Report from Loveland

Reporter Jane Prendergast reports from Loveland:


Ongoing disagreements between some Loveland City Council members and their colleague, Paul Elliott, continue. This, to anyone who watches Loveland City Council, is not a surprise.

Elliott cast the only "no’’ votes to hire new City Manager Tom Carroll and to pay the still-untallied legal bills from allegations that Carroll and the city’s tax administrator violated laws by releasing certain information during Loveland’s much-publicized tax case against the woman who owed $1.16. Clermont County Prosecutor Don White decided there was no criminal wrongdoing.

At council’s meeting Tuesday night, Elliott questioned:

- The proposed remodeling of City Council chambers ("I just see a real difference between needs and desires’’);

- The hiring of a one-year intern for $30,000 plus benefits, someone who will help fill in some of what would be done by an assistant city manager, a position vacant here since last fall when Carroll became acting city manager ("It certainly seems like a lot of personnel for a small town like Loveland’’). He was the only dissenter.

So during the discussion about hiring the intern, Councilman Dan Daly came up with this: if Elliott disagrees with something, it’s a sure sign everybody else should be for it.

He told Elliott: "I’ve learned over the years that when you oppose something, it’s probably a good idea.’’

Daly again, after Elliott expressed more concern on the same topic: "Once again, Paul, I appreciate that. It tells me I’m on the right path.’’