By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Now that Crestview Hills may significantly expand its tax base, some residents of neighboring Lakeside Park want to discuss a possible merger of the two Kenton County cities.

Merger supporters say Crestview Hills offers its residents more services for less money. They say those revenues will only increase with the proposed $90 million redevelopment of the Crestview Hills Mall.

Opponents argue a merger of the two cities would not be cost-effective. They also fear it would turn much of their residential community into a commercial corridor.

For now, officials in the two cities are taking a wait-and-see approach to a possible merger.

Two weeks ago, Lakeside Park City Council tabled any discussion of a merger study until council's annual planning session on Jan. 31.

"We don't know if a merger would be good or bad until we study it,'' said Lakeside Park council member Debbie Henrickson. She said she asked council to study a merger at the request of several residents.

Henrickson recently met with Crestview Hills Mayor Paul Meier, who said he would be inclined to split the cost of a $10,000 merger study by the Northern Kentucky Area Development District, should the two cities agree to pursue one.

"I don't really know if there would be any advantages or disadvantages to a merger until a study's done,'' Meier said. "If Lakeside Park is interested in pursuing a merger study, Crestview Hills would be glad to participate.''

Last year, governments in the Kenton County suburbs of Villa Hills and Crescent Springs opted not to merge after studying the issue for a year.

"If a merger study is done, I see a committee of residents, business people and council members from both cities making a recommendation to the respective councils,'' Meier said. "The two city councils would then have to approve putting the issue on the ballot.''

Lakeside Park resident Linda Bramlage said she sees a merger as a possible solution to constant tax increases in her city. Because you can count the city's businesses on one hand, she said, Lakeside Park residents bear the brunt of the tax burden.

"I'm tired of being nickeled and dimed to death,'' Bramlage said. "Any time the city needs money, it raises taxes. Not everyone in Lakeside Park is wealthy. It just makes sense to do a study and see what's out there to gain or lose.''

"I don't think our city's in a financial crisis,'' said Lakeside Park resident Ken Padgett. "There's no indication that there's a groundswell of opinion in Lakeside Park to have a merger.''

Padgett said any talk of merging the two cities is premature, and he questioned supporters' motives.

"I believe this whole thing was nothing but a backdoor move to commercialize Lakeside Park,'' Padgett said. He added some Lakeside Park residents see merging as a way to get commercial zoning so that they can personally profit.

"If we merge with a city that has a commercial zoning ordinance, it would put at risk the residential corridor on Dixie Highway, Turkeyfoot Road and Buttermilk Pike,'' Padgett said.

Lakeside Park resident Jay Rice said he wouldn't oppose exploring a possible merger, but added he can't see how residents in his city would benefit.

"I want to see our city maintained at an appropriate level,'' Rice said. "We'd have to study whether (a merger) would really ease the tax burden. I'm definitely not in favor of commercial zoning.''

But longtime Lakeside Park resident Jim Ruh said a merger "just makes good business sense.''

Driving down Dixie Highway in Kenton County, one passes through eight cities in five minutes that share similar demographics and values, Ruh said.

"When you're a little fish, you don't have much clout,'' Ruh said. "Merger would give you economy of scale and more professional people.''

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com