Dayton Mayor

Does the Media Hype Homicides?

2011-12-22T13:21:00.003-05:00

I was just interviewed by Don Hammond from Fox 45 as a follow up to my statement last Friday where I made a comment on TV. That comment was "The only reason people are afraid to come out is because the media hypes homicides."

You can access Dayton crime statistics here and they clearly show that the overall trend in crime is down. I have never interviewed with Don Hammond before and I can honestly say that I won't interview with him again. Here is why. Mr. Hammond started the interview very well by asking me some decent questions about other subjects. He then wanted me to discuss crime statistics. Then he went into intimidation mode. He pressed me on my statement above and his body language became more aggressive. I remained calm for much of the interview but he would not back down. Making statements like "You said the ONLY reason people don't come out is because the MEDIA hypes homicides." Mr. Hammond wouldn't accept my answers, especially when I stood by my original statement. He badgered me because he wanted one of two reactions. To back peddle and admit that I was wrong or to do as I did so he could get some excellent footage. He did get some excellent footage because I finally got disgusted with his interview tactics and walked off. I suspect this will make an intersting story on tonight's news because there are a lot of excellent sound bytes. I'll bet they will start the story with the ending footage and even hype their interview with the mayor so that they get better ratings. However, unless you view the unedited interview in it's entirety you are not getting the story told fairly and accurately. So I am challenging Fox 45 to show this interview entirely if they wish to run this story! After all "Fair and Accurate" is how Mr. Hammond stated that he reports the news.

Welcome Dayton Plan - How it started

2011-11-28T23:41:00.004-05:00

We have been getting some national attention as well as some international attention lately as a result of the commission unanimously approving the "Welcome Dayton" plan which is geared towards making Dayton attractive towards foreign born citizens. If you were to Google "Dayton immigrant friendly" then you would find many of the articles about the plan and how some people praise us for the initiative and others condemn us on the grounds that we will attract illegal immigrants to our city. I have found that the best way to explain why we did this is to tell the true story about how it came about. When people hear it they say that it really makes sense and realize that our decision had nothing to do with dealing with illegal immigrants at all.

Truth. We had some issues in 2009 regarding unfair housing practices with regards to the Hispanic community that were being investigated by our Human Relations Council. However, on May 6, 2010 I was invited to the Northeast Priority Board meeting which is a district type neighborhood meeting involving several neighborhoods in the northeast section of the Corporation limits of the City of Dayton. I don't think I was expected to actually show up but I did and sat near the back of the room. I was introduced to the attendees towards the end of the meeting and asked to say a few words. When done, a man with a Russian accent asked me some questions. He tried to explain how he and about 4000 other families arrived in the U.S.A. from Russia. He described his people as Ahiska Turks.

I handed this gentleman a business card and invited him to call my office to make an appointment to meet with me. He did. I was smart enough to invite the City Manager to sit in on this meeting. The Ahiska Turkish community had two asks of us. To help them acquire a community center and to help them establish a cemetery. They invited us to integrate into their community which consisted of some 300 families in Dayton. They were buying up property in the Old North Dayton neighborhood and renovating houses. They had priorities. Number one seemed to be owning a home that no on could take from them. The City Manager and I discussed the fact that the very worst thing that could happen if we helped this group was that 4000 families of Ahiska Turks would relocate to Dayton and fix up one third of our vacant housing stock. The best thing that would happen is that they would start businesses to support their own community and then grow to support the greater Dayton community. Helping them made absolute sense since they were here anyway and doing good things.

What happened next was phenomenal. The City Manager asked our Human Relations Council to investigate what it would take to make Dayton "immigrant friendly" and attract opportunists and entrepreneurs. We discovered that immigrants are at least 2X more likely to succeed at small business than a national born resident and we had groups of people here in Dayton from all over the world who were here legally and striving towards the American dream. Thus began a series of meetings and the formation of several committees to formulate a strategy to facilitate the success of foreign born nationals in Dayton. That is it. The concept came out of a desire to facilitate the success of groups of people who are already here and now, primarily because of timing, we have been labeled by the media as being somewhat progressive because we are going against the grain of what other states in the U.S. are doing. Some other states are passing laws that are restrictive to illegal immigrants which makes those areas unattractive to legal immigrants as well because legal immigrants can be profiled and suffer the hardships of prejudice.

I continue to point out that historically, cities that embraced diversity of culture tended to thrive for hundreds of years until the leaders of the cities adopted elitist attitudes towards race and culture that destroyed the stability of those cities. Two cities that come to mind are Byzantium which became Constantinople and ultimately Istanbul and Cordoba in Spain. Constantinople was the Capitol city of the Eastern Roman Empire and out lasted Rome by 500 years. Cordoba thrived under the Moors as long as religious differences were ignored. Dayton is truly a world class city. We have world class facilities here and we certainly have world class people. Now is the time to recognize that trait and to develop it to it's full potential. Open minds open doors to opportunists. Here in Dayton opportunity knocks!

Old Tricks?

2011-11-02T20:54:00.004-04:00

Our local newspaper has supposedly changed how they report news. I was excited when this was announced and felt that if they can maintain the new approach over a long period of time, it would be good for the entire region. I was told by some of their staff that they would no longer endorse candidates or pick sides when it came to non-partisan races. Today, they printed a story that was factual but it is very one sided, and barely "newsworthy." The story is about one of the independent candidates running for city commission. You can read it HERE

Mr. Pace announced two years ago that he would be running for city commission. He has never hidden that fact and has been aggressive in his fund raising efforts for the last two years. I would like to add an element to this story that the newspaper has failed to report. The amazing thing that was not reported was how an African American was able to set up his own production company in downtown Dayton which employed several people and generated over $400,000 a year without receiving a dime from the city or any government agency. Between 2002 and 2009 over two thirds of his advertisers and sponsors either went out of business or moved out of the city. His personal income plummeted but he managed to stay in business and only owe $2000 in state income tax. With regards to the foreclosure issue, Mr. Pace has first-hand dealings with an issue that millions of Americans have experienced, and he also understands issues dealing with unresponsive banks.

So the real questions that need to be asked are these; Why did the paper publish this story less than a week before the election when the information has always been available on the public record. Some of it for over two decades. Is this really a news story? The debates are all over and Mr. Pace has no way to rebut this story. The other question to ask is; What is the relationship between the journalist who wrote the story and one of the incumbent commission candidates up for re-election?
To me this reeks of the same old, same old that must be changed. Whether this was intentional or not it sends a bad message. It sends a message that reporting is back to business as usual at the local paper and that one political party is up to the same old lame tricks that everyone is sick and tired of. If this was intentional, shame on you DDN. If it wasn't then open your eyes and see what it is that you do to ruin yourself.

First Time for Everything

2011-10-21T23:30:00.002-04:00

I have been in office for 22 months now and today I had to do something that I have never done before. I had to ask a citizen to leave my office. When they wouldn't leave at my request, I had to have our security guard come and escort them out. This does not make me proud. In fact it disturbs me a little. The truth is that I rarely get angry but someone today just pushed me overboard. There are always two sides to a story. I try to be fair when I describe mine. Let me start by stating that I go out of my way to make myself extremely accessible to our citizens.
I had a call to the office from someone with issues with our water billing. This person owns rental property so I could almost predict what the issues would be. They have owned the property for seven years, they have issue now. I have heard it before. The complaint is that we charge a meter fee whether water is consumed or not. This person feels that if the water is not being used, they should not have to pay a service fee. Fair enough, but you can request to have the meter removed for a $30 fee and installed again at a later date for $30. I informed the person of this but it was not the answer that they wanted to hear. The next issue that was predictable was going to be the one where we charge the water bill to the property owner if a tenant doesn't pay the water bill. The person was somewhat confrontational. It was almost as if anything I was saying was not going to be acceptable. So I made a clear concise statement. It went something like this; "If you own rental property and it generates income then there are certain expenses associated with a business that you need to account for. If you don't want your tenants to f**k you then you need to have control of the water bill. I have a rental and I pay the bill. We factor the cost into the rent." This person was offended by my use of one of the oldest slang words in the English language. Instead of telling me that they would prefer that I refrain from using such words, they said rather confidently "I am recording this conversation."
My reaction was simple. " Really?" I said. "Then you can leave my office."
" But I have some other issues." they replied.
"You can turn off the recorder or you can leave then." I stated.
"But,but ..."
"You can turn off the recorder or you can leave then." I stated again and I believe one more time.
"I have no recorder." Came the reply.
Now this person has either just lied to me once or they have lied to me twice. My reply was "You have breached my trust, leave my office now!"
They would not leave so I had security called to escort them from city hall.

Now let me state this. I really go out of my way to be accessible. I don't judge people and I listen to what they have to say. I have no problems being recorded if you declare in advance that you wish to do so. However, when you declare in the middle of a dialogue that you are recording me because you don't like what I have to say, that tells me that you made a conscious decision in advance that you were not going to agree with my statements and that you have an agenda. Your agenda includes wanting to embarrass me at some later date for whatever purpose you wish to serve. Fortunately I have never been ashamed of anything I have ever said. Being recorded hasn't stopped me from using risque language in the past either. In fact I have been called out for using two eight letter and one five letter cuss words that were used to describe me in a comments section of the local paper last year. People know that I am real, I don't pretend to be better than anyone else and I have never been afraid to speak my mind.
So to the person in question. If I offended you, I am sorry. However your violation of my trust offended me in a more permanent way.

Welcome Dayton Plan

2011-10-05T18:00:00.000-04:00

Tonight we vote on the "Welcome Dayton" plan which will set us on a path to becoming a city where we facilitate the success of foreign born residents. Some extreme conservatives are opposed to the plan because they have entirely set their focus on the issue of illegal Hispanic immigrants and not on the thousands of legal immigrants that are already located here from many different nations. After all the citizens speak in favor or opposition I will be reading the following statement. It is posted here so that the media can refer to it if they want to quote my statement.

Too often it seems that people read a paragraph in the newspaper or see a 30-second preview on the evening news and presume they know everything they need to know about a subject. The Welcome Dayton plan has been slowly and carefully developed over the course of this year, with input from the Human Relations Council, Police, and various community organizations. The plan was conceived out of the necessity to support foreign born citizens who want to succeed in the Dayton region.

Our universities, hospitals and tech industries are recruiting to fill highly skilled positions. The Welcome Dayton Plan was formulated to help Dayton become a global city by attracting the best and the brightest. This plan is designed to enhance the potential of Dayton as a competitor in the global economy by attracting immigrants who bring new ideas, new perspective, and new talent to our workforce. In order to reverse the decades-long trend of economic decline in this city, we need to think globally and recruit the very best from around the world.

This is NOT about harboring illegal immigrants or drawing illegal immigrants into Dayton. We understand there are problems with people entering the U.S. illegally. The Welcome Dayton Plan leaves federal immigration law enforcement to the feds, and instead focuses on making our community one that treats all people kindly, fairly and humanely. If you are an illegal immigrant, you will be subjected to the same Federal laws as anyone else.

My office has received several phone calls and emails from citizens who are completely misreading what is really contained within the plan. If you have not fully read it, then I suggest you do before you openly criticize it. This is a living document that directs policy. With it, we are committed to facilitating the successful integration of foreign born residents and their children to be productive citizens of the city of Dayton. Failure to do this would only hinder Dayton’s economic recovery.

History has demonstrated that cities that embrace all people and cultures thrive until one culture deems itself better. It is then that they fail. Byzantium outlasted Rome by 500 years and became Constantinople. Cordoba in Spain flourished during the occupation by the Moors because the leadership there ignored religious differences. We could also look towards successful centers of learning such as Baghdad and even Timbuktu.

History proves that closed minds and resistance to change only results in failure. To those citizens who are against the Welcome Dayton plan—instead of condemning something that you didn't participate in, volunteer to help us make it better.

Mayors Walks

2011-05-25T12:30:00.000-04:00

Next Mayor’s Walk: Tuesday, May 31, Five Points

Release Date: Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Contact: Jason Webber, Office of the Mayor, 937-333-3653

Mayor Gary Leitzell will conduct the next Mayor’s Walk on Tuesday, May 31, in the Five Points area. The two-hour walk begins at 5:30 p.m. and will convene at the Tabernacle Baptist Church, 380 S. Broadway St. Parking is available at that address.

Mayor’s Walks are opportunities for citizens to informally discuss neighborhood issues and progress with Mayor Leitzell and City of Dayton staff. Mayor Leitzell encourages residents and community leaders from across the Dayton region to participate.

Additional Mayor’s Walks for 2011:

Monday, June 6—Jane Reece
Monday, June 13— Five Oaks
Monday, June 20—Westwood
Monday, June 27—Sandalwood Park
Monday, July 11—Belmont Business District

Trials and Tribulations

2011-04-27T08:15:00.002-04:00

Today, I have to vote on a lease agreement that will have an impact on the future of our city. It was my original intent to abstain from voting because I know the owner of the business competing for this property. I felt that would be the ethical decision since he has kept me updated with his efforts to utilize this property and acquire a lease. I have thought carefully about this decision and have decided to exercise my right to vote "no" on a matter of principle. I have no doubt that the company named in the lease has good intentions and the ability to succeed with this property. However, my concerns are the following. For the last year, we have declared as a city, that we would strive to become more business friendly. We also claim to want to help local entrepreneurs succeed. I have heard from many small business owners that they feel it is unfair how we hold them to the same standards as a multi-million dollar company. We ask for financial reports, floor plans, architectural drawings and business plans that they often pay a premium to produce. In this case though, it appears to me that we are holding the small, local entrepreneur to a much higher standard than the big multi-million dollar out-of-state developer with a history of doing ordinary things with extraordinary buildings. We appear to be talking out of both sides of our mouths. We have asked the local business owner to produce a financial statement and a business plan so that we could determine if his idea was a good concept for the building. He never asked for money. He only asked to change one clause in the existing lease that would allow greater flexibility for his purpose.
After viewing his plan our staff solicited another company and agreed to do business with them based on a financial statement and a drawing on a single piece of paper which was presented as a conceptual plan. It simply shows removing some jet fuel tanks and moving a security fence. We then designed a lease based on their simple concept. Now, they can develop whatever plan they want after we have agreed to the terms of this lease. Personally, I think this was the wrong thing to do. We should hold them equally accountable to produce a bona-fide business plan and design the lease based on their business plan. I have a conscience and I have high standards. The way this deal was put together simply does not meet my standards of doing business. I empathize with the little guy since I too have been denied business loans, financial support and had big companies fail to pay after shipping goods. I sincerely hope that I am completely wrong on what I anticipate could be the result of today's vote. However, I feel it is better that one of us be wrong (that being me) and the other four be right versus all of us being wrong in 5 years when this lease is re-evaluated.

You can read the local newspaper story HERE.

State of the City Address

2011-04-21T17:30:00.002-04:00

Here is tonight's State of the City Presentation.

Good evening and thank you for coming. I want you all to know that this speech has been posted on my blog page at www.daytonmayor.org so it is available as I speak to any interested party.

First, let's all thank Major Tom Duperee and his staff of the Salvation Army Kroc Center for hosting us here this evening. This $40 million facility opened last May and has quickly established itself as one of the Dayton region’s crown jewels, offering recreation to area youth and comfort to the troubled. Last year, in only seven months, the Dayton Kroc Center served nearly 135,000 meals to local citizens. And that’s not even a full year’s worth of service. Let’s give a round of applause to Major Tom and his staff for improving the lives of so many Daytonians in need.

We’re here this evening because the Kroc Center provides a perfect example of what is still possible in Dayton. Critics and cynics are quick to point to the many challenges facing us. But I think a world class facility like the Kroc Center proves that many great things are still happening in the Gem City.

But I didn’t invite you here tonight to hit you with the usual political rah-rah rhetoric. Most State of the City speeches follow a tried-and-true formula — over hyping the good and oversimplifying the bad. Well, tonight we’re going to examine the true State of Our City. No politics, just economic reality and harsh facts. Five facts, to be exact.

Fact #1: Dayton is on its own.

It’s true. The State is cutting funding to most Ohio municipalities, including Dayton. Most of the Obama administration’s stimulus dollars have been dispersed. NCR and GM are gone and they’re not coming back. We can no longer expect government to bail us out or to lead us to the promised land. Nor can we put our faith in two or three giant companies and pray they stick around.

It’s a new economic world out there, folks. What worked in the past will no longer sustain us. So, we’re on our own. Winston Churchill said it best. “Gentlemen, we are out of money. Now we have to think.”

But this situation in which we find ourselves should be empowering — and not disheartening. The recent slashing of the State’s Local Government Fund is the State’s way of forcing municipalities to modernize their approach to governing. This new economic world requires us to be faster, sharper, leaner. More creative. Whether or not we agree on Governor Kasich’s proposed $6.5 million dollar cuts to our Local Government Fund is irrelevant — we have to hold the cards we’ve been dealt.

Fact #2: Dayton must reinvent itself to survive and thrive.

You don’t need me to tell you this. This is something that everyone in this room already knows. Dayton has a rich and wonderful history of being one of America’s key manufacturing centers and we still have many strong production companies within the city. But it’s our ability to innovate and create that is going to bring about this new Dayton that we must build together.

Some of America’s most creative and enterprising minds have hailed from Dayton, Ohio — the Wright Brothers and Charles Kettering are among those best remembered.

But today, there is a new generation of innovators at work in Dayton -- innovators who may well put our city on the map in a new way.

Like the Wright brothers and Charles Kettering, these new innovators work in laboratories and workshops, but with high-tech tools and resources not imagined just a few years ago.

Take, for example, the entrepreneurs at the RFID Convergence Center, the only RFID-based commercial incubator in the world, just a few blocks south of here at Tech Town.

These innovators are finding commercial applications for the next generation of this fantastic data management technology. Their work, and the efforts of many others in other technology fields, holds great promise for industry and for Dayton’s future.

