Michelle Snodgrass for Campbell County Commonwealth’s Attorney
Why am I running? Because this is my home. I was raised in this community and by this community. When I began as a prosecutor in Campbell County 18 years ago, I felt a responsibility to protect the community that had always protected me. As your Commonwealth Attorney, I have established an office that true criminals fear, one that puts the safety of our community first, and one where victims can come to seek justice. The felony cases that come before me are the most serious crimes in Kentucky, so we work to ensure that these crimes are punished with an equally serious penalty. My office secured the first jury verdict in Kentucky finding an individual guilty of the new crime of Importing Heroin (bringing heroin from Ohio to sell in Campbell County). My reputation for being tough on drug traffickers is no secret in criminal circles, as countless defendants have remarked that they “shouldn’t have crossed the river.”
Michele Snodgrass
I have the support of law enforcement and I am honored to be the only candidate for Commonwealth Attorney to have received the endorsement of the Campbell County FOP Lodge 10.
As the voice of crime victims in the courtroom, I have learned that one is never truly the same after being a victim of crime. I cannot give them their old life back, but I can give them one thing: justice. When a criminal victimizes one of us, it is personal for me. If we cannot feel safe, we certainly cannot feel free, and that is why I have made victim crimes a primary focus in my office. In recent months, my office has obtained life sentences for both a serial burglar and a murderer after hard-fought jury trials. The sad reality is that many of our victims are children, violated or harmed by those entrusted to protect them, and it is my responsibility to see that no one fails them any further. If you are ever the victim of a crime, I guarantee that you will want the most experienced prosecutor on your side. I am the only candidate who has been a prosecutor. I am the only candidate who has handled a felony jury trial on my own. I am the only candidate who has obtained justice for victims of crime.
Campbell County crime victims deserve to have their cases handled by committed, experienced prosecutors. I have a dedicated staff who have committed their legal careers to felony prosecution. My opponent has stated that he wants to staff the office with part-time felony prosecutors, which will result in part-time justice for victims. He claims this will save money – but this is simply not true. Part-time employees of the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office received the same benefits and retirement as full-time employees. The caseload of the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office cannot and should not be managed on a part-time basis. Campbell County deserves better.
So why am I running?
Because I am a prosecutor. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow to a Campbell County that is less safe, where our streets are infested with drug dealers. Simply put, there’s too much at stake. Being Commonwealth Attorney is not something you can learn overnight and with what we’re facing as a community, experience has never mattered more. Crime is not going away. I have fought it in this county for the last 18 years, and I’m asking for your vote so that I can continue this fight.
John Flesch for Covington City Commission
In Covington, “what is old, seems new, and what is new, seems comfortably familiar.” Covington conveys an easy sense of warmth, acceptance, and friendship. It conveys an easy sense of home.
With my wife, Laura (nee Hornbeck), beginning her career at Children’s Hospital, I became the stay-at-home parent upon the birth of our first child. With two children following, I know what it is like to run a business, practice law, and raise kids in Covington. I am immersed in this community and its well-being.
Covington is riding the crest of rediscovery and reinvestment. Some involved in this revolution are relatively new to the City. They are to be commended, for without them, this re-imagining, this rejuvenation would occur less rapidly and without the gifts ‘new eyes’ bring to the scene. Others that have been around for years, even decades, can remember the days when Covington suffered many ills. Those days are over. We are making Covington the great city it can be. We are winning; we are winning on ideas; we are winning on merit.
John Flesch
I take a transparent, collaborative, results-driven approach to policy and problem-solving. I seek solutions that do not lose sight of the long-term. Public safety (job #1), fiscal responsibility, improving delivery of basic services, and focusing on stakeholders are tenets of serving the public good.
The right answers for Covington are borne of its many stakeholders. Covington benefits from a diversity of assets—its people, its places, and its institutions provide tangible energy. We have great strength and opportunity in our vibrant business communities, strong neighborhoods, growing residential base, and exceptional building & housing stock. My prescriptions and hopes for a ‘better Covington for all’ take account of and capitalize on these assets.
Let’s talk about a few issues…
Senior Needs: Losing Senior Services of Northern Kentucky left a gap in fulfilling senior needs. Covington must look strongly at filling transportation, social, learning, and recreational needs of it elderly residents. We must cast new developments in the light of serving senior residents.
Economic Development:
Inventory our assets; capitalize on them. Economic development outcomes criteria are 1. cheeks in seats, 2. feet on the streets, and 3. kids in yards. Mixed-use at a redeveloped Latonia Shopping Center can provide for a range of business, commercial, and retail opportunities while improving the likelihood of getting families into our strong housing stock.
Code Enforcement: I favor robust enforcement with maximized hours and training tied to employment retention minimums to reduce turnover.
Trash Collection: With the current contract, the trash toters are assets of the City. Get them off of our balance sheet! In other municipalities, toters are built into the price, and the price is close to Covington’s. Although recently suggested as her priority by a current Commissioner, the City should NOT crack down on the rental of roll-off dumpsters from non-Rumpke companies. From an attorney perspective, the ‘Rumpke-only’ clause seems unenforceable. The City itself does not rent from Rumpke. Rumpke roll-offs are 30-50% more expensive than other competitors.
IRS Site: Implement a VERY long-term vision. My vision for the IRS site includes four elements. First, imagine breaking the site into quarters. Give one quarter to the Convention Center for expansion. Second, imagine cutting that IRS building into eight sections, stack those sections atop one another, slide that stack to near Madison & Fourth St, add parking and 1st floor retail, viola, the same # of jobs in 1/8 the space—then build a second building like the first…boom, twice the jobs in ¼ the space. Third, take the area west of Johnson, adjacent to the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge, and give it over to public safety. West Covington has insufficient land to build a new appropriately-sized future-oriented firehouse. Build it at Johnson, and bring our water and heavy rescue into it. Finally, take that last 4th and develop multi-use, multi-venue green space. With the recent Corporex announcement, there will be nearly 600 new apartment units north of 8th. New residents will need a place to recreate, especially as we look to losing a sizable portion of Goebel Park when the highway is rebuilt.
More:
1. Relocate City Hall to a permanent home anchoring redevelopment.
2. Develop a centralized recreation, activity, health, and community center.
3. Institute a permanent fund for sidewalk replacement.
4. Develop comprehensive plans for housing and parks.
5. Empower neighborhood-driven zoning.
Covington is a great city; I believe it, I know it. Among the assets that define a great city are the pride of place, the steady improvement & maintenance of infrastructure, and a focus on people. As a Commissioner, I will work with residents, businesses, civic groups, and all stakeholders in the City to make Covington a truly world-class city.
