The PDS Council—the governing body for Planning and Development Services of Kenton County—met for its annual organizational meeting two weeks ago. Representatives of most Kenton County governments were present. Independence Mayor Chris Reinersman was re-elected the council’s president for 2017; Lakeside Park Mayor Dave Jansing was re-elected vice president, and Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhof was re-elected secretary. All terms run through January next year.
In another election, council members elected three individuals to serve two-year terms on the PDS Management Board. Elected were former Covington Mayor Sherry Carran, County Commissioner Beth Sewell, and Fort Wright Councilman Bernie Wessels.
Carran and Sewell serve on the Board currently. Wessels will replace board member and former Taylor Mill Mayor Mark Kreimborg who chose not to run for re-election.
Four other individuals serve on the Management Board, having been elected in 2016 to two-year terms. They are former Fort Wright Mayor Tom Litzler, Crestview Hills Mayor Paul Meier, Independence City Administrator Chris Moriconi, and Park Hills Mayor Matt Mattone.
As directed by the Kentucky Revised Statutes, the PDS Council provides a forum in which Kenton County planning issues can be debated and consensus achieved. With a membership of elected officials only, the Council is also responsible for final review of the organization’s annual budget and the tax rate that funds it.
True to its name, the seven-member Management Board oversees the professional staff, sets policy to achieve the Council’s direction, and provides oversight for the daily operations of the organization.
Others included on the ballot for seats on the Management Board were former Covington Commissioner Chuck Eilerman, former Park Hills Councilman Monty O’Hara, and former Fort Wright Councilman Don Martin.