So today that Dayton Originals spirit of ingenuity is alive and well, and we have everything we need to turn things around in Dayton. And slowly but steadily, we are succeeding.

Fact #3: If we’re going to get anything done, we need to work together

If we’re going to move Dayton forward, we need to cut the political party b.s. of yore and find compromise. We cannot have R’s and D’s being critical without offering solutions. Thankfully, I serve on the Dayton City Commission with a wonderful group of people who truly love this city, care about its citizens, and DO offer solutions to our problems. Commissioner Nan Whaley, who is leading the charge in making Dayton one of the most bikeable and walkable cities in Ohio. Commissioner Joey Williams, who is constantly helping improve our youth and recreation options and programs. Commissioner Matt Joseph, who ensures the City maintains a close working relationship with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Commissioner Dean Lovelace, who tirelessly works to ensure the human rights of Dayton citizens are upheld. Commissioners, will you please stand and be recognized? Thank you for all you do for this city.

To move Dayton in a forward direction we cannot point fingers at two parties and dwell on the past. We can't change what once was, but we can change what will be. In the past people on both sides of the political fence were critical, but in Dayton it should be that you can no longer be critical unless you offer solutions. Ben Franklin said that “Any fool can criticize condemn, and complain and most fools do.” If you have a complaint, offer a solution. It gives the other side a basis from which to consider an alternative. And be certain to have all your facts straight. I know there are always three sides to a story: yours, mine, and the truth. This is the basic foundation that we must all work by if we are to resolve conflict and resolve things in a fair manner.

As Mayor, I have spent my first year in office not focusing on politics as usual, but strategizing ways to empower our entrepreneurs and business owners, who have the power to lead our economic recovery and be trail blazers on the path to Dayton's prosperous future.

After taking office last year, I set about researching and identifying who the real key players are in Dayton. Who are the men and women who can create jobs and build a rock-solid 21st century economy? In the last year, I had 116 appointments related to local businesses and quickly discovered that Dayton is truly blessed to have so many visionaries in its midst. People like Sandy Mendelson, who is currently redeveloping the long-dormant former Delco building. Jeff Samuelson, who has overseen several major development projects in Dayton, and has several more that will be breaking ground this year.

I met with nearly all of the leaders of the region — both political and economic. And here is my conclusion. Some move, some shake. Some move AND shake. And some don’t move or shake at all. And they know who they are. And so do you.

Every single citizen plays a key role in designing Dayton's future, but everyone’s piece of the puzzle needs to be connected to the other pieces in the proper order. You see, as Mayor, I envision myself standing over this huge puzzle. All the pieces are here. The people are here. The businesses are here and the facilities are here. Some of it has already been assembled and is ready to connect to the next piece. That is what we need to do. Connect the pieces. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to come together.

When I met with these business leaders, over and over I heard the same lament: We want to create jobs. The opportunities are there. The labor pool is there. But we’ve just been stymied by red tape, declining property values, and the fact that so many people think investing in Dayton is foolhardy. So we listened and we asked for some solutions. This year we are implementing some of those solutions.

In fact, my leadership council, made up of 25 of the finest minds in the region has been challenged to work on solutions to move Dayton in a positive direction. I would like to recognize the members that I know are here tonight ......
Ted Bucaro
Larry Couchet
Steven LeFlame
Julie Liss-Katz
David McDonald
Irvin Moscowitz
Phil Parker
Jeff Samuelson
and Stacy Thompson.

If anyone else is here, please stand. Give these people a round of applause because they truly care about this city and they are all volunteers.

Fact #4: Dayton is evolving

2010 saw many positive changes at the local government level, beginning with increased transparency and a more 21st Century approach to sharing public information.

For the first time, City Commission schedules and materials were made available online for anyone to review before any contracts or legislation were voted on. We followed this up by implementing an online registration system for alarm permits and police reporting, as well as allowing citizens to find crime statistics, waste and recycling schedules, and other information. We established a strict open-door policy with the Mayor’s Office--you can send me an email, I’ll actually get it and what's more, I read it! And chances are, I’ll respond personally to you.

Facebook fans on the City of Dayton page increased from 1000 to nearly 7500 in 12 months, making communication with our citizens instantaneous with the click of a mouse. We have expanded our presence on YouTube and regularly communicate with citizens via email and social networking.

In 2011 you will see more of this happening. You will be able to track housing violations and you can now pay water bills online. We have also improved our web sites to make them more user friendly. Check out the Recreation and Youth Services web site for a good example of this.

Let's talk about recycling. In January 2010 we were paying $38 a ton for trash to be disposed of in a land fill and $14 a ton for Rumpke to take our recyclables. By mid year this dropped to $6 a ton for recyclables and in 2011, based on the contract we have, this has dropped to $2 a ton and grown from less than 200 tons to over 400 tons a month, saving the City money and resources.

It is important to note that Dayton’s crime numbers in key categories have continued to decline this past year, as they have for several years.

This success can be largely attributed to the crime prevention work that our Police Department is conducting under the leadership of Chief Richard Biehl and a first-class command staff. Our police are not simply reacting to crime, they are working in organized, intelligent ways to prevent crime, in cooperation with our citizens.

Dayton’s firefighters, under the leadership of Chief Herbert Redden, are among the finest serving any American community, and we are fortunate to live and work with their protection and service.

Dayton’s continuing economic recovery has never been more apparent. Just look at what is going on in the private sector.

Just one week ago, GE Aviation broke ground on the $51 million research center it will occupy at the edge of the University of Dayton campus. This development and the technology jobs it will bring are huge wins for Dayton and should serve as a catalyst for other companies to invest in Dayton and our Ohio Aerospace Hub. The entire process from the public being notified in the press on April 1st, 2010 of GE's interest in the region to the groundbreaking took a mere 54 weeks. Not some 5 years.

Nearby, UD will soon begin construction on a new student village on Brown Street. The transformation of the campus area continues, and the University of Dayton continues to provide leadership and partnership for our city’s future.

Progress is not limited to the southern side of downtown. To the north, a construction crane now stands above Grandview Hospital, where a major investment in new facilities is underway.

Also just north of downtown, the reconstruction of the Great Miami Boulevard and Grand Avenue will begin very soon. This project will bring a new look and major road improvements to neighborhoods near Grandview and the Dayton Art Institute and encourage investment there.

And if you haven’t seen it yet, I invite you to check out the latest and very striking new building at Dayton’s Tech Town Campus. Its doors will open soon, providing even more opportunities for technology jobs in Dayton.

We also opened three new bridges since the beginning of 2010 which is amazing in itself. These are truly works of public art with their lighting effects.

Our business community continues to innovate and invest. Techmetals, an east Dayton manufacturing firm, recently completed a significant expansion in record time and its making specialty metal products for clients around the world.

In the heart of downtown, Premiere Health Partners is making a major investment at 2nd and Main by purchasing the former Fifth-Third office tower and keeping 700 jobs in downtown Dayton.

Also, very shortly, we will gather at the site of the old Howard Paper Mill on Edwin C. Moses Boulevard to begin the demolition of that long-abandoned industrial property. When it is gone, another eyesore will have disappeared and another brownfield will be ready for productive re-use.

Development and progress is happening in neighborhoods as well. In fact, we have seen an increase in volunteerism in the neighborhoods. Our Priority Board Chairpersons have assumed a greater role in developing solutions for their neighborhoods and I would like to recognize those Chairpersons who I meet with regularly to solve problems and discuss ideas. They are …
Ms. Mary Ellington from Innerwest
(and if you are here, please stand up)
David Greer from North West
Kevin Jones from F.R.O.C. Or for those who don't know, the Fair Rivers Oaks Council.
Dan Kennedy from South East
David Powers from North East
Ms. Patricia Rickman from South West
and Stephen Seboldt from Downtown.

Community partners and investors are building dozens of quality housing units on every side of town—from downtown near Fifth-Third Field, to the Roosevelt-Westwood area, to Twin Towers in east Dayton, to the Fairfield neighborhood of northwest Dayton.

And, federal Stimulus dollars are being put to good use, with hundreds of rehabs or demolitions planned for the next two years. In fact, the first few new homeowners of Neighborhood Stabilization Program homes have already moved in. To these homebuyers and to our development partner CityWide Development Corporation, I offer sincere acknowledgment and thanks.

(PAUSE)

We are all too painfully aware of the tough job losses our community has suffered in recent years. But today there is not only hope, there is real progress on the jobs front.

For the first time in several years, city income tax revenues are trending up. Though the increase is modest, it indicates that jobs are returning and our local economy is starting to grow again.

And there is real promise for future growth because of some recent investments by businesses in Dayton.

Homebuilder Ryan Homes has purchased a building in Dayton’s Northwest Industrial Park and will locate a manufacturing operation there. Hiring begins this summer.

We also have a whole slew of trail-blazers taking a risk on Dayton by living their dreams and opening coffee shops, cafes, bistros and restaurants. We also have people opening service businesses but often their effort is overlooked by the media. To all of them — we are all grateful.

The City of Dayton has also been reaching out to its immigrant population, who are investing millions of dollars into our economic infrastructure. In fact, this very neighborhood is home to many citizens who recently moved to the U.S. from the former Soviet Union. I have met with many community leaders from the Ahiska Turkish community and have heard the same sentiment many times — people from foreign countries want to live and invest in Dayton because this city holds incredible opportunities for people who want the American Dream. I’d like to give special thanks to Mr. Tom Wahlrab and the Dayton Human Relations Council for leading the charge in making Dayton one of America’s most immigrant friendly cities. Tom, thank you for all you do.

As you can see, we are not quietly waiting for the world to notice Dayton and for opportunities to come to us. We are building bridges and foundations for future growth on several fronts.

Commissioner Matt Joseph and City Manager Riordan recently chaired a workgroup focused on strengthening the relationship between the City of Dayton and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The possibilities there are enormous and promising.

I have a few people that I would like to thank personally before I conclude. Firstly, Tim Riordan our City Manager. He is at the helm of this ship we call Dayton. Without him we would not be actively moving forward at our current pace.

I also want to thank Stanley Earley and Shelley Dickstein our assistant Managers who work tirelessly keeping Tim in order!

I want to thank every single city employee AND every single County employee who work endlessly to provide safety services to our citizens. From Law enforcement, fire and emergency services, road and sanitation, water and recreation as well as convention centers and airport staff. Without them we would not have this city.
As a side note, in case anyone is interested. The city manager and I meet regularly with the county administrator Debbie Feldman and County Commissioner Debbie Lieberman. If any County Commissioners are here, please stand.

I really want to thank the staff of the local newspaper who have helped me become a better leader by teaching me not to react to the news of the moment. On the same note, I want to thank the staff at Fox 45, Channel 2, the Dayton Business Journal and the Dayton City Paper for their willingness to help promote the positive stories about Dayton.

I also want to acknowledge William Pace who told me that he wanted to become a voice for the people and has willingly attended some 500 plus neighborhood and Priority Board meetings to hear citizen concerns and has put out many sparks before they became fires. His proactive approach is a model for other like-minded people to follow. In my entire time on the Southeast Priority Board I have never met anyone willing to attend that many community meetings!

Then there is my personal aide, Jason Webber. He is my bulldog in the Mayor’s office. Without him, this event would not have been possible and my life would be more hectic than it already is.

In conclusion, I present

Fact #5: Dayton will prosper.

But don’t take my word for it—just ask the Financial Times, who just yesterday named Dayton one of America’s Top 10 Cities of the Future in the. Dayton was chosen out of 405 cities across North and South America. Among cities with populations less than 250,000, we ranked second in foreign director investment strategy, third in small business friendliness, and ninth as a City of the Future. The Financial Times praised Dayton for our Tech Town technology park, the Ohio Aerospace Hub, our focus on advanced manufacturing and information technology, our abundant water supply, and our skilled workforce.

Our future is bright even if our present is filled with challenges. But let’s be realistic — change will not happen overnight. The type of long-term changes that we are currently experiencing won’t be felt for a long time. I’m talking years. You don’t solve decades worth of decline in one year or four years, and any politician who will tell you otherwise is a flat-out liar.

However, we have to anticipate the inevitable, and it is inevitable that things will get better. Enough with the negativity — we can’t listen to the naysayers who are so quick to say that Dayton is falling apart. Look closer. Growth is happening — slower than we’d like — but it IS happening.

We can no longer make money the primary focus of our projects or let money dictate how we proceed. We must focus on solving the problems and then utilize what limited resources we have to solve those problems. If we have no money then we just have to fix problems without it! If we inspire people to start their own businesses and create jobs for citizens then the money will come.

Ladies and gentlemen, YOU are the ones who will lead the recovery. Not government. So get involved. All government can do is help support you. The passion and devotion that will change Dayton will only come from you — the citizens.

The tide has shifted. If you haven't already done so, it’s time to switch surfboards so we can move forward together, united with this new tide.

I will be frank. We don't know what the future holds but moving forward to reach it is better than standing firm and getting knocked over by that tide, especially when you have seen it coming for a while. They say that the best way to predict the future is to create it. I believe that the future of the Gem City is great. I believe that you believe it too. We have world class buildings, we have world class school facilities and higher learning facilities, we have world class citizens with world class ideas. Now is the time for us to put those ideas into action. This is our moment. Let’s work together and seize it.

Thank you and God bless.

Mayor’s Walks for 2011 Begin on April 18

2011-04-15T11:32:00.000-04:00

Release Date: Friday, April 15, 2011
Contact: Jason Webber, Office of the Mayor, 937-333-3653

Mayor Gary Leitzell will conduct the first Mayor’s Walk for 2011 on Monday, April 18, in Dayton’s Rubicon Mill Neighborhood. The two-hour walk begins at 5:30 p.m. and will convene at the Community Room at the Patterson Homestead, 1815 Brown St. Parking is available at that address.

Neighborhood Walks are opportunities for citizens to informally discuss neighborhood issues and progress with Mayor Leitzell and City of Dayton staff. Mayor Leitzell encourages residents and community leaders from across the Dayton region to participate.

Additional Mayor’s Walks for 2011:

Monday, April 25—Sandalwood Park
Monday, May 9—Old North Dayton
Monday, May 16—College Hill
Monday, May 23—Rocky Hills
Tuesday, May 31—Five Points
Monday, June 6—Jane Reece
Monday, June 13— Five Oaks
Monday, June 20 –Westwood

Rain Dates: Monday, June 27 and Tuesday, July 5.

Municipal Employee Appreciation Week March 28 to April 1, 2011

2011-03-24T14:12:00.004-04:00

UPDATED 3/25/2011

Mayor Leitzell’s
Municipal Employee Appreciation Week March 28 to April 1, 2011

Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell announced details of the second annual City of Dayton Employee Appreciation Week which he has expanded to include all municipalities in the region. From Sunday, March 27 to Saturday, April 2, 2011 municipal employees will receive special discounts at a variety of local businesses when they show their ID badges. The current list includes;

Angel Heaven 11 N. Miami Street West Milton 10% Discount

Baker’s Heating & Cooling 2500 N. Main St. 937-274-9966 10% Discount

Barnsider Restaurant 5202 N Main Street 937-277-1332 15% Discount (April 1st only)

Butler’s Concrete LLC 937-835-3194 or 937-307-3856 10% Discount

Cachet-G! E. 133 E. Third St.937-461-2665 15% Discount

The Cakery 140 Woodman Drive 937-258-2320 10% Discount

Champion Auto Service 1524 Milburn Ave. 937-228-3057 10% Discount

Chateau Club 4302 Webster Street 937-277-8209 10% Discount

Christopher’s Restaurant 2318 E. Dorothy Lane 937-299-0089 10% Discount

Color Tile and Carpets Plus 3609 Linden Ave.937-253-1131 10% Discount

Computer MD 937-436-2972 937-604-5452 10% Discount

Custom S 4023 Salem Ave. 937-275-4255 10% Discount

Desserts By Ann K 600 E. Second Street 937-361-7785 10% Discount

Double Tree Hotel 11 S. Ludlow St. 937-461-4700 10 % Discount

Dublin’s Pub 300 Wayne Ave. 15% Discount

Randall Dwillis Massage Therapy 8529 N.Dixie Dr. $10 off Massage 937-890-6050

Good Year Tire 21 Otterbein Ave 937-277-2724 10% Discount

Good Year Tire N. Main Street 10% Discount

Isaac’s Transmission Service 2467 Patterson Road Kettering 937-256-
0248 937-654-8797 Cell 10% Discount

Main Hardware 3016 N. Main Street 10% Discount

Mary Ann’s Kitchen 3651 Salem 937-281-1478 5% Discount

Mendelson’s 340 E. 1st St. 461-3525 10% Discount

Muffler Brother’s (Beavercreek) 1355 N. Fairfield Road 937-429-2420 10% Discount

Ohio Automatic Transmission 3164 Salem Avenue 937-275-5574 10% Discount

Patterson Chase 460 Patterson Road 937-8766 15% Discount

Person’s Automotive 1414 N. Main Street 937-674-3258 10% Discount

Price Clothing Store 4th & S. Jefferson St. 937-224-7631Additional 5% off on sale merchandise

Restoration Resources 480 Congress Park Dr 937-433-1768 10% not to exceed $250

Rinaldo’s Bake Shoppe 910 W. Fairview Ave 937-274-1311 10% Discount

Rut’s Eatery 32 James H. McGee Blvd. 937-718-2461 10% Discount

St. Anne’s Violin Shoppe 1500 E. Fifth St.20% Discount

Smokin’ Bar-B-Que 200 E Fifth St. Dayton 937-586-9790 10% Discount

Submarine House 3598 Salem Ave. 937-274-1755 10% Discount

Top Of The Line Salon & Barber 2836 Salem Ave 10% Discount

Top of The Market 32 Webster St.10% Discount

Towe’s & Associates CPA’s 415 S. Miami St. West Milton 937-275-0900 20% Discount

Uno’s Chicago Bar & Grill 126 N. Main St.15% Discount

Upper Deck Tavern 2652 Blanchard Ave 937-298-3929 10% Discount

Xclusive Cuts 4321 N. Main St. 937-9864 10% Discount

Municipal Employee Appreciation Week was put together with the assistance of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce and associates of Mayor Leitzell. This particular week was chosen because Dayton was settled on April 1, 1796.

