Middletown Forum : November 2013 elections

November 2013 elections : From MJ:Bank manager considers...

Fri, 31 May 2013 21:31:02 +0000

Author: 409
Subject: 5203
Posted: May 31 2013 at 9:31pm

From MJ:

Bank manager considers council bid

A manager at the Fifth Third Bank at the Towne Mall is considering a run for City Council.

John Jackson, 32, of Bexley Drive, pulled petitions last month to run for an at-large seat. He would be running against incumbents Dan Picard and Ann Mort, and Dora Bronston, the president of the Middletown unit of the NCAA.

Jackson said he’ll be running on the platform of “protecting public safety.”

He said it’s been a passion of his ever since one of his two daughters became sick and needed an ambulance.

“The fire department got there in what seemed like 2 minutes,” Jackson said. “That’s one thing I’d like to try to protect in the city.”

The political novice said he is working on his signatures and organizing his campaign committee. However, he said he will not turn his signatures in if everything is not set up.

“I want to make sure I have a shot of winning this,” Jackson said.

November 2013 elections : I am a 30 something that over...

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:24:05 +0000

Author: ktf1179
Subject: 5203
Posted: May 20 2013 at 9:24am

I am a 30 something that over a year ago we recently moved to Middletown. And we decided to move here mainly due to the location to I-75. But looking forward, we may consider moving away from here because the poor performing schools, the lack of city focus on the neighborhoods, and it's constant focus on downtown that is still a ghost town. And finally the rampant crime and drug abuse that is allover this city.

I don't disagree with you blue that downtown is important, but it seems that the city is only focused on downtown and that is a big problem. I just feel the city has it's priorities backwards. What good is having a up to date downtown, when the streets of neighborhoods where these 30 somethings would live off of, are in such poor condition that it can drive them away from considering Middletown. The conditions of the streets, curbs and sidewalks are a direct reflection of how City Government operates, and right now it give the impression to people from out of town that the City of Middletown is full of poor people that has no money, or does not care about taking care of it's infrastructure.

This can also be a major deal breaker when one considers moving to Middletown vs Springboro. It is sad that when I route friends and family to my house, I have to guide them down roads that are in better shape, than the shortest way.

It is also sad that a lot of the roads not only in my neighborhood, but all around the city has not been repaved since they were constructed.

I am not against all tax levies like other people on this site, if a street improvement levy was offered in the future, and it focused on the neighborhood streets, I would vote for that in a heartbeat.

If you look at Springboro, there are very few streets that are in poor condition, that's because they know that keeping the streets, curbs and sidewalks of the neighborhoods well maintained not only makes the entire neighborhood look better, but it also keeps property values up, which also helps the tax revenue of not only the city, but it's schools.

November 2013 elections : I think this council, minus one...

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:30:08 +0000

Author: blue7
Subject: 5203
Posted: May 19 2013 at 12:30pm

I think this council, minus one or two, has done exactly what the people of Middletown have requested. They are trying to downsize housing vouchers, probably won't happen. They have made downtown "friendly" pushing out the trash to neighborhoods and housing developments that don't care about their homes or property. Our little downtown is like a version of Cincinnati's Over the Rhine now. The city council can't force people with money and steady income to move here. They can make our city as desirable to those that do have a job and an income to move here and buy our ridiculously cheap houses while they send their kids to private school. We are a bedroom community with the highest rate of housing vouchers. Our schools are desperately trying to keep up with mandatory testing while the socioeconomic climate in this city continues to plummet. Our police are combating a heroin epidemic that this city has never seen. We are demolishing buildings and houses that are run down and hoping that the new wave of American businesses will either move their companies here or open a new business while our median income for residents is drastically lower than the desirable communities around us.

So, we don't want taxes to improve our roads, school buildings, desirable locations like parks or golf courses, but we also want these people to magically take this city back to thriving 50's when getting a job at Armco was the American dream. Well, we have to attract the young 30 something families here like West Chester, Springboro, and Mason have successfully done while they commute to work in larger cities. We no longer have the jobs to support our citizens that actually pay taxes and care about this city. So I understand what the council is doing with downtown. I hope they are granting tax incentives to businesses that are contemplating coming here. If I owned a store or service driven business there is no way I would open a business here compared to the local communities. The incoming council members have a lot of work to do. I could be completely wrong though.

November 2013 elections : wtellmoor wrote:I recognize...

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:11:38 +0000

Author: lrisner
Subject: 5203
Posted: May 18 2013 at 3:11pm

wtellmoor wrote:

I recognize that they will tell us that they are Republicans, but they are RINOS, "Republicans In Name Only."

