By Gregory Korte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Hamilton County commissioners voted 2-1 Monday to appoint former congressman Thomas A. Luken to the board of the Southwestern Ohio Regional Transit Authority, averting a showdown with Cincinnati officials for control of the $68 million-a-year mass transit agency.

But the debate at SORTA over the future of light rail - and how to pay for it - is likely to continue. County commissioners also appointed Melody Sawyer Richardson and John Luken (no relation to the former congressman) to the nine-member board.

They're seen as balance to Tom Luken, who has expressed misgivings about having the city earnings tax fund a transit system that reaches well into the suburbs.

Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken, who nominated his father in October, has said he hopes his father will serve as a "watchdog" over the agency.

For more than two months, county commissioners refused to seat Mr. Luken on the SORTA board, or even submit his name to a vote.

They asked for a legal opinion on whether the city's four appointments to the board were merely "recommendations."

Monday, at their last meeting of the year, commissioners relented. Commissioner John Dowlin, who had submitted two anti-rail nominees of his own, voted against the appointments.

Tom Luken's appointment seemed to placate Cincinnati officials, who had threatened to cut off SORTA's funding if city nominees weren't seated. SORTA runs the Metro bus system.

E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com