“Employee Appreciation Week is a way of acknowledging the hard-working men and women who serve the citizens of this community,” Mayor Leitzell said. “Dayton’s small business community really stepped up to show our local government employees how much they appreciate the work they do, whether it’s plowing streets during the winter, filling potholes in spring, patrolling neighborhoods, or addressing citizen concerns.

We hope this small gesture — which won’t cost taxpayer’s a cent — conveys a big ‘thank you.’ It also demonstrates a reconnection with the local business community.”
During this time, Mayor Leitzell asks all citizens to show their appreciation for the entire region's civil service workers by waving and saying “thank you.”

Forward Thinking

2011-03-10T16:36:00.000-05:00

More proof that Dayton is a progressive city!

What is with all the hype?

2011-02-19T22:49:00.005-05:00

Four weeks ago the Dayton City Paper published a center fold article about my first year in office. You can read the article HERE. The paper is our local Alternative Weekly Newspaper and they want to become a little more controversial than they have been previously. This candid interview assisted with that.

On Wednesday a citizen exercised her right to speak for three minutes at our evening commission meeting. I won't bore you with the details but you can view the entire commission meeting or just move the cursor to the center and watch her make her statement and my reply.

It must have been a slow news day because this made headline news that evening and was the lead story on one TV news station

Dayton mayor called out for cursing: wdtn.com

Now you have to ask yourself what exactly would motivate someone to come downtown to sit through a commission meeting so they could spend three minutes complaining to the mayor about words printed in an article that is 4 weeks old. I won't elude to much but her mentioning the name of the former mayor to me after the meeting was somewhat telling.

I was able to give an explanation on my regular 3rd Friday of the month interview on Fox 45.

Dayton's News Source :: Top Stories - Fox 45 In The Morning: Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell

There have been several threads regarding this incident on Facebook. None of which have been favorable to the citizen because everyone realized that I was simply describing what someone else had called me to the Dayton City Paper reporter. It was the papers choice to print the words in their entirety without blank spaces. Not mine. If you haven't read the article yet then you may very well be disappointed with "nasty" words in question here.

I made it very clear during my campaign that I wouldn't change my personality in order to become Mayor and I wasn't going to change after becoming Mayor. The Dayton City Paper article was written by someone who realized this and wanted everyone else to know it too.

The moral to this story is this;

There are choices and there are consequences to those choices. You can choose to stand in front of a bunch of city administrators and the entire city commission and spout off to me about what you think I should or should not be doing. This may get you some TV time and three minutes of fame that could very well backfire on you OR if you have an issue with me, you can call the office at 333-3653 and make a personal appointment to meet with me behind closed doors. Bring a witness if you feel the need to do so. You will have my undivided attention for 30 minutes or maybe longer. I may not tell you what you want to hear but I will tell you why I did or didn't do something. You may be very surprised with my answer and leave with a lot more information than you came with.

Good News About the Region - THE GOOD NEWS SURROUNDING THE DAYTON REGION

2011-02-03T18:00:00.000-05:00

Information provided by David McDonald Author of "Saving America's Cities"

There is a tremendous amount of good news about the Dayton Region. Some of this news you have heard before. Some of it you likely have not heard. I have completed my own demographic analysis on cities for approximately thirty years, and have over 4,000 pages of demographic reference material in my office. Hopefully you will find this information interesting. Please feel free to update the information and return to me.

THE DAYTON REGION METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA

The number of people in the Dayton MSA is a very important statistic, and one that requires some explanation. Most demographic books copy each other on their numbers. Most of the time these resource manuals are within a close tolerance of being right. I do not know why the numbers for Dayton are so badly in error with these demographic companies, but they are. All of the demographic reference manuals that I can find list the Dayton Region (Dayton MSA) at around 839,000 people. This is grossly in error. A conservative estimate for the Dayton Region Trade Area (MSA) is 1.2 million people. I could make a case for 1.3 million, but that would be slightly stretching it. I have heard some groups within our region use this same number (1.2 Million) and I have heard some use significantly more. There is no justification for more, but 1.2 million is an extremely significant and positive number for us. The Dayton Region is all or parts of 7 counties and the breakdown is listed below.

% OF COUNTY COUNTY/
POPULATION IN POPULATION/
COUNTY DAYTON REGION IN THE
COUNTY POPULATION TRADING AREA DAYTON REGION

Montgomery 536,445/ 100%/ 536,445
Greene 156,003/ 100%/ 156,003
Miami 102,854/ 100%/ 102,854
Clark 141,439/ 90%/ 127,295
Champaign 40,205/ 60%/ 24,123
Darke 52,214/ 60%/ 31,328
Preble 42,184/ 70%/ 29,529
Shelby 49,303/ 70%/ 34,512
Warren 216,348/ 30%/ 64,904
Butler 359,442/ 25%/ 89,860
Clinton 44,359/ 15%/ 6,653

APPROXIMATE TOTAL DAYTON REGION POPULATION 1,203,506

Notes: Every town and borough in the nation has a Metropolitan Statistical Area that they identify with. (ie: a large town with plenty of good opportunities for shopping, dining, the arts, etc.) The boundaries could relate to rivers, mountains or state lines. However, the majority of the time it relates to factors as simple as “how far is it to the closest big city where I can shop”. This is not only determined by distance but also by road systems, and thus ease of travel. Many of the counties listed above are split, from a shopping standpoint for reasons mentioned above and thus you have percentages of the populations less than 100% shopping in Dayton. The loss in these counties is predominantly to Cincinnati and Columbus.

How do we relate to the significance of 1.2 million people in the Dayton Region MSA? There are 20 states in the nation that do not have a single Metropolitan Statistical Area as large as that of the Dayton Region. Eight states have only one MSA that roughly equals that of the Dayton Region. Therefore, a total of 28 states (56% of the states in the US) cannot equal or beat what we have right here in the Dayton Region. Another 15 states only have one MSA that exceeds that of the Dayton Region. Ohio is the 7th largest state in the nation, and Dayton is surrounded by four larger MSA’s: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Indianapolis. However, this should not detract from the fact that the Dayton MSA is the 46th largest MSA in the nation (Note: Depending on varying assessments, you could technically rate Dayton as being #45 or #47).

Good News About the Region - THE DAYTON REGION’S 600 MILE RING

2011-02-03T17:51:00.001-05:00

Information provided by David McDonald Author of "Saving America's Cities"

Within 600 miles of Dayton are approximately 52% of the population of the US. (Note: If you count that part of the 600 mile ring that encompasses Toronto and the surrounding Canadian area, you technically come up to what would amount to 56% of a US population total.)
Florida, Texas and California account for approximately 30% of the US population. However, these states are too geographically disperse to be of any real significance to a corporation looking for a headquarters from which they can grow their business by expanding out in relatively nice, neat concentric circles – which most companies ideally want to do.
That only leaves 18% of the US population in all the rest of our states.
If you move the center point of the 600 mile ring 100 miles north, south, east or west, you lose population in all directions.

The Dayton Region is right in the middle of the vast majority of the population in the US, and therefore is one of the absolute best places you could find to build and grow a business. Note: I recently read a statement that within 500 miles of the Dayton Region were 60% of the population in the US. I recalculated my numbers to make sure I was not missing something. My numbers are approximately correct 52% within 600 miles).

Interesting statistic: If you go 250 miles east or south of Atlanta, you are in the Atlantic Ocean. Go 600 miles southwest and you are into water moccasins. Go 600 miles west, and you are getting into prairie dog territory. Go 600 miles north and you are right back in the Dayton Region.

Good News About the Region - GROWTH OF THE DAYTON REGION

2011-02-03T17:48:00.000-05:00

Information provided by David McDonald Author of "Saving America's Cities"

Between the year 2000 and the end of 2008, the Dayton Region grew by 1.8%. That, on the surface, may not be significantly high growth, but if you take into account that over this nine year period the Dayton Region has been divesting itself of the last remaining remnants of its old industrialized base (along with several Fortune 500 companies) this is outstanding growth. Now that we are all but complete with the "removal of the old" our growth rate should start to soar. In the past, too much notoriety has been given to a few high profile departures from the Region and not enough attention given to all the small companies that have located in our region – offsetting, and then some, the publicized losses. Montgomery County is one of the few counties in the region that is losing population, but the region, as a whole, brings up Montgomery County. The Austin Road interchange projects over the next five years should bring Montgomery County back into the positive growth category. Currently there are in excess of 34,000 businesses in the Dayton Region. To put this 1.8% growth rate into perspective, look at the growth rates of the following Ohio MSA’s over the same nine year period:

NINE YEAR
CITY/MSA GROWTH RATE

Cleveland - 2.7%
Lima - 2.8%
Mansfield - 2.7%
Toledo - 1.0%
Cincinnati + 5.7%
Youngstown - 4.8%
Akron + .6%
Columbus + 9.8%

There is already significant talk in Cincinnati of the merging of the Cincinnati and Dayton Regions. This is taking place and it will foster continued and escalating growth in our Region.

Good News About the Region - VACANCY RATES, SHOPPING, WATER

2011-02-03T17:45:00.001-05:00

Information provided by David McDonald Author of "Saving America's Cities"

DAYTON REGION OFFICE BUILDING VACANCY RATES

The office building vacancy rate for the Dayton Region (10.88%) is less than it is in Cincinnati (20.69%), Columbus (19.89%), Cleveland (12.48%), Indianapolis (20.93%), Louisville (18.15%), Atlanta (16.76%), Pittsburgh (11.09%), and Charlotte (19.07%). Our Region is stronger than many people think!

DAYTON REGION SHOPPING

The Dayton Region has two world-class shopping malls that I would estimate to be in the top 15%, success wise, of all malls in the US. There is only one mall in all of the Cincinnati Region that is as good as either Dayton Mall or The Mall at Fairfield Commons. That mall is Kenwood, and it is approximately 10% better than either of our malls, but then the parking at Kenwood is terrible, and we have two excellent malls compared to Cincinnati’s one. Our lifestyle center, The Green, beats anything Cincinnati has to offer.

DAYTON REGION WATER

Everyone probably knows that we sit on top of one of the largest aquifers in the US. You might not know that the upper Midwest (including the Dayton Region) contains between 16% and 18% of all the fresh water in the world.

Good News About the Region - WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB

2011-02-03T17:43:00.000-05:00

Information provided by David McDonald Author of "Saving America's Cities"

Wright Patterson AFB is an outstanding addition to the Dayton Region. The base traces its origin directly to the Wright Brothers’ pioneering flights in 1904 and 1905 at the Huffman Prairie Flying Field located in the middle of the installation. Wright-Patterson is one of the largest, most diverse, and organizationally complex bases in the Air Force. Its missions range from acquisition and logistics management, to research and development, education, flight operations and an assortment of other defense and non-defense activities.

Wright-Patterson has approximately 26,000 employees and is in the process of adding approximately 1,000 new employees due to the base realignment and closure program.
They are also replacing approximately 700 to 1,000 retirees annually - most of whom will stay in the area (There are approximately 20,000 military retirees in the Dayton Region). Effectively then, WPAFB hires approximately 2,000 new employees annually(1,000 to 1,200 new and 700 to 1,000 replacements with a high percentage of the retiring service members remaining in the Dayton Region). WPAFB is the largest single-site employer in the region, occupying approximately 8,000 acres. Their importance as an incubator of new hi-tech businesses is beyond measure. The physical plant on Wright-Patterson consists of in excess of 16.5 million square feet. The total economic impact on the Dayton Region is in excess of $4.5B. The payroll of military and government civilian employees is in excess of $1.7B. The non-payroll expenditures were $1.7B. The indirect jobs supported by the base are estimated to be above 30K (restaurants, dry cleaners, etc.). Even though military and civilian retirement disbursements are not considered a part of total economic impact due to regulations, the annual disbursement of military and civilian retiree benefits in late 2007 was approximately $754M.

Good News About the Region - REGIONAL HOSPITAL GROUPS

2011-02-03T17:39:00.005-05:00

Information provided by David McDonald Author of "Saving America's Cities"

Within the Dayton Region, Kettering Health Network and Premier Health Partners, combined, employee approximately 51,000 people and are expanding at a rate in excess of 1,000 employees per year. Health Grades, Inc. recently completed its eighth annual Health Grades Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study. In this study, the nearly 5,000 hospitals in the US were evaluated, and the top 5% (roughly 270 hospitals) were given the “Distinguished Hospitals for Clinical Excellence” award. Dayton had five hospitals to receive this award, (Dayton will likely soon add a sixth.) Very few regions can boast of this level of nationally recognized quality healthcare. Many of these hospitals have even higher ratings is specific areas of care. Miami Valley, Good Samaritan, Kettering, Grandview, and Southview have been chosen as distinguished hospitals for clinical excellence by Health Grades. Of Ohio’s 67 hospitals, only 25 received this honor. In addition, the Dayton region is now ranked #3 in the nation for overall hospital quality by Health Grades, Inc.

Good News About the Region - AREA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

2011-02-03T17:36:00.003-05:00

Information provided by David McDonald Author of "Saving America's Cities"

The Dayton Region boasts of 34 institutions of higher learning, which includes two world-class universities and one world-class college. Wright State and the University of Dayton have a combined enrollment approaching 30,000. Sinclair is one of the finest and fastest growing colleges in the US with a current enrollment in excess of 40,000 annually. There are more than 100,000 students in 20 different colleges within a 60 mile radius of Dayton. UD, with its UDRI (University of Dayton Research Institute) will soon start to rival WPAFB as an incubator for the next generation of businesses to lead the Dayton Region. Combined employment is in excess of 12,000.

Good News About the Region - MANUFACTURING IN THE DAYTON REGION

2011-02-03T17:34:00.001-05:00

Information provided by David McDonald Author of "Saving America's Cities"

Within the Dayton Region are 2,500 manufacturing companies, employing 120,000 people. These companies create an annual payroll of $1.6 billion, create $59 billion in annual sales and have been responsible for $2.3 billion in economic development. This $2.3 billion in economic development was generated between 2006-2008! It created 7,888 jobs! Each dollar of sales could have a ripple effect of $2.18 in regional sales because of the area’s strong manufacturing cluster.

The Dayton Region is one of the largest tooling, machining and material processing centers in the US. FUTURE GROWTH: Data analysis identifies advanced manufacturing as a strategic growth industry in the Dayton Region. Four areas of manufacturing concentration – aerospace, computer/electronics; chemical, plastic and rubber; and metalworking and machining – are expected to add a significant number of jobs in the next ten years. To make sure the Dayton Region is poised to meet this demand, the Region’s academic, public and private sectors are collaborating to align workforce education and training programs with manufacturer’s needs.

Good News About the Region - SCHOOLS

2011-02-03T17:28:00.003-05:00

Information provided by David McDonald Author of "Saving America's Cities"

Dayton Public Schools is an urban district of more than 15,000 students in pre-kindergarten through high school, with the second highest graduation rate (83.3%) among Ohio’s big city districts. Attendance is steadily being improved – 91.3% since 2001. Dayton has more board certified teachers than any district in the Dayton Region. Stivers School of the Arts was ranked among America’s best public high schools in U. S. News & World Report for the second consecutive year. DPS has produced 15 Gates Millennium Scholars since 2000, and four Coca-Cola scholarship finalists since 2003 – two of which were national winners.

Excellent single-gender schools also exist. Charity Adams Early Academy for girls, Dayton Boys Preparatory Academy, and Montessori (River’s Edge Montessori at Franklin). There are also excellent schools that address special interests at the high school level. These are Academic Management Academy at Thurgood Marshall; cutting-edge college-centered career pathways at the David H. Ponitz Career Technology Center, international Baccalaureate at Meadowdale; and international award-winning visual and performing arts at Stivers School for the Arts.

DPS is partnering with the Dayton Foundation, the University of Dayton, and a host of local businesses, health and social service organizations to operate five pre K-8 schools as community centers in the after-school hours. The centers are part of the district’s initiative to create strong neighborhood schools. The recently opened Kroc Center, operated by the Salvation Army, is a $65 million facility that is state-of-the-art and a one-of-a-kind in the United States. They have dedicated a large part of their facility to enhancing the education levels in the area of early childhood education.

Charter schools in the City of Dayton and the region have been a mixed bag over the years. However, today, thanks in large part to the activities of the Fordham Foundation, Charter schools are among the best in the city and the region.

The district, currently in the final segment of its $627 million school construction program, will have opened a total of 26 new schools with state-of-the-art technology by 2012. To date, 15 of these schools have been opened.

"I Feel Capital!"

2011-01-14T11:44:00.002-05:00

I believe the title line comes from the movie "Tombstone" but this month marks my one-year anniversary in office and I’ll be marking the occasion by discussing Dayton’s future with some of America’s finest leaders. Next week I’ll be in Washington, D.C. attending the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors and Mayor’s Innovation Project. At these multi-day events, mayors and city managers from all over the country gather to strategize strong, lasting solutions to the problems affecting our cities. Last year I got to promote Dayton in front of President Obama and hopefully I’ll get that opportunity again this year. I’ll be out of the office, but if you need to contact me at that time, feel free to email me at gary.leitzell@daytonohio.gov or call my legislative aide Jason at 937-333-3653. I will respond to your phone call or email upon my return. Thanks and I’ll talk to you soon!

A New Year a New Approach

2011-01-13T23:20:00.002-05:00

Now that I have been in office for one year I am going to attempt to post on here at least once a week. I can't guarantee that I will succed at that but I will try. The truth is, sometimes I get wrapped up in busy work and blog posts are not a top priority. I post more frequently to the House Blog but even those posts are few and far between.

