COVINGTON, Ky. — After eight years as Covington’s mayor, Joe Meyer will step down as mayor on Dec. 31, hoping his successor will have more opportunities and the ability to make a difference than he did.
“A lot of people think the mayor already has the authority to do a lot of things,” he said on the floor of the City Commission. “Most people don’t understand the form of city manager government that is actually applied[in cities].”
Meyer, along with more than a dozen current and former Covington officials, is urging voters to pass the ballot measure, “Covington Forward,” this November.
This initiative aims to change the structure of city government. Currently, Kentucky’s fifth-largest city is run by a city commission and a city manager appointed by the mayor.
If the ballot measure passes this November, the city will be run by a newly elected mayor and a newly formed City Council.
The measure appears on the ballot in the form of a yes or no question. “Do you support the proposal entitled Petitioning the City of Covington to Adopt a Mayor-Council Plan? Yes or No?”
Simply put, a “yes” vote means Covington wants to change the government structure, and a “no” vote means he wants to maintain the status quo.
“The first thing we’re doing is aligning the form of government with people’s expectations of government,” Meyer said.
Under the current model of government, all board members and the mayor have a vote in shaping local policy.
The mayor is responsible for running meetings, signing contracts, and acting as the public face of the city. They share executive and legislative powers with the board of directors, but do not have veto powers.
That means every staff vacancy, every contract, every budget change, every street name, every equipment purchase, and every public project is subject to a vote by the commission. Meanwhile, city operations are handled by the city manager and other city professionals.
“This is the most common form of local government in the state,” Meyer said. “Even big cities like Louisville and Lexington have it.”
Meyer isn’t the only one who thinks so. Brent Cooper, CEO of C-Forward, sees rebuilding cities as a way to improve economic prospects and break away from a stagnant style of government.
“I’ve been in Covington since 2003, and so many great things have happened,” Cooper said. “We think this kind of effort could accelerate things even further.”
There are also arguments against the idea of change. In a September editorial for WCPO’s news partner LINKnky, guest author Robert Hollein said: The advice was given by a professional city manager, going beyond the judgment of an individual with the ability to win an election. ”
If voters approve the change of government, four committee positions will be abolished and six to 12 City Council seats will be filled instead.
By the end of their two-year term, commissioners elected in November will draft an ordinance outlining details of the new government, including how many seats the city will have on the council. Residents will vote to fill a new city council seat in 2026.
