats and one Republican.

He said his doctors framed his dilemma perfectly when they said: "Stress is as bad for a heart patient as digging ditches in cold weather."

"The stress of the mayor's job has become too harmful to my health and well-being," he said in a six-page statement. "Such stress is particularly severe as a result of the efforts by the new City Council to demean me personally and to render the Office of Mayor an ineffective position."

"I will always carry with me the very best wishes for the City of Norwood, as well as a profound affection for the core group of citizens who reside here."

During a Monday evening phone interview, he angrily talked about council's "vindictive" actions at council sessions.

"They want me to sit there. They want to attack me. They want me to be silent. That is fundamentally unfair," he said. "It's demeaning to me and demeaning to the office of the mayor."

He promised to announce a firm resignation date next month and to step down by mid-March. Norwood is the second-largest city in Hamilton County, with about 22,000 residents. Mr. Hochbein has presided as the city's top elected official since 1996.

By the time he took office, the city was already recovering from General Motors' 1987 departure. But many credit him for transforming the blue-collar city into a major draw for office and mixed-use retail developments such as the thriving Rookwood projects. Now in the works are the $44 million Cornerstone of Norwood development near Interstate 71 and Smith Road and a $35 million medical office development on the old General Motors parking lot north of the Norwood lateral.

The mayor pushed for Rookwood Tower, where Rookwood's developer, Anderson Real Estate, has its headquarters.

"He forced us to build an office building. (But) he knew more than I did. We're very happy we did it," developer Jeffrey Anderson said. "He's a down-to-earth, logical person. He always did what was best for Norwood. When he was in favor of something, he moved it ahead very quickly. To (have someone) take something and run with it and be logical and fair - that's all you can ask for."

But Anderson Real Estate unwittingly helped taint the mayor's tenure in some residents' eyes. In 1999 alone, developers contributed at least $23,000 to his campaign coffers. The present council said the contributions cast a dubious light on the city's relationship with the developer and voted for campaign contribution limits.

In 2000, the mayor went to trial on 14 counts of theft in office and falsification. He entered "no contest" pleas to three counts - a felony charge of election falsification and two falsification misdemeanors. The other 11 counts, including all theft charges, were dismissed.

Council members said this, plus lingering problems from Mr. Hochbein's 1998 heart attack, could explain why the mayor missed most 2002 council and planning commission sessions. The mayor's presence is not required at council sessions, but he is a voting member of the planning commission, which will soon review a development application for Rookwood Exchange, an $125 million expansion of shops, offices, restaurants, apartments and condos.

"Frankly, the majority of council and the mayor don't trust each other," said council President Jane Grote.

"Much of what council's done recently has been to make an issue of the mayor. A large amount of it was just politics.''

E-mail svela@enquirer.com