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Political fighting in North College Hill

348 views · Published 5 January 2016 · 2:27 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2016 · News & Politics

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NORTH COLLEGE HILL, Ohio (Rich Jaffe) - The new year gets off to a rocky start for a community that's spent years battling political infighting between council members and city administration.

At noon Friday, Jan. 1, Maureen Mason became the first woman to be elected Mayor of North College Hill. At the Acute Hair Salon, owner Verna Meadows said she loved having a business in North College Hill.

"We all look out for one another. It's a neighborhood that feeds off of family and customers," said Meadows.

But a few blocks away, at city hall, there was an entirely different mood fueled by years of vitriolic politics. On the first day of the new year, the city's first elected female mayor was sworn in and that went smoothly, at least until the first council meeting of the year began a few minutes later.

Mayor Mason told council she was prepared to announce her choice for a city administrator right up until they put zero dollars in the budget for the job.

The mayor told council, "In other words you're sitting there saying until we're the ones who pick this you get zero dollars to hire anybody."

Councilmember Shawn Oshea said, "We should not rush into this decision. This is the person male, female that is going to run our city."

Council also zeroed out a salary for a new finance director. Karen Krummen said she's been to 30 Jan. 1, meetings but said this one was a "sideshow."

"My husband and I have lived here all our lives, and you can tell by looking at me that's a long time. And yeah it concerns me a lot what they're gonna do to the city. They don't seem to be able to make a decision ... It's scary," said Krummen.

A few minutes before being sworn in, the mayor told Local 12, "I'm not gonna let any toxic environment poison the city or stop us from delivering the services that we need to do."

But it may not come easily. Three new council members were also sworn in Jan. 1, 2016, as was a new president of council.

The council members agreed to meet Monday, Jan. 4, in committee to discuss filling the finance director's position and the city administrator's job.

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