The second floor of City Hall ...
City seeking 8 people to serve on two-year committee
COVINGTON, Ky. – Covington is looking for eight people to serve on a newly created committee that will help guide the City’s move to a new governing structure over the next two years.
The board – called the Committee on Form of Government Transition – is one of about three dozen bodies that can be seen on the Boards & Commissions page, and the City is looking for engaged residents willing to serve on several of them.
If you’re interested, click “Apply for Position” and fill in the boxes with your information.
“One of Covington’s strengths is the people who bring their intellects, time, energy, and concern to these boards, and if you’re ready to step up and help make The Cov a better place, we welcome you with open arms,” Mayor-Elect Ron Washington said. “Filling out the Transition committee is our immediate priority.”
Voters in Covington on Nov. 5 approved a ballot measure to move from the current City Manager form of government to the Mayor-Council form, which are two of the three government models allowed by state law. The Mayor-Council form is known colloquially as the “strong mayor” form because the elected mayor serves as chief executive of the City. It’s the most common form of local government among Kentucky cities and is used in Northern Kentucky by Florence, Erlanger, Independence, Fort Mitchell, among many others.
(To learn more, visit the Kentucky League of Cities “Form of Government” webpage.)
The change won’t be implemented for two years, and during that time the City must make a lot of decisions on a range of issues, Washington said. These include questions related to elections (the number of councilmembers and whether they’re elected at-large or from districts or wards); the powers and responsibilities of the mayor and council positions; the need for amended job descriptions; and whether other positions such as “chief administrative officer” need to be established.
“We have a lot of things to figure out and state law gives us a lot of leeway, so it’s important that this committee get up and running soon and be composed of serious-minded people who are ready to start researching best practices and case studies,” he said.
As mayor-elect, Washington will chair the nine-member voting committee, whose other eight members will be selected by him and confirmed by the incoming Board of Commissioners. The committee will also including eight ex officio (non-voting) members, consisting of the four City Commissioners and four administrative staff members.
Commissioners Order 278-24 out the committee’s duties and responsibilities. An initial progress report is due by June 30, and the committee’s final report – due by May 1, 2026 – will take the form of recommendations to the Commission for implementation.
Washington said he will look to include as many Covington residents as possible in the process. He also stressed that the public will have many opportunities to give input and be able to attend committee meetings.
“Voters set this change in motion, and now they’ll be able to shape how it’s implemented,” he said. “We need to take direction from our citizens.”
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