Covington voters will have eight choices as they vote on their next city commission. That four-member body appoints the city manager, who is responsible for Covington's day-to-day operations. The mayor presides over the commission and also votes with the it on issues decided by the commission.
We sent a candidate survey to all eight commission candidates. Below are candidate Tim Acri's responses, which have been lightly edited for clarity and style only.
You may also want to read:
- Candidate Bradie Bowen's answers
- Candidate Tim Downing's answers
- Candidate Cari McMurtry Garriga's answers
- Candidate Shannon Smith did not respond
- Candidate James Toebbe did not respond
- Candidate Bill Wells' answers
- Candidate Aaron Wolpert's answers
- Or, return to the election guide
Please briefly describe your reasons for seeking this office.
One week after graduating from high school, I enlisted in the United States Navy. Serving three tours overseas and a total of 14 years in the military (first enlisted, and then as an officer in the Navy Seabees) taught me the importance of chain of command, leadership, and attention to detail. I transferred the skills and knowledge I acquired while in service to my country into my civilian career, which helped me build a very successful environmental business, which was sold in 2018.
Working for more than 30 years in the environmental construction industry has prepared me perfectly for a position in public service in Covington. I understand the importance of contracts, proper subcontracting, budgets, development opportunities, grants and other sources of funding and many other facets of sustainable growth in the urban corridor.
We have incredible opportunities to transform the overall long-term viability of Covington through urban development of the former IRS site; expanding and attracting new businesses to the city to boost our economic vitality; and promoting affordable/income-based housing development, parks, and recreation opportunities for our residents.
I watched my father serve as a commissioner and mayor of the town where I grew up and always admired what he did for my hometown — and I aspire to do exactly the same thing for the city of Covington.
Covington faced a budget shortfall this year. What can the next city commission do to assure a balanced budget and reliable basic public services in the coming years?
The shortfalls the city is facing currently come from many different angles. I would first look at our spending. Looking at renegotiating or rebidding contracts, auditing routine purchases, or eliminating non-essential contracts would be the first step. We could also look at freezing vacant positions, better managing overtime, and addressing health care costs for all city employees. The city also owns a substantial volume of property, and we should review which properties could be sold quickly to generate revenue.
The city has made a number of smart, long-term investments over the years; I’d like to review those investments in closer detail and take advantage of any opportunities we might have to "cash those in." We should also look closely at sharing assets (labor and equipment) between departments instead of purchasing or hiring by department.
We could look at partnering with other local governments or nonprofits on specific tasks, which will benefit not only the city of Covington but other cities within the county or the region.
We should also more aggressively seek to collect income tax from "work from home" employees. If their company is paying them to work from their home in Covington, they should be paying Covington income tax.
With several changes/adjustments the city has already made in the past year, the shortfalls the city was dealing with have been reduced and the situation is not nearly as dire as most are making it out to be, so with a little work from dedicated commissioners, I feel as if the city of Covington will be back on track in a very short period of time.
Northern Kentucky has significant need for more housing. What can commission do to help the housing situation in Covington?
There are several ways to accomplish this goal. In the most general terms, the government defines affordable housing as any home, rented or owned, in which costs comprise less than 30% of the household monthly income. The city can offer developers a tax credit (Low Income Housing Tax Credit) if they designate a certain number of their residential units as affordable housing units. I would like to get local developers and landlords together in a room and discuss this and other options so our lower-income residents have more options as it relates to housing.
The former City Heights property is a perfect example of how we can offer tax incentives to developers to ensure we can provide options for all residents. School teachers, police, firefighters, service industry workers, etc. that work in our amazing city should have the ability to live in the city they work. The city of Covington has several robust programs (Homebuyer Assistance Program for example) to help first-time home buyers, but this is only appealing to people who are looking to buy. We need to spend time and energy on developing systems and processes to get the young professionals (who mostly rent) to become residents of Covington.
What opportunities and challenges do you see the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor project bringing to Covington?
I see this project as nothing but opportunity for the city. This project will bring thousands of jobs — not just construction-related jobs but jobs that will be supporting the construction activities.
This will allow easier access to our city, which will promote more businesses to move to Covington. It will allow us to redevelop our riverfront property and take advantage of this land, like Cincinnati did with Smale Park and Sawyer Point. Although I suspect there will be some inconveniences during this project that we (residents) will have to deal with for a few months/years… in the end, this project will ensure that Covington is one of the best places to live in the U.S.
The city has undertaken an ambitious development project on the site of the former IRS processing center. What role will commission play in maximizing this effort and helping finish the job?
This project is one of the main reasons I decided to throw my hat in the ring for this election. I have been doing brownfield redevelopment for over 30 years throughout the country and this redevelopment is one of the largest of its kind.
My knowledge of construction, sustainable development, LEED development, environmental regulations, contract law and many other project-related tasks will allow me to be able to "talk the talk" with each and every contractor that is selected to work on the project site.
Not only do we have the former IRS site being developed, but we also have a new City Hall being built, the former City Heights property, the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor and various other construction-related projects throughout the city. With my knowledge and experience, I can help lead the city commissioners through each phase of these monumental projects, all while ensuring that we are including the ideas and concerns of each resident.
Advocates have been vocal about the need for better pedestrian and bicycle safety infrastructure in Covington. What is your stance on this issue?
One of my top priorities for the city of Covington is to ensure that we have the ability to walk/run, bike, one-wheel, skateboard, etc., around our community (in the city as well as on the trails). I use all of these modes of transportation often and do not always feel safe while doing it. I will do all that I can to ensure that we have designated routes, signage, lighting and other types of infrastructure to get this in place as quickly as possible.
The Tri-State Trails plan that has been put in front of commission needs to be funded and constructed. This plan not only provides Covington with safe routes, but also connects our city to other cities along the river… which opens all kinds of opportunities for us in the near future.
Any closing observations?
I have been a fixture in the city of Covington for almost 30 years. I first moved to NKY in 1994 after serving in the U.S. Navy and completing college. In 1997, I purchased a home in Covington where I still live today with my wife and three amazing dogs.
My passion for local government runs through my veins, as my father was a city commissioner and eventually became mayor of Steelton, Pa., which is where I was raised. I served in the U.S. Navy from 1987-1993 and then had a break in service. I went back into the Navy Reserves in June 2001 and proudly served until October 2007.
I started my Naval career as an enlisted Damage Controlman, then cross-rated to the Navy Seabees, where I was a steelworker second class. I then applied for a direct commission and became a Civil Engineer Corps officer, where I served until I was honorably discharged as a lieutenant. During my time in the Navy, I deployed multiple times overseas serving with distinction during the Persian Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Professionally, I have a 30+-year career in the environmental and construction industry. I am currently a vice president of O'Rourke Wrecking Company in Cincinnati, where I specialize in environmental remediation, emergency response, construction and demolition services.
I am also the executive director of the Covington Street Hockey League (CSHL), serve on the Devou Park Advisory Committee, and am affectionately known as "Mr. Begonia" and the CFO for Scarlet Begonia's Flower Truck (owned and operated by my amazing wife, Kara).
In the role I treasure most of all, I am a loving husband and a very proud dad to my three children Marisol (24), Trajan (22) and Ryley (21). I truly look forward to sharing all of my ideas for the community and meeting everyone out on the campaign trail as I work to earn your trust and vote during the general election on November 5.