Covington Mayor-elect Joe Meyer: On his priorities as he prepares to take office — first, a change of attitude

By Judy Clabes
NKyTribune editor

Joe Meyer is no stranger to political life or public service. A lawyer by profession, he first ran for public office in 1982 when he was a state representative from the 65th District, which includes Covington, the place he has lived all his life.

From the Kentucky House to the state Senate, to senior policy advisor to Gov. Beshear, to Secretary of Education and Workforce Development – with lots of important assignments along the way – he has navigated the political and bureaucratic waters with considerable, increasingly seasoned aptitude. He has practically done it all.

But come January 1, he will become the first mayor of Covington in 60 years who hasn’t first served as a commissioner.

So when he asked about the process in place for a smooth transition to the transfer of responsibility for the city’s chief executive office, imagine his surprise in being told there is no transition plan. (Mark that as a check next to ‘something else to do’ on the list.) He had in mind some deep briefings on the city’s budget, some insight into pending legal matters, some helpful walk-through of in-office procedures, some advance updates from department heads – where things stand on . . .you name it.

Luckily he has just about seen it all, too – so he’s working his own way toward the transition, armed with that long To Do List and a set of priorities. He means to stay focused.

Meyer is a 4th generation Covingtonian, having grown up in Latonia, the son of a firefigther and electrical inspector. His mom was a homemaker who later taught sewing at Holy Cross School. He is a graduate of Covington Latin and NKU’s Chase Law School. He has a bachelor’s degree from Bellarmine College and a master’s in urban affairs from St. Louis University. He and wife Dale have four grown 5th generation Covingtonians.

But about that To-Do List.

It’s divided into “sooner” and “later,” so let’s start with “the simple changes” that will come first.

Q: You’ve referred to ‘simple changes’ you want to make on Day One. What are they?

A: 1. Change the Attitude: we’ll look for ways to get it done instead of reasons not to do it.

2. Restore the balance between administration and the commission – institute rules of procedure.

3. Change the order of the commission agenda so that guests and visitors are treated with respect.

4. Put public input on the agenda early on instead of asking people to wait for hours to address the commission.

5. Caucus meetings before legislative meetings so the commissioners have a fuller understanding of the issues and the opportunity to ask questions in a more relaxed environment. . .I’d like to see the details on the city’s website before the legislative meeting to make everyone aware of what’s going on

6. Use a Consent Agenda more skillfully.

Q: How do you mean to engage citizens?

A. We will improve communications, from the start. We will improve transparency. You can expect to see a substantial cultural change in Covington City Hall over time.

Q: So, you are talking about a change in culture, in how government and those who work for the city relate to those who actually pay them? How about the budget? You’ll inherit one already in place.

A: I want to bring in outside experts to review the city’s books and give the new commission an independent, objective report on the city’s finances.

What is the condition of the general fund? What are future obligations that are off-budget? Just what are the city’s debt obligations? What were the borrowed funds used for? What’s the quality of the budgeting and reporting capabilities of the Finance Department?

We’re a few years past the Bob Due theft; it’s time to review the implementation of the state auditor’s recommendations and see just where the city is.

We need a baseline for the beginning of the city’s third century and the change of administration is the perfect time to do it. We will use this information to inform the 2018 budget. 

Q: In the campaign you talked a lot about “high quality basic services”? What will you do to address the city services issues you believe exist?

A: The city needs to restore full fire and ambulance service to South Covington.

The city needs to review and change the trash collection contract. The “green sticker” effort to change people’s behavior isn’t working. There are too many unintended consequences of the current contract. Promising a provider an exclusive contract for services then not honoring it is just wrong.

I’d like to see the city restore the office Ombudsman so the residents of Covington have a point of contact for any of their questions and concerns. One person, one phone number, one email address – one point of contact. That person will get the answers and communicate with the residents, and report on a scheduled basis to the city commission to help us stay abreast of the residents’ concerns.

I’d like to see a Small Business Advocate in the Economic Development Department. Most of Covington’s businesses are small. They need a person to help them navigate governmental requirement s, both within the city and with other local governmental service providers. Again, reporting to the commission on the nature of the issues is an important part of this job.

I heard many complaints about code enforcement. Code Enforcement is not a part-time exercise. The city needs to restore full time code enforcement and develop a much more sensible approach to addressing the city’s housing code problems.

The city needs to establish a positive working relationship with its employees. The police, fire and public works employees are integral parts of the city’s success; they need to be treated as partners and be empowered to help this city grow.

Q: In the campaign, a common theme for you was the City’s relationship with the public schools? Can you be specific about what you have in mind?

A. The city needs a good public school system, one that’s attractive to the young people who are moving into the city. Education is not the responsibility of the school district alone.

I’d like to see the city government develop substantive partnerships with the school district in areas that are not the direct responsibility of the school district but which help the school district – and its students – succeed.

For example, a Mayor’s Office of Early Childhood where the city works with day care centers and preschool providers to improve school readiness; a joint recreation program that has the simple goal of every child in Covington involved in an extracurricular activity.

Q: You have extensive experience in workforce development at the state level. How will you apply that to Covington’s jobs issues?

A: I’d like to see the City work with the region’s various economic sectors to deliver programs to the city’s middle school and high schools, informing the students, their parents, and the faculty about the nature of the region’s economic opportunities, the income prospects and the educational requirements. There are significant high wage, high growth job opportunities in the region and many of our students and their parents are unaware of the prospects.

Q: So if these are the “simple priorities,” what are the complicated ones?

A: This campaign and this election were all about “change” for Covington’s government. My campaign advocated “change”; my opponent’s campaigned on “stay the course.” There couldn’t be a clearer distinction.

The residents of this city really have the sense the government no longer serves their interests, and doesn’t pay attention to their needs and concerns.

As the city starts its third century we need to look to the future and organize the government in a way to best orient the city government to meet those opportunities and needs. We must have a solid understanding of the city’s finances so we can begin the work we’ve discussed here. The city’s organization structure should support the effective delivery of city services.

The city needs management that believes in empowering its employees so the people can get the full benefit of the talent it has employed.

And the people want to know what’s going on, and they want their opinions to be respected.  And when I say people, I mean all the people of Covington. The government should serve the entire city, not just a selected portion of the city. The people of Latonia and South Covington and Peaselburg feel neglected and ignored, and rightfully so. There needs aren’t being met – and they’re not asking for a whole lot.

Real transparency and inclusion, openness — are fundamental to restoring trust in the city government.

Achieving the type of change we’ve described will require a different type of professional leadership for the city staff. The incumbent city manager was very involved in the mayoral campaign on the losing side, contrary to the standards of the profession and the tradition in Covington. One of the costs of a city manager’s engagement in the campaign of the legislative body that employs him is a loss of trust and credibility.

I’m sure Steve Beshear’s chief of staff would not expect to stay on after the election of Matt Bevin, no matter how much he liked his job. An honorable and smooth transition in management is part of being a government professional. It’s not personal. It’s a change that necessary to effectuate the will of the people as expressed in the outcome of the election. I fully expect the city manager himself to help prepare the city for the transition in elected leadership and then retire at year’s end.

Q: And, in conclusion?

A: All this will take time. It will require a concerted effort over time. We’ll start by addressing these issues one by one. It will require the support of the larger community, especially the philanthropic community. I’m excited about what this city can accomplish. There’s never been a better time or a brighter future for the City of Covington.