Attorney Steve Goodin will serve in place of suspended Cincinnati Councilman Jeff Pastor. Pastor was suspended last week, after being indicted on federal bribery charges. Hamilton County Probate Judge Ralph Winkler named Goodin to the position Monday morning.
Goodin's appointment could be temporary. It's not clear how long Pastor's suspension will last, or if he'll return to council. He was arrested earlier this month and faces charges of bribery, attempted extortion, honest wires services fraud and money laundering. All nine council seats are up for election next year.
Goodin says he was considering running for council at that time. He says he doesn't have his eye on higher governmental positions. "I think that's one of the problems that has haunted council over its last few sessions - you have some very, very ambitious folks who are looking to make a name to move on to other things," Goodin says. "I would like to take some of the politics out of it, and try to take advantage of this moment."
The local attorney says he's got his eye on the anti-corruption proposals in council now. But he also wants to look at charter reform.
"It's a document that has guided us, and guided us well. But it was crafted in a time before tax increment financing, before development deals, before cellular communications. Frankly, the original document did not contemplate the strong mayor that we have been using now," he says.
Goodin is a partner at Graydon Law, and is a former Army JAG officer, and is currently president of the board of directors for the Center for Addiction Treatment.