In the mean time. Here is an interview that I did for one of our "Talk to City Hall" episodes promoting local business.

Another Hatchet Job by the Dayton Daily News - Proof that they make up stories!

2010-11-26T11:07:00.004-05:00

Today the DDN (Dayton Daily News) printed a story that is a complete load of lies and fabrication. You can read it here;

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/mayors-leadership-council-has-disbanded--1013353.html

They followed up with a second article which is about to make them look equally as silly.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/dayton-mayor-brushes-off-critics-comments--1013225.html

The DDN has limited space to write a story and create controversy. On this blog I have unlimited space to publish the TRUTH.

The following is a draft of the letter sent by the co-chairs to my Leadership Council in early October.

Good Morning All:

We want to thank you for your participation in the Mayor’s Leadership Council. As with any new organization, the form and substance at the beginning is very likely to change over time. Thanks largely to your participation and input, we have crafted a go forward plan for the MLC.

In order to make the Mayor’s leadership Council more effective and meaningful to the membership and the Mayor, we will change the structure and timing of the meetings. Going forward, we will meet three times a year - the third Wednesday of January, May and September. Each meeting will last 1.5 hours. An agenda will be sent out to the entire group two weeks in advance. At this point, the members will be asked to submit specific agenda items they would like to address.

The meetings will be opened by comments from Mayor Leitzell, after which there will be a report by Jeff Samuelson, David McDonald and other members of the council who have submitted their topics in advance. This will keep the meetings relevant and timely. When advance notice topics have been addressed, the meetings will be opened to questions and concerns from the group. To begin with, we will allow four minutes per question till we see how our time goes. We will have the ability to call special meetings should the need arise.

Mayor Leitzell continues to encourage other groups to assist the city, and as a result has formed a group of eight members (lawyers, accountants, past city officials and developers) for a specific focus on economic development. This will be the mayor’s Economic Development Task Force.

The reporter spoke with several members of the council and myself. I have no clue how he concluded that the group was being disbanded. He had a copy of this letter. I did tell him that I felt that his paper tends to write spin on gossip and they should be in the business of reporting fair and accurate news. He objected to my opinion. The proof is in the pudding though and today's article is absolute proof that our newspaper makes up stories.

Several things are wrong in the stories and can be clarified. The group was not formed until March. The article reports January, two weeks after being sworn in. The week in January that is stated, I was at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington D.C. So this is total fabrication. It states that some were concerned that I did not attend the meetings. The meetings were held on Wednesdays. It was known to many that I attend social events with my daughter on Wednesday morning and afternoons including a gym session at the YMCA. I had been doing such for many years. Besides that, both co-chairs are extremely capable people and I trust them to do what they need to do to move Dayton forward. I didn't need to be present at the meetings. I learned a long time ago that you gain greater authority by giving some up.

This quote by the paper

"Leitzell, a Republican-endorsed independent, is using the council to try to supplant his weak position on the Democrat-dominated City Commission to push his economic development agenda. All four commissioners are Democrats."

Is so far off that I think it deserves it's very own post - later.

The one article states that I felt "slighted" that I wasn't asked to comment at the press conference announcing that General Electric has chosen Dayton as a location for a $51 million investment. It is not true. I was surprised that they did not ask a county commissioner or myself to speak. Ted Strickland (Governor of Ohio)and Michael Turner (Congressman) were there and are certainly best qualified to do the talking. My only role was sending an email to the President of the University of Dayton on April 1, 2010 which is the day the story broke, from my office PC (public record) that simply stated

"Dan,

Should we plant a seed with GE that they need a satellite either at UDRI or Techtown so we can capture some of the $51 million they plan to invest regionally, within the corporation limits of Dayton? Just a thought ..... see article below.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/business/ge-will-invest-51m-in-area-630477.html"

He replied two days later stating

"Gary,

Last week, we have started to look into this and will keep you updated."

I won't take credit for making it happen because credit should go to all of those who did the work. I would like people to know that I was on top of this news from the beginning though. Of course you won't read about this story in the local paper or the one about this same reporter apologising to me for not understanding the full scope of my roofing project after taking a walk around my property. The DDN wants to create controversy but not hold themselves accountable for the creation of news.
This was another "non-story" because committees and councils reorganize all the time. This action was no different. It will probably cause them to lose a few more subscribers .....

This Mornings News

2010-08-27T14:53:00.001-04:00

The Saga of the Roof

2010-08-22T22:54:00.001-04:00

Re posted from my house blog at www.thisoldcrackhouse.blogspot.com

The local newspaper reporter contacted me last week because they want to run a story about me having a light schedule for the month of September as the mayor. Here is their story;

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/politics/dayton-mayor-lightens-schedule-in-september-to-fix-the-roof-on-his-home--874524.html

The rumor that the reporter got was that I would be on vacation for the month of September. This is not true. I will be fixing my roof! I will be attending commission meetings, school board meetings, attending my regular morning news appearances and doing a few community related events. Weather will dictate if I attend the office but I have worked from my home for so long, I really don’t need to be in the office in order to much of what my job entails. I can communicate by phone from home and I can access my office computer from anywhere in the world and so email communications can be addressed.

Now for the real story that needs to be told. The slate part of my roof and the box gutters need to be replaced. The slate was put on in 1890 and has outlived its usefulness. The dormers and aluminum windows that were installed in the 1960s were not installed properly and the shingle that was used for flashing has deteriorated. This is specialty work. Box gutters and slate roofing is an art form that requires craftsman skills. We had five companies look at the roof and gutters. Four refused to do the work because it was too specialized for them. Including one guy who employs Amish workers! The fifth company quoted me $43,000. Not being a person who is put off by hard tasks I did the research and calculated that I could do the entire job myself for about $10,000 and still have some really cool tools to show for it at the end.

Since the newspaper plays on the aspect that roofing is not as specialized as mayoring let me describe and show for you exactly what I will be doing since, after all, it has been indicated that I will not be working hard.
Firstly, this fire escape has to be removed. It is already in very poor shape and removing it is likely to be more dangerous than replacing the roof.

This porch needs to be removed. Once gone I will make the decision to either replace with a smaller porch or to not replace at all.

Here is a view of the gutter from the back of the house. It is fortunate that the trim is actually made of metal. As you can see it is failing and the wood has rotted out.

Here is an interior view. I have been jacking up this part of the roof for the last three weeks so that I can put some struts back in. The original posts were removed about 40 years ago and since then the roof has been sagging.

People don’t know what box gutters are. Here is a picture of ours. You can see they are in bad shape. I will be replacing the tar, rubber and rusted metal with copper. Making copper gutters from sheets is an art form that I am willing to learn. Of course there are some areas where the wood base has rotted out and needs to be replaced. That is an art form as well.

I am posting this article because I want people to realize that this is no vacation. In fact, given the choice between being in an air conditioned office working the phones, meeting citizens, making speeches at dinner events OR doing hard physical labor 40 feet above the ground in hot weather crafting a roof that should withstand 100 years of brutal weather, most people would chose the former. However, I am not like most people. I am not afraid to do what it takes to get a job done right for the least amount of expense. Fixing this roof myself is worth $33,000 in real money to me. If you add income taxes that I pay out, it would have cost me over $50,000 to pay the only company willing to quote me a price. That is more than I make as mayor.

I look at this way. I am saving a piece of history by fixing this house properly. I am investing in my future stake in the city and I am showing people that I am not afraid to get my hands dirty trying something new.
One day the editors at the local newspaper will realize that. What is that old saying? Extra ordinary people achieve extraordinary things ....

This Mornings Tv Spot

2010-07-31T01:49:00.001-04:00

In the News Again

2010-07-15T21:53:00.000-04:00

Dayton's Finest is Looking For Recruits

2010-07-15T16:55:00.002-04:00

The window of opportunity is only open for a short time (until September 13, 2010) and won't present itself for a couple of years. If you have ever been interested or have the calling, inquire today! Visit http://www.joindaytonpd.com/

The Good News About Dayton Public Schools!

2010-07-08T21:50:00.004-04:00

Here is the stuff you will never see in the media. 33 Items that are positive. We are going to have to promote the good news ourselves ....

1. Dayton Public Schools has four Gates Millennium Scholars—more than any other Ohio district. The 2010 Gates Scholars are Sheldon Brown, Megan Edmonds and Victoria Whorton (Stivers School for the Arts) and Jordan Davis (Dayton Early College Academy). These awards bring the district’s total number of Gates scholars to 19 since 2000. The district also congratulations this year’s Gates finalists: British Calloway (DECA), Emory Beck-Millerton (Thurgood Marshall), Sharida Johnson (Meadowdale) and Tyrell Allen (Stivers).

2. Stivers School for the Arts ranks among America’s best public high schools for the second year in a row and has moved up from bronze to silver, according to U.S. News & World Report in a study released Dec. 9. Stivers is the only school in Montgomery County to receive the national honor this year and is one of only six schools in Ohio to be named a 2010 Silver Medal School. Nationally, Silver Medal Schools comprise 2.5 percent of the 18,743 schools analyzed in the study. The report was produced by U.S. News & World Report in collaboration with School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education and data research and analysis business. This is the third year the study has been conducted. Read more about it online at www.usnews.com.

3. Dayton Public Schools achieved above-average academic growth as defined by the state’s “value-added” rating on the 2009 Report Card, which means our students exceeded adequate yearly progress. Attendance was up. Our high schools improved in every subject area on the Ohio Graduation Test, and our graduation rate rose for the fifth year in a row.

4. The Dunbar boys basketball team defeated previously unbeaten Port Clinton to take the Division II title, completing a 25-3 season for the Wolverines and bringing their number of state titles to four (1987, 2006, 2007 and 2010).

5. Dayton Public Schools expanded its Positive Behavior program, bringing the total to seven schools, and will add between seven and nine more next year. The program, made possible by a $1 million grant from the Iddings School Based Mental Health Initiative, teaches favorable behaviors to students while preventing negative ones. District behavior specialists provide three levels of support, which include anti-bullying programs, social skills development, improved school attendance, behavioral screening, parent training, mentors, and intervention for chronic and severe behavior issues.

6. Dayton Public Schools was the first urban district in Ohio to close out a segment of its school construction in the Ohio School Facilities Commission process and is on target to open three more new schools at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, bringing the total completed to 18.

7. Seventy-two individual and team projects from DPS schools competed at the West District Science Day regional competition, held at Central State University. Six individual projects and one team project went on to represent the district at the State Science Day in Columbus in May. In addition, several individuals and teams won special awards.

8. Nine DPS students in grades five through 12 earned six superior ratings and three excellent ratings at State Science Day (May 2010) at The Ohio State University. Earning Superiors were Kemp fifth-grader Andrew Hagenbuch, Patterson Kennedy fifth-grader Billel Hamidi, Ponitz CTC junior Atlantis Drake, and Thurgood Marshall seniors Emory Beck-Millerton, Joshua Lower and Richard Melson Jr. Earning Excellent ratings were Stivers sophomore Toni Newman and Thurgood Marshall junior and senior Jhaelynn Elam and Eliza Straughter, respectively.

9. Thirty-two DPS students advanced to state-level National History Day competition in Columbus. Winners from district events compete against 600 or more entries in the state event. Originally sponsored by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1970s, History Day, with its competitions, awards and educational activities, has grown into a national event based in Washington, D.C.

10. Ponitz Career Technology Center students took 20 honors in the Business Professionals of America regional competition, including 13 individual awards and two team awards. Five students advanced to state competition.

11. Thurgood Marshall senior Emory Beck-Millerton is the winner of the 2010 MLK Youth Award. Beck-Millerton is active in the National Honor Society, Army JROTC and the Academic Magnet Academy at Thurgood.

12. The Thurgood Marshall JROTC Black Knight Color Guard was selected to post the colors at Governor Ted Strickland’s State of the State address in January 2010.

13. A Wogaman PK-8 eighth-grader was one of 30 students from public, private and parochial schools competing in the 60th annual DPS District-wide Spelling Bee, competing through eight rounds before missing her final word. A Meadowdale sixth-grade student received fourth place.

14. Six Dayton Public Schools students were honored as the winners of the 23rd annual Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Contest. Awards went to students from Thurgood Marshall, Stivers and Belmont high schools.

15. Belmont High School students created more than 70 pieces of original art that were on display at the K12 Art Gallery at the beginning of the year.

16. The Thurgood Marshall Black Knights Drill Team was accepted into the National High School Drill Team Championships, held in Dayton Beach, Florida. This is the 20th year the squad has been invited to this prestigious competition. Marshall cadets made it to the second phase of the US Army JROTC Leadership Bowl and will compete again in January.

The Black Knights also brought home 15 trophies from a meet in Trotwood, including first place honors in exhibition individual and dual, armed knock-out, unarmed squad drill, and armed squad exhibition.

17. Drawing inspiration from an enduring message of peace and equality, Dayton Public Schools students took home 30 of 37 grade-level awards and seven of 12 grade-group awards during the 25th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Art, Poetry and Prose Contest. The students’ works were chosen from entries throughout the Miami Valley. Judges selected 12 grade-level winners in the contest (kindergarten-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12) in three categories. The DPS grade-group winners, who received plaques and $25 checks, are Johnny Davis (Valerie), E’lexis Dawkins (WOW), Jacob Adams (Horace Mann) and Blake Lance (Dayton Technology Design High School) – art; Dupree Carr (Westwood) and De Shari Adams (Wogaman) – poetry; and Shyla Finley (Dunbar) – prose.

18. Horace Mann PK-8 School fourth-graders Zach Collins, Jasmine Eason, Kumari Gee, Haley Hagerdon, Allyson Hayes, Zharia Mallory and Justyn Ward will have their artwork on permanent display in the stairwells of the new parking garage at the Dayton International Airport when the structure is completed.

19. Stivers ninth-grade student Anthony Hoogsteden was recently honored by the city for his award-winning entry in the Sister Cities International Young Artists Showcase. This year’s exhibit, with the theme “A Reflection of Your Community,” featured 20 artists from around the nation celebrating the unique aspects of their communities.

20. Belle Haven seventh-grade student Stefan Harris participated in a session of the Junior National Young Leaders Conference, spending a week in Washington, DC, to learn about leadership and government. The program is sponsored by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council. Harris, who was nominated by his sixth-grade teacher, Carrie Stewart, was responsible for submitting an essay, finding a sponsoring mentor and raising money to fund the trip.

21. Meadowdale High School senior Emonte Scruggs won a qualifying boxing tournament to represent the United States as a Junior Olympian in Baku, Azerbaijan. Emonte traveled to Olympic camp then to Baku, Azerbaijan in the spring of 2010.

22. Stivers students took the top three places in a recent essay contest, sponsored by The Lincoln Society as part of the Kids Voting program. Winners were DeAisha Williams (third place – “The Importance of Lincoln”), Olivia Lower (second place – “Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency”) and Taylor Kingston (“The Unlikely Mender: Remembering Abraham Lincoln”).

23. Meadowdale High School achieved a first, sending a team to compete at the Piqua Regional Science Olympiad Tournament. The seven-member team competed in five categories, including elevated bridge, disease detective, mouse trap car, “Write Do It,” and trebuchet.

24. Ashley Swope, senior at Pontiz Career Technology Center, was recognized with an honorable mention at the 2010 Art in Architecture Student Design Competition. Each student received Becoming an Architect: A Guide to Careers in Design by Lee W. Waldrep.

25. Dayton Public Schools students were big winners in Montgomery County’s 2010 environmental calendar contest. Cover honors go to the grand prize winner, senior Jeremy Rosen from Stivers School for the Arts. Other winners are: Clarice Mueller-Johnson, Sevil Shakhmandarova, Shawn Brewer, and Courtney Payne, all from Stivers School for the Arts; Tyler Frazier and Travis Hutchins, Ruskin Elementary; and D’Laquahna Trammell, Longfellow Alternative Center.

Community Partnerships
26. Longfellow Alternative School’s long neglected 130-year-old auditorium was restored to its original splendor with a $100,000 grant from the Lowe’s Charitable and Education Foundation. Work was done by DPS facilities staff and Lowes volunteers. The changes will allow use of the auditorium for student projects and community events. Part of the funding was used to purchase new playground equipment for the preschoolers served by the school.

27. More than 400 students at Wogaman PK-8 School received new books to take home, part of a book give-away organized by the Dayton Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. The give-away, was part of a program themed “Freedom to Be Who I Am.” Students created projects based on the books they read and presented them during a special family night.

28. Airmen Acting, a mentorship group from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, was formed to work with students at Meadowdale PK-8 School. Lead by SMSgt Dellaina Grundy, Airmen Acting mentors are present at the school daily, each working with two to four students several times each month. A group of Meadowdale students received a red-carpet tour of the base and the rare privilege of meeting the AFMC vice commander—just one example of the activities students enjoy, thanks to community partners.

29. More than 400 guest readers—from the superintendent to the mayor to area sports figures shared the tongue-twisting tales of Dr. Seuss and other literary treasurers with delighted students across the district on Read Across America Day. Sponsored by the Dayton Education Association and Dayton Public Schools, Read Across America Day features a wide variety of reading-themed activities in district schools.

30. Dayton Public Schools, in partnership with the Dayton Philharmonic Volunteer Association, accepted donations of gently used musical instruments for use in district programs. Instruments collected by the DPVA have been vital in helping to maintain instrumental music programs in DPS, according to the district’s music teachers. The donations have replaced many worn-out instruments, giving students an opportunity to make music. Since the drive began more than six years ago, hundreds of instruments have found their way to Dayton schools, creating band programs where there were none and helping students to discover their musical talents.

Other Notable Events

31. DPS families with children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade enjoyed a free day of family fun at the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, which included admission to the museum, entrance to the planetarium, live animals, tours, and a nature walk. The crowd (about 1,500) was so great that the museum closed its doors to other visitors to accommodate DPS families. It’s all part of the yearlong parent and family involvement program sponsored by the DPS Office of School Improvement and External Resources. Other events included the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton Metro Library, United States Air Force Museum, and Carillon Historical Park—all events have attracted large turnouts.

