By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

NEWPORT - Newport Democrat Ken Rechtin is used to hearing about the General Assembly's inability to reach a compromise on a state budget.

It comes up often while campaigning for the statehouse seat he is trying to win in Campbell County's May 18 Democratic primary.

"There is a real anger," Rechtin said Monday. "They are upset because (the legislature) spends $50,000 a day of taxpayers money ... and they are not doing their job."

But Rechtin said there is too much finger-pointing going on in Frankfort over the budget impasse and not enough compromising. If elected, he promises to eschew the former and focus on the latter.

"The reason we are elected is to work as a team," he said. "That's what's lacking right now" in Frankfort.

Rechtin, a former Newport City Commissioner and incumbent Campbell County Commissioner, said he has the experience of serving on legislative bodies that required getting along to get things done.

"On Newport I was one of four commissioners who worked with a mayor and the city administration," he said. "In the county I work with two other Democrats and a Republican judge-executive.

"We got things done ... because we found a way to work together," he said.

Rechtin is running in a three-way Democratic primary in the 67th House District race against builder Dennis Keene of Wilder, a member of Wilder City Council, and former Bellevue Board of Education member Carol Rich.

The winner will face Republican Mary Hayden, a Wilder lawyer running unopposed in the GOP primary.

Incumbent Rep. Jim Callahan, a Wilder Democrat and the House Majority Caucus Chairman, is retiring after 18 years in the legislature. The district covers Newport, Dayton, Bellevue, Southgate, Wilder, Woodlawn and two precincts in Highland Heights - Northern Kentucky University and the Knollwood Subdivision.

Rechtin, a Fifth Third Bank vice president, lives in south Newport. He and his wife, Tina, have three grown sons and a daughter who is a senior at Newport Central Catholic High School.

A member of the Campbell County Fiscal Court since 2002, Rechtin served nine years on the Newport City Commission before winning the countywide office.

Newport has undergone a resurgence in the last decade, highlighted by the development of tourist and entertainment destinations including Newport on the Levee and Hofbrauhaus; new upscale housing on the city's hillsides and more modest homes in the city's west end; the refurbishing of the L&N bridge into the Purple People pedestrian bridge; and the refurbishing of Monmouth Street.

"I'm really proud of what Newport has accomplished," Rechtin said. "It comes up a lot when I'm talking to people. But a lot of people worked for years before I came on the scene to get that done."

Rechtin said he is also prepared to take political heat for voting with the other county commissioners and judge-executive to raise the county's tax on insurance premiums.

"That was (Republican and Democrats) doing that together," he said.

As far as the top issues, Rechtin mentioned:

•  Economic development/job creation. As a member of the fiscal court, Rechtin was involved in establishing the Northern Kentucky University Technology Triangle. It is a joint effort between NKU, the county and the cities of Wilder, Highland Heights and Cold Spring to develop a high-tech office park on land adjacent to the university.

Since the plan depends on using state money for development costs Rechtin said he would continue working on the project if elected to the legislature.

Rechtin said he would also support easing some environmental restrictions on redeveloping vacant industrial property that may be contaminated. Doing so could help attract interest in property along the Licking River in Newport and Wilder.

•  Housing. Though Newport has seen the development of upscale homes in areas with views of the Cincinnati skyline, Rechtin said building more moderately priced homes is just as important.

"You have to have a variety of housing opportunities in order to build a diverse community," Rechtin said.

As a Newport commissioner, Rechtin backed the city pursuing and ultimately receiving a nearly $30 million federal Hope VI housing grant, which is enabling the city to raze hundreds of units of public housing and relocate the residents to new and rehabilitated housing scattered throughout Newport.

Rechtin would also back legislation giving cities more power to crack down on owners of dilapidated and abandoned buildings.

•  Education. Within the 67th District are five independent public school districts, NKU and a Gateway Community and Technical College campus.

"Education is vitally important to this district," said Rechtin, who promised to push for more funding for higher and secondary education.

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E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com