Covington City Commissioner Ron Washington speaks at an event. (Photo provided by The City of Covington)
Covington Commissioner Ron Washington threw his hat into the ring for mayor on Dec. 1, three days after Mayor Joe Meyer announced his retirement.
“We have accomplished quite a bit in the past several years,” Washington said in a press release. “But we need to make decisions and take actions that keep the momentum going. I’m ready to do that.”
Prior to sitting on the commission, Washington worked in Florence, where he was the city police department’s first African-American officer. He also worked for the Kenton County Sheriff’s office.
Washington said he hopes, if elected, to focus on economic and workforce development and other measures to build out Covington’s business and cultural landscape.
Current Mayor Joe Meyer announced his retirement at Tuesday night’s city commission meeting.
“It’s time,” Meyer said. “It was a difficult decision. I love this city. Of all the jobs that I’ve had my favorite has been mayor.”
Meyer’s last day as mayor will be Dec. 31, 2024, at the end of his second four-year term as mayor.
Meyer’s decision to not seek reelection came “after 45 years of public life,” he said.
Prior to his time as mayor, Meyer served as the state of Kentucky’s secretary of Education and Workforce Development, a position he left in 2013. He also served in the Kentucky General Assembly for 15 years, where he chaired the House Cities Committee, the Senate State and Local Government Committee and the Senate Education Committee.
Meyer cited his age and a desire to spend time with his family as reasons for stepping away.
“At the end of the next term, I would be 80,” Meyer said. “That’s eight-zero years old, and it is presumptuous of me to believe that I can continue to serve four more years with the same level of energy and drive that this job requires.”
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