32. Local leaders, students, parents and community residents celebrated the groundbreaking for the new Belmont High School at 1127 Wayne Ave. The new $21.5 million, 124,000 square-foot high school, designed by Levin Porter Associates, will be set on 47 acres formerly occupied by the Ohio Department of Mental Health with a presence on Wayne Avenue, between Epworth and Watervliet. Belmont is part of the third and final segment of the district’s school construction plan and is projected to be completed by Aug. 2011.

33. Dayton Public Schools celebrated the opening of the David H. Ponitz Career Technology Center, the district’s 15th school in the school construction program. Now in Segment Three, the district will complete the building program in the 2011-2012 school year. Passage of a bond issue in 2002 made it possible to provide for the local share of 39 percent; the state funds the remaining 61 percent of the project.

Taking on the Local Media.

2010-07-01T15:56:00.003-04:00

On June 22, 2010 I emailed the following to the Dayton Daily News as a letter to the editor. They do not have to publish it. In fact they didn't publish it. The fact that they did not put my words in print indicates to me that they do not understand how important it is that they print accurate information and they do not understand that they are responsible for many of the misconceptions people have about the City of Dayton.

I think I will be writing more letters to the editor at the Dayton Daily News. If they fail to publish them, I will publish them here. Just like I had to do last year when running for office!

The June 16, 2010 article ‘Dayton metro area gets 9th worst ranking in U.S.’ does nothing except give citizens yet another out-of-context, “the sky is falling” dose of misinformation about our region’s economic health.

First, the Dayton region’s demographics are unfairly represented by the Brookings Institute. The Dayton Region trade area (Metropolitan Statistical Area) lists the population as 839,000 – focusing only on the four counties Jennifer Bradley mentions in the report. However, the total trade area population for the Dayton Region is 1.2 million, encompassing all or portions of seven counties.

When all statistics from these counties are added together, the region becomes much stronger statistically. Between 2000 and the end of 2008, both the City of Dayton and Montgomery County lost population, yet the Dayton Region as a whole gained 1.8% in population. The constant news reporting about the exiting of Mead, General Motors and National Cash Register would lead citizens to conclude that we have lost population in the double digits. Not the case. Additionally, hundreds of small companies have opened or relocated into the Dayton Region, even as those larger, newsworthy companies moved out.

Despite the economic pain resulting from the loss of GM and NCR, our region is making up for it with large, successful corporations like Wright-Patterson AFB, UDRI, Premier Health Partners, Kettering Health Network, Care Source, and others, along with the many small and medium-sized businesses that are continually forming in support of these large corporations and institutions. The Austin Road interchange development should turn the population numbers positive for Montgomery County in three to four years, and the Dayton and Cincinnati regions are currently in the process of merging as we speak. All of this bodes well for the Dayton Region.

Mrs. Bradley compares Dayton to Rochester and Buffalo, NY, Madison, WI, and Des Moines, Iowa, claiming they fared well with no big corporations. However, 39% of the Top 300 Cities in the US are successful because of significant amenities such as being located near an ocean or lake, in a warm climate, near mountains, or being a capital city. As any economist can tell you, capital cities are in a class by themselves and cannot be compared to other municipalities. Madison and Des Moines are both capital cities located next to large lakes, while Rochester is on Lake Ontario and Buffalo on Lake Erie. Not only can these four cities not be compared to Dayton, but taking a three-month window and predicting Dayton’s untimely demise makes it obvious that the Brookings Institute does not have an in-depth understanding of our region’s true health.

Shame on the DDN for not investigating the Brookings Institute report more thoroughly. Dayton did not deserve this headline.

Gary Leitzell
Mayor, City of Dayton

Young Entrepreneurs

2010-04-27T14:00:00.001-04:00

For more details call (937) 401-0308

First of Many

2010-04-21T21:17:00.002-04:00

Here is my first episode of "Talk to City Hall" which should become a regular monthly production for me. This was filmed in my office last week. I'm sorry for not posting here more often. My schedule has been packed solid for three months but is becoming more manageable now that people are more familiar with my character. Hopefully I can post something at least once a week in future.

The Rest of the Story

2010-04-12T17:37:00.000-04:00

Our fine local paper has published a story documenting my first 100 days in office. Personally, I do not find the story negative in any real way except that it fails to list a myriad of initiatives that have come about in the last few months. Before I continue, I would like to state this for the record. Much of the stuff that has been initiated should have been happening for the last 10 years at least. However, the reality is that I was not Mayor ten years ago and what is even more sad is that no one in Dayton stood up to the system and said "Enough is enough" during those same ten years. Until now.
The critics are coming out but I have realized that critics rarely step up to the plate to do their part. It took a "No name nobody from the neighborhood" (as I have been described) to get every ones attention.
I am charged with making common sense out of the consequences of decades of indecision. Can I really be expected to produce results in 100 days? One thing I have realized is that as a city organization we tend to be reactive. Not pro-active. I have often stated, and will continue to state that I am a problem solver, not a politician. I have taken many initiatives in the last few months that should help solve many time consuming problems. I have recognized many simple solutions that will reduce the waste of staff time.
Here is what the paper failed to print, probably due to space limitations and the fact that these types of headlines fail to sell newspapers.

My leadership council has volunteered to assist with making improvements in our building and zoning code regulations that inhibit small business growth and start up. In fact, several issues have been resolved because city staff has a clearer understanding of how an entrepreneur thinks. This understanding has already gone a long way in the facilitation of our existing pool of business start ups. In fact, many things have happened behind the scenes that the newspaper has never been aware of. I like it that way. They can write about success after it happens instead of failure before it happens!

I have made a point to to proactively talk with businesses when I hear that their lease is due to expire and that they have the option to leave. I will try to retain businesses here before they have to make a decision.

I am trying to develop a list of non-profits for Dayton but include in the list exactly what services they offer. There are over 1200 non-profits in Dayton and few are aware of who their competition is. Publishing such a list should enable consolidation and make our non-profits more effective in their ventures. This work involves utilizing several community entities and is still in the development stage.

I am also trying to establish a similar list for committees and boards in the area so people wanting to help can tap into what already exists. There is no need to re-invent the wheel.
I initiated a City of Dayton Employee Appreciation Week that helped lift employee moral and have begun looking into establishing an employee recognition program. This used to be done at city hall but was cut due to budgets. I am looking into using some of my own money and partnering with the business community to initiate a program once again.

Our department heads are being challenged to be entrepreneurial in their thinking. They are being asked to develop ways to enterprise their departments in such a way that it generates revenue for the city.

The city manager and myself have committed to meeting the county administrator and a county commissioner regularly on a monthly basis.

I am attempting to attend all meetings that involve our suburbs in an effort to reach out and solicit support from our neighbors. This has already had a positive impact.

We are pushing even harder for recycling efforts.

Our police department is being encouraged to become more transparent with regards to crime reporting so that our citizens have the needed tools to be more vigilant in their own neighborhoods.

We are aggressively increasing our databases so that we can communicate with our citizens and stakeholders. Our email database has almost doubled since I was elected.

I have regular appearances on Channel 2 and Channel 45 once a month in the mornings to talk for three minutes about good things happening in Dayton and the region.

The reality is that I cannot list all the small scale initiatives that I have taken in the last 100 days. None of these initiatives involved the vote of the commission. Most of them make sense when it comes to being more effective or efficient. More things have been initiated in the last few months then have been over several years. Things will continue to develop. When we run out of ideas, then it is time to look for new leadership. I hope I don't run out of ideas and I will always encourage citizens to submit theirs to city hall.

As for the video clip about me. It was also fair. It was snippets compiled of my conversation with the reporter. I can't figure out why they want to focus on my hands though. Maybe they think it reveals something about me. I would like to add though that that my hobby became my profession for over a decade. This is something that many people dream of. Instead of developing a career, I was able to design a lifestyle for myself that was the envy of anyone who truly understands what this entailed.

Subtle Changes

2010-02-27T00:48:00.005-05:00

Long time since I posted!
I am making subtle changes to the blog layout. You will see the word "Elect" disappearing as well as the word "For". That being said, there have been some subtle changes at city hall in the last 60 days. None of which required the vote of the commission. Our entire commission agenda is being posted online on the Monday BEFORE our commission meetings. These documents include the contracts as well as the legislation. For the first time you are able to view the entire package of information that the other commissioners and myself are expected to read every week before we vote at a Wednesday commission meeting.

You can visit www.cityofdayton.org and click on "Commission Meeting Agendas" under the heading "Popular Requests" and review the current year and month.

I have been very busy for the last two months but things are beginning to level off and I am able to move in a direction that I feel we need to move towards now that most of the people of influence have met me or heard me speak in public. I believe a few are still in shock but I don't get the sense that anyone is disappointed.

Other things have been initiated behind the scenes. They are somewhat small but will have an impact in the future. If I get some time I will document them here.

I have to figure out the best way to utilize this blog and my web pages. That may take a little while. I suspect that I will create new sights for my www.daytonmayor.org URL but will keep the original pages and posts available at the www.GoGaryGo.net sight for those political science students that I suspect will be studying my campaign over the next two years.

Several candidates running in elections this year have already consulted with me for ideas and advice on how to run an unconventional style of campaign.

"The times, they are a changing."

Swearing in

2010-01-05T01:02:00.002-05:00

Now the hard work begins.

Coming Up for Air

2009-12-18T20:19:00.000-05:00

It has been a while since I have posted here. The reason for the lack of posts is simply that I have become very busy all of a sudden. My email has increased tremendously since November 3rd and the number of phone calls at the house has gone up as well. I am fending off dozens of meeting requests and appearance requests and I am already booking things in February 2010. I should count just how many business cards I have been handed in the last six weeks. The media, who wouldn’t give me any coverage before the election has been interviewing me and so far the coverage has been upbeat and positive. I have attended every commission meeting, budget meeting and work session since November 3rd as well as additional meetings with staff at city hall. I am not officially sworn in and on the public payroll until January 4th.

Some amusing information. I had 1000 “Elect Gary Leitzell” signs produced but only 132 have been collected from public right-of-ways and returned. I had 200 “Had Enough” signs made and 91 of those have been returned.

Other interesting information; the after election financial statements show that the incumbent mayor spent $134,000 and utilized $66,000 of “in kind” donations for her campaign. I spent around $17,000 and had about $5000 of “in kind” donations, half of which was office space. The rest was primarily printing of newspaper inserts and getting 30,000 post it notes at cost.

The old myth of needing a political party to back you and a boatload of money in order to win a mayor’s race in Dayton has been dispelled for the time being.

A Huge Thank You

2009-11-08T00:13:00.004-05:00

I would like to thank all the citizens of Dayton, not just the ones who voted for me. Without you we would not be the unique city that we are. We must all work together to move Dayton in a positive direction.
I also want to thank the following people who were part of my campaign. Without them and the support of their families, our victory would not have been possible.

Larry Collins, Aaron Gibson, David McDonald, Jeff Wellbaum, Daniel Kennedy, William Pace, Bob Cochran, Bob Snyder, Judy Snyder, Eric Tackett, Hal McKinney, Jason Webber, Ray Mitchell, Alan Rinzler, Will Brooks, John Hyer, Matt Moore, Leslie Sheward, Jacquelyne Patterson, Andrew Stacy, Jules Opperman of Dolcessa, Joshua Pettis, David Sparks, Vanessa Farley Penick, Michael Brandt, Maria Brandt, Leah Stults, Rhonda Horn, Ben Abernethy, Sarah Abernethy, Richard James Gilbertson Jr, Ron Browning, Cyndi Dwyer Parsons, Andy Ingram, Brian Reinicke, Theresa Horvath, Mark Morris, Deb Harris, Luong Van Vo, Larry Hickland, Aimee Burns, Judith Magnus, Brian Young, Rev. Greg Weis, Dorothy Richardson, Brooks Hartzell, Paul Harris, David Esrati, Nathan Fultz, Karen Barton, Larry Hickland, Joe Ellis of Uno's Chicago Grill, Bill Daniels of the Pizza Factory, Joe Moore, Craig Grossman, Katheryn Schierloh, John Weis, Keith Rihm, Alicia Scott-Bey, Donna Green, Mary Ann Schroder, Mike Malinovsky, and all those who have helped behind the scenes.

A Dedication

2009-11-07T19:22:00.007-05:00

Now that the election is over I would like to dedicate the following song to the Montgomery County Democratic Party. Dayton got exactly what it needs.
They will understand the humor.

Song Lyrics

Montgomery County Democrats Spread Hate

2009-11-02T16:02:00.002-05:00

Latest smear campaign mail was targeted to west side voters and quotes me as saying "I'm not racist. I am prejudice though." Which is a comment from a forum discussion where I go on to state "I have no tolerance for lazy people. Not all lazy people. If you are lazy, admit it and like your lifestyle and don't complain, you are fine in my books. You are responsibly lazy. If you are lazy, don't admit it to yourself, complain about why you should be entitled or privileged and think others should take care of you then I have a problem."

If anyone can send me a picture of this piece of mail I would appreciate it so that I can post it here. The incumbent is totally desperate if they have to paint me as a racist. All I have ever tried to do is unite this city.

"Stop Hatin Dayton" must begin with Rhine McLin! She has FAILED to unite this city and perpetrates HATRED by allowing stuff like this to continue!

VOTE FOR CHANGE!

2009-11-02T08:54:00.000-05:00

My Campaign Spending - Keeping it Local

2009-11-01T22:00:00.002-05:00

I have raised about $17,000 at this point and we are still raising money at this late date to run radio ads. Most of the money has been spent. What did I spend money on?

The first thing I had to do is produce a literature piece that we could use for the entire campaign. One that was "timeless" and of the utmost quality. I used local printers for these. I was able to get excellent rates with two companies. Total cost of 20,000 pieces was right around $1,200.

Next were the blue and white signs. Since I never had sufficient funds early on, I cut a deal with the Northridge Sign Shop. I would buy 1000 signs but I would have to have them produced 200 at a time. Since the signs were screen printed locally we could maintain a steady flow of signs throughout the campaign. I couldn't keep them in stock. Demand actually exceeded supply. That is why there are fewer Leitzell signs in right-of-ways. Most went to property owners. Each sign cost $3.50 which is more than the incumbent paid for her signs but, mine were better quality and it showed. They also have better longevity.

Facebook advertising has cost about $300 so far. I have been running a small ad since August. It has directed over 500 people to the website and had over 1 million impressions on 125,000 potential voters.

I used a small local minority business owner for fundraising activities and since the "William Pace Company" had an advertising agency, I also used it for all of my advertising. The agency was able to secure six billboard locations through "Lamar" at short notice and we rolled them out weekly as funds permitted. Mr. Pace was also able to book 4 advertisements in the Dayton Weekly News costing a total of $600 as well as 5,000 inserts in the same paper for another $500. These inserts were extended to the Dayton Daily News on Sunday. The 26,000 inserts cost around $1,200. Radio ads have been booked at several local radio stations and are running currently. The total cost layout for all radio and last minute advertising is currently $2,900.

The "Had Enough?" signs were a last minute stealth tactic to cause a reaction with the incumbents army of party supporters. They cost $4.00 each. I was able to scrounge up some metal bases that were donated to the cause. 200 of these were made and they caused a local phenomina when all the "McLin" signs got moved away from them or rearranged so that her signs were placed at the center of abutting "Nan" or "Joey" signs. We looked at this arrangement and flanked the lot of them!

I have "HAD ENOUGH" of party politics as usual. It is time for new LEADERSHIP in Dayton.

Beating a Dead Horse

2009-10-28T18:43:00.008-04:00

The Ohio Democratic Party is at it again with the smear mailings. They hammer on the same lame points that they have hammered on for the entire month of October. This makes a total of eight mailings for the incumbent mayor and quite honestly I could have found a better use for the $80,000 it must have cost her. Five of the eight pieces mention me by name and the last two it seems were both mailed to the same people who got them on the same day. Both are so similar that my guess is one never got read. They have already put people off who were undecided who to vote for. This was an ineffective waste of money. Let me tell you why.

The democratic party machine is so scared that their political icon is going to lose because their polls told them that. I told the press months ago that as a strategy, the incumbent would have to go negative on me and they are going to have to get really dirty. They would do this in order to cause me to react in the traditional manner that political campaigns take. They want me to go negative. However, my going negative would sour voters on both sides and people wouldn't come out to vote for either mayor candidate. That is what the democratic party wants. They don't want you to vote. It is the only strategy they have because they are running this like a typical campaign.

When you mail things out that are negative about the alternative candidate you need to be certain that everyone knows that candidates name. If you have little or no name recognition like me you are wasting your effort because you are telling people that I am not able to reach (due to lack of resources)that they have a choice on election day. In effect, you are helping to promote the other candidate (me) by telling people lies. 60% of the incumbents mailings have been focused on me. 25% have been focused solely on me. If you focus on the positive aspects of your candidate and not the negatives of the alternative you demonstrate that your candidate has merit. Unless of course there is nothing positive to focus on.

Our civic leaders claim that they want to groom leadership from the community. When a citizen finally rises up to the occasion, they gang up and try relentlessly to beat you into submission. Way to go civic leaders of Dayton! I am not your typical political candidate. It is time to groom new leadership in Dayton and lots of it.

From a marketing point of view, the Ohio Democratic Party has helped me incredibly. I have no money for mailings. I can't reach every voter. I don't need to. The democratic party has done it for me!

I would like to thank the Ohio Democratic party for their support during this election season. I couldn't have contacted everyone without you!

Here are the results of the Dayton Daily News Poll regarding this negative mailing as of Thursday October 29th at 2:30 PM

Poll

What do you think of the Ohio Democratic Party's campaign mailer against Gary Leitzell?