Well, I can certainly agree with your statement in overall principal. i am a SANE conservative who currently has no Party as the GOP at this time is a bunch of ideologues without any Brains at all.

Unfortunately I don't know where you stand. You could be one that is disappointed in the Republicans because they are NOT "insane" enough.

November 2013 elections : I don't know what to...

Sat, 18 May 2013 04:42:35 +0000

Author: wtellmoor
Subject: 5203
Posted: May 18 2013 at 4:42am

I don't know what to say.

Are we going to have Ann Mort sitting there giggling and naming parks after her supporters for four more years?

Will we have "Dan the man" sitting there and acting like he's better than the rest of us for another four years while he operates his law practice out of Monroe and spends our city's cash reserves down the toilet towards bankruptcy just so he and his pals can drink wine and eat cheese downtown?

Won't anyone run against these liberals?

I recognize that they will tell us that they are Republicans, but they are RINOS, "Republicans In Name Only."

They never saw a tax that they didn't like, they love to spend other peoples' money, and they are always willing to volunteer everyone else's time and efforts.

If you people want to see our city continue in its downward death spiral towards bankruptcy, allow these two socialists to run unopposed and join the two Mulligans in trying to build their old-fashioned playground at everyone else's expense while the rest of our city crumbles.

Oh well, at least their properties won't take that bad of a hit. And their pals on KMB, Downtown Middletown, Inc., and other taxpayer-financed organizations will send money their way.

Wake up, Middletown!

What was it again that they gave their pals at Moving Middletown Forward $75,000 of our money for? What did MMF do with that $75,000? Will we ever get an accounting for that $75,000 with "Ann, Dan, & the Mulli-gans" in office?

I think not!

November 2013 elections : From MJ:Petition activityAs...

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:20:57 +0000

Author: 409
Subject: 5203
Posted: May 17 2013 at 9:20pm

From MJ:

Petition activity

As Middletown City Council downsizes from a seven-member board to five members, two sitting council members have already pulled and filed petitions for re-election.

Vice Mayor Dan Picard and Councilwoman Ann Mort have had their petitions certified by the Butler County Board of Elections.

The terms for council members A.J. Smith and and Josh Laubach expire this year and neither has announced if they will seek re-election.

The board will shrink by two members because voters in 2009 elected to downsize council based on a ballot initiative recommended by the Charter Review Commission.

No one else has pulled or filed a petition for Middletown City Council.

In Monroe, Mayor Robert Routson and Councilman Todd Hickman both have pulled, but no one has filed a petition to be on the November ballot.

Any candidate for office in the Nov. 5 election must return completed petitions by 4 p.m. Aug. 7 to the Butler County Board of Elections.

November 2013 elections : Maybe we should also post this...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:06:24 +0000

Author: ktf1179
Subject: 5203
Posted: Apr 24 2013 at 9:06am

Maybe we should also post this on the Middletown Facebook Pages to see if anyone would be interested in running? Mainly because not everyone reads MiddletownUSA.com.

November 2013 elections : Has anyone turned to the Butler...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:56:07 +0000

Author: ktf1179
Subject: 5203
Posted: Apr 24 2013 at 8:56am

Has anyone turned to the Butler or Warren Country Republican party to see if there are anyone willing to run for these positions in this election?

November 2013 elections : Forgive me for bringing...

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:10:38 +0000

Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 5203
Posted: Apr 23 2013 at 7:10pm

Forgive me for bringing this up…again…but this November’scity council election is barely more than six months away!!!

This election will be crucial since there will be no more“Ward” seats, and the size of council will shrink fromseven to five. The termsof Ward Council members Mort, Smith, Laubach, and Picard will all expire onDecember 31^st, and only two at-largecouncil persons will be elected to replace them.

Who will be joining the two Mulligans and Ms. Scott-Joneson council next January???

It is imperative that two good, fiscally conservativecandidates with common sense and a desire to represent ALL of the people ofMiddletown come forward (or perhaps be strongly nudged forward) soon to preparefor a winning campaign!!!

Our city is going broke. The next two to four years may either be the last dying gasp to ourfinancial ruin, or the first few breaths to a new life—depending upon thisNovember’s election.

We desperately need two candidates to rally behind, andwe need them SOON if they are going to have a chance at mounting a winningcampaign!!!

Our children, our grandchildren, and our city NEEDhelp. It is upto us to find it!!! Noone else will do it for us. If we don’tdo it, all is lost and there will be no one else to blame!!!