CINCINNATI — Interim City Council Member Liz Keating says Cincinnati isn’t a “stepping-stone” to higher office. And she’s proposed an amendment to Cincinnati’s city charter that she feels will keep it from becoming one.
What You Need To Know
- Amendment would require Cincinnati’s mayor or city council members to resign when they start fundraising to run for a non-city office
- Similar rules are in place in at least five states and the city of Philadelphia
- There are two ways to get the amendment on the city ballot: a 2/3 vote by the city council or collecting enough resident signatures
Keating, a Republican and Charterite, announced the “Resign to Run” amendment Tuesday morning during a press conference on the steps of Cincinnati’s City Hall.
Under the proposal, a sitting city council member or the mayor would have to resign once they start fundraising for another salaried elected position.
If the provision were in place today, it would affect politicians like Mayor John Cranley, who is currently running for governor of Ohio.
Council Member David Mann is running for mayor. But he would not be affected because he is running for a city position, according to Keating’s office.
Keating said the amendment isn’t pointed at any specific candidate or politician.
“For too long, City Hall has been a stepping-stone to higher office, to more power, to greater glory. But Cincinnati isn’t a stepping-stone. It’s a $1.4 billion enterprise. It’s a community with over 300K people,” Keating wrote in a statement.
“[Cincinnati is] a major city facing real challenges like corruption, gun violence and childhood poverty. And it needs dedicated leaders who are completely focused on the task at hand. We need, now more than ever, public servants and not politicians.”
Resign-to-run provisions are in place at a statewide level in five states: Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii and Texas. It’s not a rule in Pennsylvania, but there is a resign-to-run provision in Philadelphia, per Keating’s office.
To make it to the ballot through city council, the proposal will need 2/3 support. That means at least six of nine council members would have to vote “yes” for it to pass.
If the vote fails, Keating would have the option to collect signatures from residents to have the proposal placed on the November ballot.
Keating says she plans to bring the amendment to the city council floor for debate and a vote after the summer recess, which continues until August.
“A vote for the Resign to Run Charter Amendment will be a vote to commit to our city of Cincinnati,” Keating said. “I hope my colleagues will join me in passing this Charter Amendment to put it on the ballot for voters in November.”
Keating was appointed to the city council in December to replace Democrat P.G. Sittenfeld, who stepped down to fight criminal corruption charges.
Sittenfeld is one of three city council members who have had to step down this term due to legal issues. The other two are Jeff Pastor and Tamaya Dennard, who was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Keating is running in the November election for a seat on the city council. She received an endorsement from the Charter Committee of Greater Cincinnati.