Fair 66 19.41%

Unfair 246 72.35%

Don't know 6 1.76%

Don't care 22 6.47%

Wasteful Spending.

2009-10-28T13:13:00.001-04:00

The way people are running city hall is reflected in how they run their campaigns to get elected. The incumbent mayor has already had eight years to get her seeds to take root and now she asks for four more. She should be reaping what she planted all those years ago. Unless of course she planted nothing. The incumbent has already spent over $84,000 in an effort to get re-elected for a part time position. That is twice as much as the average city employee makes in a year and four times the income of the average person living in Dayton. Realize that the flaw has been that she has made this election all about her and not about what the citizens want. Government is not about the people in power. It is about the people who put them in power. We are only days away from the election. I am confident that I have a very good chance to break the machine that I am up against. Thousands of people talking to me on the streets can't be wrong. Management pay raises at a time of economic turmoil can't help.

What has she spent the money on? Here are some of the things

Ohio Democratic Party for mailings - $68,530 this money was paid to the party in Columbus and the printing was done outside the region that she claims to be supportive of. Understand that the "party" does such a huge amount of mailing that the rate per piece is at the lowest rate. The funds could have been paid to the Montgomery County Democratic Party. It would have looked better. Money raised for a Dayton election should be used in Dayton.

Make up stylist for TV debate - $150 The stylist is from West Chester Ohio. She couldn't find a stylist from Dayton?

Signs - $3684 to a company in Logan Ohio. We have places in Dayton area that could have facilitated this.

Printing - $2226 to a company in Bedford Heights, Ohio. We have many printers in the Dayton area.

Advertising - $400 Dayton weekly news. Best thing she has done for a Dayton business the entire campaign. I have used this fine paper to advertise in. I paid them more money and I paid them weeks in advance.

Next up I will discuss how I kept my $16,000 local.

Another Persons View of the DDN Endorsement.

2009-10-24T09:32:00.002-04:00

Received this today. I was asked if I could post it.

We wholeheartedly agree with the DDN that Rhine Mclin is lacking as a spokesperson for the people of Dayton. The view that she does not have the political reflexes of previous mayors is obvious also. The observance that she is not viewed as a force "in the room" or in the wider community is a fact not in dispute. The belief that she is not a born leader is backed up by her lack of performance as mayor.

The DDN correctly notes that she is not an innovator. The DDN has astutely noted that when others around her prep her and convince her about a decision, she has enough sense to follow their direction. The implication is that her grasp of her own inabilities is a favorable job qualification. The DDN's observation that she would be better suited in a different job is not a statement to quibble with. We will assume that the DDN has assessed correctly that she enjoyed previous easier jobs and likes having choices. We have the same desire.

DDN judges that having a strong city manager form of government is serving the city well now. It follows that the alternative, having more power in the hand of Rhine Mclin would be a detriment. We agree. Ms. Mclin’s acknowledgment that others around her are more competent to make decisions seems to be her highest job qualification. Our conversations with those around her overwhelmingly agree with the competency assessment.

Things would be worse in Dayton except for the competency of the non-elected officials who the DDN views as saving us from the current elected officials. The DDN’s evaluation of the five city commissioners, including the mayor, as "mostly unimpressive", wisely refrains from trying to point out any exceptions. We will accept their appraisal.

This endorsement contains a minor reference to "her foibles". Left unsaid is just what character failings they wish to keep unilluminated. In fact, this critique of Ms. Mclin has so many backhanded compliments it takes quite a bit of sifting and sorting to find any unqualified positives. They can’t go so far as to say that she is "astute", without referring to the many people that think she is not. We assume that the DDN has gathered this information from those in her close proximity.
.
The DDN opinion that Ms. Mclin’s painting of Dayton’s bright future as fantasy, is on the mark. The DDN notes that Ms. Mclin understands that closed, antiquated factories are a thing of the past. We are not sure just how quickly she came to this insight. The DDN is confident that as the situation deteriorates in the city of Dayton, Ms. Mclin will communicate this to the people, in her aforementioned deficient manor. We share this confidence.

We will defer to the DDN appraisal of Ms. Mclin’s off-camera wittiness. Though she does not attribute to wittiness, her on-air statements about these times being a "perfectly good crisis", it does challenge the observer.

We have no doubt that she has fine relationships with many people. We suspect that these "many people" are found in union headquarters, political offices and editorial boards. We have a hunch that if the DDN did a door-to-door poll of thousands of Dayton households, their view would be tempered.

We are led to believe that if Mclin is presented with bone-headed ideas, she will be capable of "insightful dissection". Unfortunately for all of us, we are regularly presented with problems of a higher order. Ms. Mclin’s previously noted limitations seem to be a more relevant fact.

The DDN notes that Ms. Mclin understands that Dayton’s future depends on Wright-Pat and other larger area institutions. This seems consistent with DDN’s entire appraisal of Rhine Mclin, in that she is dependent on those around her to make competent decisions and in turn dependent on successful area institutions, of which she has no role.

A Withering Dayton may eventually shrink to be in line with the current mayor’s capabilities. With this view of Dayton as inevitable we understand parts of DDN’s logic, but this endorsement does not quite complete the circle. Curiously missing from the DDN view of Ms. Mclin is the subject of "Growth in office". Through 8 years in the mayor’s office, none is noted and there is not a pretense to expect any in the next 4 years.

Cause and effect is hard to prove. Nonetheless we tend to correlate the current city leadership with recent declines. One-party rule is the issue that is conveniently ignored. When the city’s entire consort of elected, "mostly unimpressive" officials are from the same political party, a citizen should be highly suspect of reasoning that concludes that all incumbents should be re-elected.

If you accept the DDN’s assessment of the mayoral race, it hard not to conclude the following: Dayton is worse off with Rhine Mclin than if we had a competent mayor, and we will continue to be worse off if she is elected again. With such a dismal outlook for the future, we wonder why any effort was exerted to endorse a mayoral candidate. A summation of the DDN mayor review seems to be that Dayton should not elect a candidate that "is not ready", but instead simply prepare ourselves in 2013 to end a 12 year run of lackluster leadership.
We respectfully believe that the people of Dayton deserve better and have a better choice at hand.

Ron Browning

Setting the record straight. Gary Leitzell responds to the DDN editorial endorsement.

2009-10-21T22:57:00.004-04:00

I am not surprised by the DDNs endorsement of our incumbent mayor. After all, she is part of the political party machine that they are expected to support. However, the DDN refuses to paint me in a light that is truthful. If they could do that, I would not have to spend time typing this rebuttal myself. This letter is my work, not the work of others. I want the readers to know that I have a concise understanding of the English language. I was raised in England where I attended school from age 9 to 21. I graduated from the University of London with a degree in geology.

The DDN states that I am not ready because I “speculate that our business regulation ordinances are outdated and I don’t cite examples.” Well, this is no speculation. Our regulations are not only outdated, they are antiquated and my only error could be when the ordinances were enacted. I stated between 1950 and 1970. It may be that I am wrong on the dates. It could be 1930 to 1980. It doesn’t matter. They are outdated and need to be looked at. Every business owner that I have talked to this year agrees with me and I have spoken with well over 100 in the last 6 months. I believe the incumbent mentioned speaking with 50 a year. I speculate that they are the same 50 each year.

Had the city administration listened to some of my ideas eight years ago when presented, they may not have had a $17 million budget shortfall for 2010. I ask, “How can a city be fiscally responsible when you have had budget shortfalls for eight consecutive years?” When I asked the incumbent mayor “When you were cutting $13 million from the 2009 budget last September, did you come up with any creative ways to generate revenue that was not a tax or a fee on the water bill?” She not only asked me to repeat the question, she shamefully lowered her head and said “No.”

The DDN says I am disconnected from the real world problems at city hall. Yet I have attended hundreds of city meetings over the last ten years and I can honestly state that I have never seen a single editor of the DDN at any of those meetings. So I ask, “Who are you to state that I am disconnected?” If city hall would have become customer oriented several years ago and re-connected with the people who pay taxes to support city employee salaries they would have fewer real world problems today.

The DDN is sexist when it mocks me as a “Stay-at-home father” and narrow minded when it adds “who paints miniature figurines to add to the family income.” No one from the DDN has ever specifically questioned me on my role in the Miniatures Gaming Industry. They would be impressed by my list of clients and who I know in that and the scuba diving industry. Since I work out of my home, I stay at home. When you say an entrepreneur does not work, you insult anyone who is or has been an entrepreneur. They are hard working all of the time. What I do takes skill. Writing opinions takes much less skill. I am skilled in many things. I have written hobby-related books, self published and sold them. I am very skilled at home restoration. One needs to be aware of city health and safety codes for this as well as the permitting process. (Of course the DDN thinks that I know nothing of city regulations.)
My houseblog (www.thisoldcrackhouse.blogspot.com) has been featured in several national magazines as well as mentioned in the Wall Street Journal as being a source of inspirational information to the do-it-yourself home remodeler. I own rental property. I teach my child. I run a neighborhood association and have maintained a monthly neighborhood newsletter for seven years. I chair a Priority Board. I have held a seat on that board for ten years and yes, it is an elected position. Not exactly the things you would expect a “house husband” to do. I can also cook, clean, wash clothes, iron, do dishes, use a sewing machine and sew by hand. What skills does an editor have? Please tell.

The DDN states “nothing in his background suggests readiness to be mayor of a diverse, complex, troubled city.” This is an outright lie. I handed the editorial review board a copy of my resume. I told them that I haven’t had to produce a resume in over 15 years. (When you own a business, people don’t look at your resume. They study the quality of your work.) That resume is viewable at my web site www.GoGaryGo.net when you click on the “News” part of the banner. Look for the link at the right of the page. It documents that I have considerable sales, marketing and management skills. My experience in the retail industry and the insurance industry gives me excellent people skills. I managed a store, I managed an insurance sales office and I managed a team of salespeople from 4 states. All before I had reached the age of 28. The DDN has a copy of this document but they failed to list any of the information contained in it. The incumbent mayor has 20 years of political experience and because of this, she is better qualified to lead the city? Let me state this. You can have all the experience in the world. It does not mean that you are good at your “job.” After all, experience is just a term we give to our mistakes. If quality of ones work sets a standard for experience, I excel. I have the cumulative experience of a rich and rewarding life over the last 20 years. Not one year of political experience 20 times. How Dayton is marketed by our “leader in tough times” is clearly reflected in how she markets herself. Look around you and count the number of green/white/black signs you see on vacant lots or abandoned properties. Quality marketing? After November 3rd I hope the DDN is willing to hire the incumbent mayor to market their paper for 4 years since they feel she is the “Best” choice in this election and my feeling is that she will need a job.
Please be an informed voter and vote on November 3rd for the candidate that you feel will move Dayton in a positive direction and make it a quality place to be a part of.

By his own hand and in his own words,

Gary Leitzell
Candidate for Dayton Mayor

I was asked to cut this to 500 words. I did. The DDN accepted my 500 words but cut out over 120 of them in the final print. Guess they weren't happy about what I said.

CORRECTION: The additional 120 + words were placed back in the online article the following morning when it was brought to the attention of the editor.

By the way, would you like to know where the editors live?

Kevin Riley, the newspaper’s editor, lives in Oakwood. Ellen Belcher, the editorial page editor, lives in Washington Twp. Martin Gottlieb and Scott Elliott, both editorial writers, live in Kettering..... go figure.

Dayton Daily News endorses Incumbent

2009-10-20T01:22:00.005-04:00

The Dayton Daily News has endorsed the incumbent mayor. This was expected because it is the political party thing to do. Though if I were the current mayor, I wouldn't call it an endorsement. I think she got a pretty bad review compared to me. Read the comments, they are very telling about how people feel about incumbents.
I sent a rebuttal to the paper in order to clarify a few things. I will post it here shortly.

UPDATE
My rebuttal had to be edited down to 500 words. I will post the full length version after the condensed version is published on Thursday. It is much more effective. In the meantime click the link to the right that says "Resume". It is below the image that says "Contact". Since the DDN and the Ohio Democratic Party say that I have no experience I have chosen to make it available. I am not an experienced politician. Of that charge, I am guilty. I AM an experienced problem solver. Many of the problems that I have had to solve recently were in fact initiated by a lack vision on behalf of our city government. It is time to put the vision back!

Mayoral Debate Video

2009-10-17T01:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the video stream of Wednesday nights mayoral debate.

"Get Off of My Cloud"

2009-10-08T01:14:00.003-04:00

A comment was left on the previous post. See below.

Here is the person behind the Democratic Party smear site. Name Daniel Klco. If you feel inclined, send him your thoughts. It is a pretty sad site. Pathetic really.

Check out his personal blog. It is way better than the smear site. Leave him a comment since you can't leave one on the Democratic Party site. He could use the publicity.

"the owner of this domain's Linkedin page is
http://www.linkedin.com/in/danielklco

He is a pretty active democrat, as you can see
http://www.mcyoungdems.com/content/blog.php?author=Daniel%20Klco

And has awfully big words concerning the Dayton election, coming from someone who lives in Kettering.
http://www.klco.org/ "

Smear Site Launched

2009-09-25T00:01:00.003-04:00

I am a an Independent candidate in a NON-PARTISAN local mayoral election. The incumbent is a delegate in the Montgomery County Democratic Party. The Montgomery County Democratic Party has paid for their candidates literature piece and they have set up a web site in order to conduct a negative campaign against me. I ask the question "WHY is the party getting involved?" The web site was set up and paid for by the Montgomery County Democratic Party on August 6th, 2009. A post was entered on September 9th, 2009.
Just on Monday, Martin Gottlieb from the Dayton Daily News editorial board asked my opponent and myself if there was anything they should know about negative campaigning. The incumbent said "No. Not that I know of." I stated that "I will run a truthful and factual campaign." If this question is asked of me again, my answer will not change. Since the incumbent tracks this blog and my web site, I hope her answer is truthful next time.

You Decide

2009-09-24T23:48:00.002-04:00

I got this email yesterday.

.MY NEIGHBOR IS AN EMPL. OF THE C.O.D. ...APPARTENLY CITY EMP. HAVE BEEN TOLD IF THEY ARE CAUGHT CAMPAINING FOR THAT" OTHER GUY", THEY COULD BE SUBJECT TO DISCIPLANRY ACTIONS...I TRUST MY NEIGHBOR & FRIEND AS TO THIS SOURCE OF INFO, SOMEHOW THIS DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT(SOMETHIN' ABOUT THAT, OH WHAT IS IT?, OH YEAH, FIRST AMENDMENT...

I think the message is sad and pathetic. If any city employees have any email correspondence regarding anything like like this from the city managers office or the commission, please forward it to me. No names will be revealed.

Stuff like this proves that city hall is not only disconnected from the citizens and the business community, but also from their own employees. Things have to change. This indicates that we have a dictatorship on a local scale. Like I stated above. Pathetic.
If you are employed by the City of Dayton and think this behavior has to cease, you have only ONE choice for mayor on November 3rd.

Vote for the INDEPENDENT candidate. VOTE for Gary!

Calendar of Events

2009-09-18T09:55:00.001-04:00

Here is a calendar of events that are already scheduled. I will keep this updated as we proceed with the campaign.

Putting a Perspective on Things

2009-09-16T01:52:00.000-04:00

This article was released in the local paper last week. We were on vacation in Maine when it was published and had no way to neutralize any damage that it did. The article wasn't bad but it doesn't do much to put my ideas into their true context. The article also has some wrong information. It also fails to list what I did between 1982 and 1994.

The corrections are;
1)I was never an auctioneer. I did work for one though.
2)I completed my degree in three years, not four as was published. This is common in British Universities though and was no fantastic feat pulled off by me.

The article also lists some of my ideas to help Dayton. These were not real ideas, they were suggestions to illustrate the way that my mind works. Regarding the Rolling Stones statement for example;

I asked our mayor and two of our commissioners at various meetings if they had come up with any ways to generate revenue for the city that wasn't a tax or a fee on the water bill. All said no, but one commissioner asked me for an idea. I clearly stated that this idea was kind of extreme and that I didn't expect the city to do it but I suggested we bring the "Rolling Stones" to Dayton.
He looked at me strangely but when I explained that doing such a thing would attract people from five states plus Ohio to Dayton where they would spend money on food and entertainment everything made more sense. We could have the band play across the river from "Riverscape" and 20,000 or more people could come and watch. I don't know how we would handle admission but it could be worked out. The point was, we have to make Dayton a destination for people outside of the region to visit. I never mentioned cost. The commissioner threw out $30,000. I suspect it would be more like $1.5 million.

I explained all of this to the reporter. She chose to write what she thought was interesting. Not the overall picture. The main point once again is that we have to attract people to the city from outside the region and give local businesses an opportunity to make money if we want to forge ahead and attract business and people here.

The city is in a financial crisis. They just announced a $20 million budget cut for 2010. I have been saying this for several months but the paper only reported it last week. The city manager, who just resigned by the way, to take a higher paying job in North Carolina, asked many city union workers to take 4 furlough days with no pay. I have said that when you cut these salaries (which is what they are really doing) you should offer some kind of incentive that has no real cost to the city. Give them a pass to a city owned golf course or a recreation center for those days. It may actually increase membership. If it doesn't, what does it cost? Nothing.

The idea about giving incentives to people to fix up old houses was made to our mayor in 2003 after buying and starting restoration on our very own fixer-upper. I have made several suggestions to her and many city administrators over the years. Nothing was ever done to utilize any of those suggestions. My ideas were never important for many years but all of a sudden they are.

I think beyond the box, not just outside of it and I focus on achieving the end result, not how it is achieved. This city will turn around when people no longer care about who gets credit but that the job gets done. Government employees are paid to do a job. Business minded people are paid to get the job done. It is finally time to get the job done. If you want to see results and you want the job done, VOTE on November 3rd for business minded candidates. If you do not vote, you will get the Dayton that you deserve.

Campaigning in Belmont.

2009-09-15T02:24:00.000-04:00

Daytons Leadership In Crisis

2009-08-31T13:39:00.002-04:00

On The Campaign Trail

2009-08-29T22:33:00.003-04:00

Several supporters and I went out into the Linden Heights Neighborhood this week where we were all well received. Here are some photos from one of our evenings. After meeting with us, one young man went inside and quickly produced his very own campaign t-shirt. He then traveled two blocks to find us so that we could see that creativity and hope are still alive and well in our city! If you want to come and join us while we campaign all over the city, email me at Gary@daytonmayor.org.

Boutique City ..... WHAT??????

2009-08-25T00:49:00.006-04:00

The first time I heard of Dayton being referred to as a "Boutique City" it was by our incumbent mayor at the Upper Riverdale Neighborhood meeting on July 27th where we were both invited to attend and have questions asked of each of us. The second time I heard it was almost two weeks later at the 10 Living Cities Symposium when the incumbent got up and stated "If you look under the surface, you will see that we are developing a boutique city" without any further elaboration. She used the same phrase when she presented a city update to the Priority Board Chairpersons.

This phrase intrigued me. So I "Googled" the phrase and got a link to this site. I have pasted some of the wording below in case you don't want to read the entire description of what a "Boutique City" really is. I suggest that you do read it though. It horrified me!

Like aging dowagers, many cities have sought to arrest their decline by applying both a touch of rouge and some serious cosmetic surgery. This is the urban landscape of the “boutique city”—one dominated not by middle- or working class concerns, but by elite culture and the antics of celebrities, whether cultural icons, financial titans, foundation bosses, or media moguls. The boutique city is the playground of Paris Hilton and P. Diddy, as well as the assorted “masters of the universe”; it not a place with playgrounds for working-class and middle class kids. These cities are almost obsessively concerned with “coolness” and “hipness,” being “with it” and “trend-setting.” Boutique cities, like a high-end specialty merchandiser, have little use for the general run of the working and middle class, whose needs are assigned to the domain of Target, Wal-Mart and other suburban merchandisers. Indeed, if the makers of the boutique city worry about anything beside themselves, it is usually not the disappearance of this hard-working middle, but how to deal with the potential threat represented by the alienated underclass, with its potential for lethal mayhem. Many denizens of these environments do not see the city as a place that holds their commitments, but only one locale that, for a period of time or a particular season, seizes their fancy. Many are not even full-timers, instead flitting to Florida, Malibu, Palm Springs, Europe, or the Hamptons, depending on the season and their latest whims (since the 1990s, for example, the number of Manhattan residences serving as second homes has grown by as much as three-fold).

San Francisco, despite its avowedly liberal, even radical politics, is becoming a particular poster child for social inequality—a cross, in the words of historian Kevin Starr, “between Carmel and Calcutta.” The difference between African-American and white incomes in this liberal bastion, for example, is almost three times the national average.

In many cities, the shrinking of the middle class has brought about an overall drop in population. Although New York, with its large immigrant population, still enjoys slowing yet positive population growth, many other boutique cities, including some which gained population in the 1990s—such as Boston, San Francisco, and Chicago—have all lost population over the past five years. Some boosters explain this depopulation as a sign of a “qualitative” improvement in the population, a kind of genteel version of ethnic cleansing where middle and working-class families are being replaced by well-educated, affluent and
often childless households. They point to certain positive developments, such as the proliferation of upscale restaurants, art galleries, trendy shops, and architecturally pleasing hotels and condos. Yet look at what’s missing: middle-class jobs and families. Boutique cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, and Portland, Oregon rank among the American cities with the lowest percentages of children. In San Francisco, there are more dogs than children. And why? Extremely high housing costs and an economic environment that provides few middle-class opportunities. Since 2000, almost all these cities have produced far fewer jobs—even in the business services—than the nation as a whole or their surrounding suburbs. Put simply, all but the richest families don’t see a future that they can afford.

I can see Oakwood as a Boutique City. I can see the Oregon district becoming "Boutique" but I am disgusted that Ms. McLin wants to make Dayton a place where dogs outnumber children. Where fewer jobs cause "ethnic cleansing" and eliminate the middle and working classes. Where the income divide between African-Americans and "whites" becomes three times the national average and an elitist class determines what the underclass does.

I don't know about you but this seems to be a big slap in the face to the average union worker, the middle class businessman and any African-American who wants to live here. I want a Dayton that works. I want a Dayton that thrives and I want a Dayton where our children get the quality education that they deserve. If you agree that Dayton needs to be a place where everyone has the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to seek liberty and the pursuit of happiness, join my Grassroots Revolution and vote for the winds of change. This time, I guarantee, your vote counts.

Be Careful What You Wish For.

2009-08-25T00:00:00.005-04:00

The Dayton Daily News just printed an article and WHIO Channel 7 just broadcast a news bulletin about how the AFL-CIO has endorsed the Democratic Party ticket. My hope was that the unions would take a neutral stance this time but I guess the frenzy over stimulus money has healed the wounds from earlier in the year. The unions had two issues with me. Obviously none had done due diligence because they are still trying to apply a "Republican" label to me as did WHIO. If they had ever read this blog, they would have seen this post from March explaining how I was offered the endorsement. They also made an issue of my decision to Home School my daughter who is reading at a third grade level and doing triple digit addition and subtraction at six years old. The following article about the performance of Dayton Public Schools was released in the same paper. While DPS scores a D on their report card my daughter gets A's. For this I should be penalized?

If I were a union member I would be more concerned with Ms. McLin going around to all the neighborhood meetings declaring that Dayton is becoming a "Boutique City." She was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal.

In fact the journal published the following "Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin ran to the podium for her talk. "If you look under the surface, you will see that we are developing a boutique city," she said. She didn't elaborate on what she meant."

Intrigued by this term, I did what any regular guy would do and "Googled" the term "boutique city" and was not happy with what I found. I consider what she is promoting to be a slap in the face for any middle class or working class person or family who has helped get her elected these last 8 years. I will elaborate in my next post.

It's All About the Delivery.

2009-08-17T00:07:00.003-04:00

I had another run in with bad customer service. This time it was from a well respected ex-city employee. I think their issue was power to control. I'm really not too sure. Let me explain.

I attended a well established festival this weekend. I was with a neighbor, his son and my daughter. We were wearing "Elect Gary Leitzell" shirts and I had a handful of literature pieces to pass out. Within 15 minutes of our arrival we were approached by two Sheriffs deputies who politely asked us not to pass out literature. I asked them who ordered them to approach us and whether or not their request was a violation of my constitutional rights at a public festival. The festival organizer had given them the order and they didn't know whether they could legally stop me. I didn't know either because it was a public festival in a public park with paid admission.
I honored their request but made a point to have a discussion with the event organizer. The event organizer had worked for the City of Dayton for about 30 years and has done much for the city during her tenure. She is also an active member of the Democratic party. The one that has endorsed the incumbent mayor. I used to respect this person but I fear that has now changed. I mentioned that I was going to look into whether she had violated my right to pass out literature by sending two officers over to stop me. She paused for a moment and then got rather nasty. At one point she claimed that she had kicked out people "bigger" than me in the past. As if that is something to be proud of. The issue here was clearly power and control. She wanted to limit my ability to campaign at this event even if it was against the law. It turns out that they often invite candidates to attend this festival and have a booth. If I had a table then I could have passed out literature. The problem is, I was not invited. I chose to be a paying customer. The incumbent mayor was there with Commissioner Nan Whaley. I doubt that they had to pay the admission charge. They did not have a booth but I didn't notice if they had handed out any literature.

My point is this. All the event organizer had to do was come up to me herself and simply say "Gary, we have a policy that restricts you from walking around handing out literature. If you would like to pass stuff out we require you to have a booth or you could stand outside the gate where you are free to pass out anything that you want to."

The gentleman that manages the 2nd Street Market did exactly that when he saw me there two weeks ago. Very polite and very cordial, but he works for the county, not the city.

I have lived in Dayton for 15 years. This was the first time I have ever attended this event. I paid to enter the festival. Needless to say, I don't think I will ever return. If this person treated City of Dayton taxpayers or residents in this manner while she worked for the city then it is no wonder we have the problems that we do today. This way of treating people may have worked in the 1970s when Dayton was a boom town but it is obsolete in 2009. I fear that some employees are stuck in a 50 year paradigm. They have worked for the city for over 20 years and were trained by people who had been there 30 years.

If you want things to be different, if you want the paradigm to shift, you have to vote for me on November 3rd and ask everyone you know to do the same.

If You Give a Pig a Pancake .....

2009-08-03T10:19:00.003-04:00

You can never please everybody in this life. I got this email today;

DO NOT EVER SEND ME ANOTHER EMAIL. REMOVE ME FROM YOUR LIST. I AM NOT INTERESTED IN YOUR TACTICS. DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS. I BELIEVE THIS EMAIL TO BE EXTREMELY INAPPROPRIATE. YOU'RE GRASPING AT STRAWS. AGAIN, REMOVE ME FROM YOUR LIST, DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS. IT IS NOT WITHIN YOUR REALM TO DECLARE ANYTHING AND THIS IS AN INTRUSION OF MY WORK ENVIRONMENT.

This was a response to the email that I sent out last Friday. I have posted that email below so that you can see how offensive it is.

The author of the above email works for the City of Dayton and holds a nice position. Their email address is listed on one of the City of Dayton contact information pages. It is public information. They also have the option to delete the email before they read it. My guess is that a certain person is having a bad Monday. However, this kind of customer service must stop. I am a customer of the City of Dayton and this person has forgotten that. They have also failed to realize that you only get one chance to make a first impression. When I eventually meet this person that impression has already been made. Attitude from Civil Servants drives customers away. Period!

This person could quite simply have stated the following "Mr. Leitzell, Please do not send emails to me at work." or "Please remove my email from your list."

Here was my email that prompted the reply;

Just a reminder. Three more businesses have asked to participate. They are listed below!

Gary Leitzell
www.daytonmayor.org

City of Dayton Employee Appreciation Week August 3 – 9, 2009

In these tough economic times, I appreciate all the day-to-day hard work of our city employees. This is why I think it is a great idea to host an appreciation week. I would like to declare the week of August 3rd through August 9th as "City of Dayton Employee Appreciation Week. Wave "hello" or nod your head to our police, firefighters, emergency medical teams, waste collection workers, recreation and park personnel. To show their appreciation, the following local businesses are offering a 20% discount on meals served at their establishments to all city employees who show their City of Dayton badge. Alcohol is not included, of course!

I am sending this out to hundreds of people on my email lists. I apologize if you get this more than once. Please forward it to people in the Dayton region and all the city employees that you know. Let's show them that we appreciate their hard work.

Thank you,

Gary Leitzell

*Charlie’s Deli & Catering
Serving Old North Dayton for over 40 years
429 Troy Street, Dayton

*Slyder's Tavern
836 Watervliet, Dayton

*Dolcessa
An Explosion of Artisan Italian Ice Cream Flavors
1106 Brown St.,Dayton

*Trolley Stop
Neighborhood Tavern to the World
530 E.Fifth St. Dayton

*Uno’s Chicago Grill
Serving Downtown Dayton for over 10 Years
126 N. Main Street, Dayton

*Milano’s Atlantic City Submarines
Established 1969 (25% off)
1834 Brown St., Dayton

*The DELI
Top of the Market
32 Webster Street Dayton

*The Brunch Club
Voted the Best Breakfast in Dayton
601 South Main St.,Dayton

*AVON
Angel Mahle
Independent Sales Rep
937-867-3711 H
937-212-8830 C
www.youravon.com/amahle

Neighborhood Clean Sweeps

2009-07-11T17:01:00.005-04:00

This was my view of Dayton between 8:30 AM and 11:30 AM this morning.

I volunteered to help our neighbors in Twin Towers neighborhood with their alley sweep. Our city used to allow neighborhood groups to organize alley sweeps in order to get rid of trash and debris that accumulates in our alleys due to negligence. About 5 or maybe 6 years ago the city made the decision to stop offering these alley sweeps. I know this because I wrote a grant application for $20,000 from a Community Development Block Grant Fund to get the money necessary to pay the city to continue the alley sweeps. I dressed in a top hat and tails (like a magician) to do a 5 minute presentation before a committee that decided where the grant money would be applied. We were not awarded the grant but the presentation made a lasting impression on the members of the committee who worked for city hall that the commissioners made the decision to set money aside to accommodate 20 alley sweeps that year and every year since.
This is one of those little things that I did many years ago that few people know about. Something that continues to make our city a better place to live today. I guess my point is this; if you don't like the policy or law, fight to change it. In this case, rather than go to a commission meeting and complain (which would have had little effect in the three minutes allotted and no discussion afterward) I took my case before a group that had the power to influence the top decision makers and the end result was acceptable. In reality, the result was better because if the grant was awarded, the alley sweeps would have only benefited a few neighborhoods for two years.

When we were almost finished, one of the city drivers took this group picture of all the volunteers. I'm on the far left wearing the Dayton Dragons hat. I'm not afraid of hard work to make the community better.

It began to pour with rain at 11:30 so a few spots will need attention this week. Twin Towers has a good group of committed residents that will make sure the job gets finished in the next few days.

City of Dayton Employee Appreciation Week August 3-9, 2009

2009-07-09T22:24:00.002-04:00

In these tough economic times, I appreciate all the day-to-day hard work of our city employees. This is why I think it is a great idea to host an appreciation week. I would like to declare the week of August 3rd through August 9th as "City of Dayton Employee Appreciation Week." Wave "hello" or nod your head to our police, firefighters, emergency medical teams, waste collection workers, recreation and park personnel. To show their appreciation, the following local businesses are offering a 20% discount on meals served at their establishments to all city employees who show their City of Dayton badge. Alcohol is not included, of course!

If any other businesses would like to offer a 20% discount to City of Dayton employees during this week, please email Gary@Daytonmayor.org or call 253-1359. We will then add you to the list.

Thank you,

Gary Leitzell

Fund Raising Efforts

2009-07-03T00:23:00.000-04:00

We are fast approaching a time when my campaign is going to be moving at full steam ahead. I still need to raise funds for campaign signs, literature, direct mail, polling and phone calling. I came up with a quick and easy way that everyone can help. If you make a $25.00 donation between now and July 11th through PayPal using the link below or the button from my web site at www.daytonmayor.org or this blog you will receive a campaign T-shirt and a yard sign within a few short weeks.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6383721

Please state the size of the T-shirt that you will need in the "add special instructions" section and list your address so that the shirt and sign can be left at your address by a member of my campaign team.

Please feel free to forward this message to anyone that you feel may wish to contribute.

Thank you for your support.

Painting out Graffiti

2009-07-01T00:52:00.000-04:00

Several years ago, when I first became the president of my neighborhood association, I embarked on a project to improve the look of one of our street corners. You can read about it HERE and HERE. The building has had nothing done to it since. Until late last year when someone spray painted the front. I finally got tired of seeing this. So yesterday I rummaged around in my basement where I found some cans of paint left over from the project. Since my daughter was eager to try her hand at painting on some walls, which I wouldn't let her do inside our house, we took these cans of paint and cleaned up our neighborhood just a little.

Leading by example. I wonder what kind of mayor my daughter will be in 30 years.

The Southeast Festival - a follow up report.

2009-06-30T11:02:00.000-04:00

The Southeast Festival was a success. Despite the aggravation of getting the grant money from city hall. Since the grant check had not been issued by Friday June 19, I contacted one of our commissioners that Friday evening. He made a call to the city manager over the weekend and the check was ready by Monday afternoon. It shouldn't have to be this way. The money was allocated, the paperwork had been turned in when requested. The funds should have been confirmed and ready to be distributed. Instead, it would appear that someone made a deliberate attempt to sabotage the event just because they could. Not a single person from city hall or any of the associated departments attended the event either. This was the first year the Mayor missed the festival, too. Many residents in Southeast Dayton made this observation, including myself.
I don't know if anyone at city hall has ever organized a neighborhood festival but it is very nerve racking when you have to pay for entertainers and services when you aren't certain where the funds are going to have to come from. It limits the ability to promote an event properly. Especially if there is a chance that you have to cancel. A few other things we noticed this year. There were no large plastic garbage bins left for trash. We emptied all the metal park bins ourselves and hauled the trash away after the event and the gate was not unlocked before 7 AM but we were able to work that one out with a direct phone call.
We need a city hall that caters to its customers. By customers I mean residents, business owners and stakeholders in the community. If Dayton was a for profit business they would have gone bankrupt at least 20 years ago. The culture at city hall has to change. The "Us versus Them" mentality has to end. If it doesn't there won't be enough taxpayers left to support employee salaries.

The good news is that someone from the police department was assigned to the festival for 5 hours and some additional police officers came through during the day. It was nice to see the police officers enjoying some time out to socialize with their customers.

Montgomery county was very co-operative. The library bookmobile was there, Lucky the Ladybug showed up and they provided recycle bins for the event. I know that I can get county co-operation when it is needed. For the last 8 years I have been saying that the city and county need to co-operate more in most areas. I feel at this point that I know where the problems originate.

Here are some pictures from the festival. We estimated that over 400 people came through the park that day.

Going, going…..sold!

2009-06-20T18:17:00.000-04:00

As I pick out the last bit of whipped cream from my hair, I just want to give a hearty thank you to all who participated in Thursday night’s pie auction. A big applause goes to Jules and Eric Opperman, the owners of Dolcessa. They were the gracious hosts for this event. Also, want to thank Alex, who volunteered his service at the last moment as the youth auctioneer.
A thank you to Leah! You rock! Vanna White has nothing on you!

Not only was this a campaign fundraiser, but more importantly it was an opportunity to showcase local Dayton businesses. Ann Kenion, sole proprietor, of Desserts by Ann started the auction with her five pies. She got a rowdy applause from the audience. She already has a following of her delicious pies. Mehaffies Pies was next on the auction block with an assortment of yummy cream and fruit pies. They have been around for nearly eight decades. Christopher’s Restaurant followed with four tempting chocolate-peanut butter pies. A homemade carrot cake was also thrown into the mix. Bob Lipps, our very own Walnut Hills baker, brought a tempting dark chocolate cheesecake as well as some other goodies. Of course, Dolcessa featured a few gelato pies as well. Bob Cochran, I have my eye on you!Thanks to all! If your business is interested in hosting a campaign fundraiser, please contact our fundraising manager, Jeff Dalton at jjmdalton@gmail.com.

With regards,

Gary Leitzell

Clean Up in Southwest Dayton

2009-06-19T23:42:00.000-04:00

On June 18, 2009 a group of people came together from all over Dayton to participate in an "Adopt-an-Area" clean up. The clean up area was the Western Ave. Apartments between the 1700 and 1900 blocks of James H. McGee Blvd. The event was organized by Ms. Shallon Coleman who founded "Abigail's Journey, Inc." which is a non profit that caters to people in need. People volunteered from the apartments, from "Project Cure" and neighborhoods from all around Dayton.
Shallon and I had a discussion several months ago. We both felt that the time has come to unite Dayton. One way to do this was to have people come together from all over the city for a common goal. It is also time to educate people about those programs that are already in existence and under utilized. Adopt-an-Area is one of those programs. I have learned as a community leader that telling people about a service or program doesn't mean that people will use it. Showing them how it works will at least make people understand it and they have the ability to teach others who need the service or program.
Anyway, there were about 40 people working together having a good time while they cleaned up trash and yard waste around the designated area. This is the 4th year that Shallon has organized this clean up and it will be an ongoing occurrence.
More neighborhood groups have to reach out the hand of unity across perceived boundaries in this city if we going to make it great again. This is the dawning of a new era. One that is long overdue.

There will be more joint clean ups organized this summer. I will keep you informed. The neat thing is that the volunteers were very impressed when they learned who I was. I had been working amongst them for several hours before it was announced. They had seen me jumping up and down in the dumpsters trying to compress the trash so that more would fit in. I wasn't afraid to get dirty and they were able to realize that I am the alternative to Rhine McLin.

Here is a picture of Shallon Coleman. If you see her in the street you need to thank her for what she is doing. This is one dedicated woman.

Not to beat a dead horse, but……

2009-06-17T09:38:00.000-04:00

While NCR’s departure has left a hole in Dayton’s economy, let’s not forget that with every failure new doors open. That hole will be filled.
What has really left a sour taste in my mouth is that fact that local leaders now feel the need to meet behind closed doors to discuss the growth of Dayton’s economy.

See this article in the Dayton Daily News.

Even before my mayoral campaign I have repeatedly stressed the importance of having plans A, B, C, D and even plan E. Realize the worst case scenario and be prepared with back-up plans. Any problem solver or strategic thinker lives by that credo.
Our leaders meet behind closed doors and think that they can come up with all the solutions themselves. I have learned to consult with professionals and those affected by the plans. The result is always a better solution. While they were planning on what would be an NCR caliber company I wonder if they missed this article in the Dayton Business Journal. I would be calling Boeing and at the very least would be asking what it would take to make this happen in Dayton.

City Hall - Disinterested, Disfunctional or Disconnected?

2009-06-16T00:20:00.000-04:00

Once again, I wonder just whose side City Hall is on. Because it certainly doesn’t seem to be on the side of its citizens very frequently. Allow me to explain…

Annually, Priority Boards are given funds from the city to host annual festivals for their regions throughout the city. However, in late January of this year, the Priority Board Chairpersons were informed that this year City Hall’s intention was for us to combine the $19,400 to hold a single large festival. Much to our dismay we were also informed that this decision had been made in September of 2008, yet they had waited almost 5 months to tell us.
We responded by arguing that, given the fast approach of summer, there was no way we would have time to coordinate such a large event. There was simply too much planning and organizing to be done in such a short period of time.

Hearing our resistance to the idea, they decided to consider the matter further, thus delaying a final decision.

To make things easier to track, I’ve created a timeline of the events;

March 4th - Due to the lack of a final decision, I attended a city commission meeting voicing my concern. After hearing my case, the mayor and commission agreed to divide the money equally among the priority boards to hold their festivals as they saw fit, as had been done in the past.

May 19th - I submitted the invoice necessary to acquire the funds. Upon submitting the invoice, I was told it would have to be approved AGAIN at the next city commission meeting on May 27th - This meeting was pushed back until June 3rd.
June 3rd - The funds were presumably approved. I attended that commission meeting. I thanked the commission for their cooperation. I recommended that if they want us to host a single festival in 2010 that they notify us within the next 30 days.

June 15th - Today I was informed that the funding MIGHT be processed within 7 to 10 business days. Since we are holding our Southeast festival on June 27th, this means that it is entirely possible that we won’t receive funding until several days AFTER our event.

Obviously, this presents a problem. After being assured of funding for our festival the first time, we booked all the necessary elements… entertainment, facilities, etc. Now, it seems as if the city may break its agreement, potentially leaving us high and dry.

Fortunately for Walnut hills and the Southeast Priority Board, I anticipated this situation months ago. Because of the solid residents of Southeast Priority board and Walnut Hills Neighborhood Association, we have money available to loan in advance for the festival to ensure its success, if needed.

However, the bigger picture here is what concerns me. I have to wonder, “if this is how City Hall treats its elected citizen representatives from neighborhood associations and priority boards over a measly $2,800, how do they treat local businesses that have nowhere near the voice in City Hall that we do?”

Considering this, I’m not surprised that NCR would cut communications nearly 2 years ago. Nor am I surprised by the flight of other business from Dayton. If City Hall is willing to be less than up front about small Priority Board festival grants, I wonder what they are going to do when it comes to tearing down houses with the "Neighborhood Stabilization Money" or proper allocation of the "Stimulus money" from our federal government. Since we can't get festival grants on time, it's no wonder you don't hear anything about citywide Wi Fi that was promised years ago. What's up with that?

Campaign Fundraiser

2009-06-09T09:41:00.000-04:00

Gary Leitzell takes one in the face for the Mayor race!

!Pie Auction Extravaganza!

June 18, 2009
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Auction starts at 8:00
Dolcessa, 1106 Brown St., Dayton

Scrumptious Pies from local Dayton
businesses will be featured!

*Desserts by Ann*
Ann Kenion, sole proprietor, is listed in the June 2009 issue of Midwest Living.

*Mehaffies Pies*
Famous For Pies and Cheesecakes Since 1930

*Bob Lipps, Walnut Hills baker*

*Dolcessa Gelato Pies*
An explosion of artisan Italian ice cream flavors

Auctioneer: Brian Evans

Come support local Dayton Businesses!
One pie will forfeit its life to be thrown at Gary Leitzell.
Signature pies from each baker will also be raffled.
Enjoy gelato ice cream, bid on a pie and then top off the night watching Gary Leitzell, mayoral candidate, get a pie in the face!

All fundraising proceeds will go to Friends of Gary Leitzell
Treasurer—Dan Kennedy, 525 Heiss Ave., Dayton, OH 45403
Paid for by Friends of Gary Leitzell
www.daytonmayor.org

Concerning NCR's relocation.

2009-06-02T22:33:00.000-04:00

The news of NCR's relocation is surely saddening to our city. NCR has long been a strong community pillar and has made many contributions toward the well-being of Dayton by supporting arts, charities, parks and education. Their presence will be missed.

However, the ingenuity, spirit of courage and innovation of the people that made this company so great remains here in our city. These virtues are what made NCR a leader in its market, and they are what will, once again, make Dayton a leader in the Miami Valley and beyond.

As citizens, community leaders and business leaders, we must use this news to unify us and focus our efforts into developing new and creative ways of attracting businesses positioned in markets that will remain relevant for the next five decades and beyond in addition to supporting businesses already committed to Dayton. As your next mayor, it will be my top priority to make Dayton a haven for inventive small and large businesses alike while rallying the collective imagination and insight of the over 20 groups already committed to developing business in Dayton.

This is not the final nail in the coffin for Dayton. Rather, this is the springboard we will use to capitalize on yet untapped potential of our great city as we adapt to a changing climate to make Dayton the city that we all know it can be.

Sincerely,
Gary Leitzell

Belmont and the Mayors Walk

2009-06-02T01:06:00.001-04:00

Monday was the Mayors walk in Belmont Neighborhood. This week Ms. McLin made a point of actually going up to the residents that were standing on their porches or in their yards and speaking with them. Only after myself or people who support my campaign had already introduced themselves though. I think she has finally comprehended that she needs to connect with the customers of the city of Dayton. After seven and a half years she is finally realizing what she needed to focus on. The customers and not the litter. Hallelujah!

After the walk I took my daughter to see the Miami Valley Music Men in the Randy Chisholm Memorial Hall located at 2745 S. Smithville Road. They meet every Monday at 7:30 PM and sing Barbershop style. We enjoyed two hours of entertainment from a group of dedicated individuals. Please stop by and visit them or join their group if you like to sing. These guys were excellent. They will be singing the national anthem at the Dragons game on June 15th. Here is snippet from their practice section. My daughter got up there with them and enjoyed being part of the show. These men should be invited to participate in Urban Nights in September. They have never been asked to do so in the past.

I think we are going to stop by often. They really seemed to appreciate the fact that I took the time to visit and welcomed me with open arms.

Questions, Questions, Questions

2009-06-01T00:54:00.000-04:00

Now that I am running for Mayor I am being asked the same questions over and over again. Here are some questions and my answers for the record. I realize that I am not always going to give the answer you want to hear. I got this email this week (red) and answered it (black);

Hello,

I am contacting you in regards to your opinions, thoughts and possible agenda on some issues in Dayton.

1. What are your thoughts on the 2nd Amendment and Right to Carry?

I support the right to bare arms. People have the right to choose whether or not to own or carry a gun if they follow the legal process.

2. With the current economic "crisis" in Dayton, the lay-offs, pay freezes and budget cuts, what is being done right and/or wrong within the current admin. to solve the problems?

I asked Ms. McLin at a public meeting if she and the commissioners had discussed any ways to generate revenue that was not a tax or a fee on the water bill while they were cutting $13 million from the budget last fall. After having to clarify the question, her answer was "No." What is wrong with her answer?
I think accountability needs to be enacted at city hall. I think creativity needs to be encouraged as well. Dayton must be marketed to the world so that we can generate additional revenue streams that don't impact the already over-assessed, resident taxpayer.

Also, what are your thoughts on the Residency Rule for city employees?

I think we need to investigate the reason why the residency ruling was added to the city charter in the 1970s. Then we must determine if the same criteria applies today. Of course the Ohio Supreme Court may make the decision that determines the outcome. A well-planned and calculated merger with the county would negate the issue altogether.

Do you believe cutting Public Safety services to "save" money is a good practice while crime rates historically rise during economic down-falls? This includes the training that is necessary to do the job.

I do not think cutting public safety is wise at any time. I think we need to investigate and test ideas that would allow our public safety personnel to work at the most efficient level possible and adopt those ideas that work.

3. What role do you believe the government should play in the daily lives of citizens?

Local government is responsible for the health and safety of its residents and visitors. This includes police, fire, emergency services, waste collection, water supply/sanitation and maintaining and upholding building code safety standards.

4. Everyday on my way to work, there is a gentleman with a sign stating "I am hungry" on the side of the road. He does have a pan-handling license. He also has (everyday) a different fast food bag and drink next to him. Given that this makes the city look trashy, what would you do to curve, if anything, this problem that is spread throughout the city?

We need to inspire such people, whenever possible, to become productive members of the community. We could, at the very least, buy the man a suit and ask him to frequent a different location every day. :)

5. Do you feel you have the necessary experience to tackle the very real and large problems the city faces? What political
party (of the two) do you feel best represent your ideological views?

Mclin may be an experienced politician, but experience doesn't make you qualified for the job. The captain of the Titanic and the Exxon Valdez were both experienced captains. What they both lacked was good judgment under crisis.
I am an experienced problem solver. I don't mind asking people for their input or advice when difficult decisions have to be made. I am completely non-partisan when it comes to political views. I do what I feel is fair under the circumstances. I am a strategic thinker with many creative ideas. A political party has not been created for the likes of me.

Thank you for your time.

If you wish to join my campaign team, please email me at gary@daytonmayor.org

The Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence

2009-05-30T23:42:00.000-04:00

There was a town hall meeting at Sinclair Community College on Saturday morning. It was to discuss a program called "The Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence." It will hold members of a "group" accountable for any gun related crime that results in the death of an individual. The idea is that peer pressure can be neutralized when an individual says "I was thinking of shooting "so and so" but I don't want all of you (friends) to go to jail if I do" to his or her friends that coax them into action.

I know first hand how this works. I had a fight with a boy in school when I was 16 or so that was a knock down, drag out fight that lasted forever during a break. Nobody really won but the whole thing occurred because one or two individuals were badgering both of us to have a fight and instigating the event to occur. In government such people are called "Agent provocateurs".

There were around 150 people in attendance at this meeting. I was disappointed to notice that our mayor arrived late and missed her scheduled spot on the agenda. I applaud the police chief for initiating such a program which includes involvement from the city of Trotwood as well as Montgomery County and some prominent ministers and non-profits in the community. I applaud the people who attended and have committed to making the program a success. Some of the stories that were revealed and statements that were made were truly moving. I only hope the burden does not completely fall on the shoulders of the community to make the program work. In order for our police officers to gain the trust of certain communities, they must walk those communities and have everyday conversations with the residents. They need to spend a few minutes shooting hoops with the teenage boys at the local park. Talk to the young girls about their dreams and aspirations for when they grow up. They need to become mentors for pre-teen youth. Most of all, they have to be dedicated to doing this every day for the rest of their careers if they want to see real change. If the city manager says we can not afford to do this, I would argue that we can't afford NOT to do it. The results will be justified when half of every class in our police academy consists of young, dedicated members of Dayton's African-American community.

Neighborhood Mayors Walks.

2009-05-28T13:15:00.000-04:00

Our current Mayor hosts "Mayors walks" every year in various neighborhoods around our city. This year the "Twin Towers" neighborhood was chosen. In fact, it is the third or fourth time Mayor Rhine McLin has toured this neighborhood in the last eight years. This time things were different. Normally, our Mayor focuses on trash and tall grass around the vacant and foreclosed houses. Something had changed this time around. This time the neighborhood leaders developed their own plan. They picked up all the trash along her route, and the tall overbearing grass and weeds were trimmed at all the vacant structures. Many of these structures were vacant eight years ago.

Why did they do this? Their first reason was so that Ms. McLin would have to focus on the real problems, such as boarded up vacant houses and not a piece of flying plastic debris. These are the same homes that have been deteriorating since she was elected back in 2002, and are the same properties that have been previously brought to her attention. The second and most powerful reason was that this neighborhood has realized that they can no longer depend on our city government for help. They took it upon themselves to assume responsibility for a cleaner, better neighborhood. Those that partook in the clean up feel great about what they did. This is empowerment. When I am Mayor I will have regular meetings with leaders from the neighborhoods, churches and non-profit sectors. Together we can assess the needs of the community, develop the programs and resources that are needed to empower citizens of Dayton. I will actively support and promote programs that emphasize property ownership, fiscal responsibility, job training and entrepreneurship. Things that promote future leadership.

While Ms. McLin was focusing on the vacant structures that she should have noticed in past years, I was able to focus on talking with the residents of the neighborhood who are not impressed with the faux pas of the previous eight years.

Kudos go to neighborhood leader, Leslie Sheward and her volunteers in Twin Towers. Lets get ready to teach more neighborhoods how to do this!

Neighborhoods U.S.A.

2009-05-28T12:49:00.000-04:00

Here is a group of people that attended the NUSA conference in Spokane, Washington last week. Most are involved in the City of Dayton's Priority Board system. The group contains two city of Dayton staff from the Division of Citizen Participation, one former city employee, three Priority Board Chairpersons, a Vice Chairperson (and member of the Dayton Public School Board) and four Priority Board members from those boards that did not send a Chairperson or who were involved in the NUSA organization. One of whom is a primary school principle in Dayton.

The NUSA Conference brought over 400 people together from different cities around the US. There were even representatives from Canada and Japan in attendance. These people share ways that they strive to improve their communities in their own cities. Spokane has a thriving downtown complete with a mall, many restaurants and food sellers, a drug store, multi-level parking, hair salons, antique stores, a Macy's, lots of filled office space and a well utilized and maintained recreational park in the heart of the city.
Several of us from this group of neighborhood leaders had many discussions about how to improve Dayton's neighborhoods and make a downtown environment like that in Spokane. We all agree that citizen involvement in local government is a key factor as well as having effective, open communication channels with our residents and business owners.
I can tell that there's a lot of potential for our city in these leaders if they could just cut through the red tape at City Hall.

Mark Your Calendars!

2009-04-16T15:12:00.000-04:00

Mark Tuesday November 3, 2009 on your calendar. Do it now and don't forget. This is election day. This is the day YOU get to go to the polls and decide whether YOU like things the way they are in Dayton or if you feel it is time to think beyond the box.

Don't think you can vote? Did you know that Ohio is one of 13 states, plus the District of Columbia, that allows ex-felons to regain voting rights once released from prison?

Do you want to know how to register to vote right now? Go to the Montgomery County Board of Elections registration site and fill out the information, print up the form. Sign it and mail it in. Don't wait. Do it today. Your future depends on it!

I'm No Superhero But I Play One on You Tube!

2009-04-10T10:45:00.000-04:00

I had an interesting day yesterday. I agreed to spend an afternoon with realtor Sarah Stanton driving around west Dayton to see some of the real estate problems on that side of town. Sarah is passionate about the west side and is committed to the real estate market there when others are trying to sell McMansions in the suburbs. Sarah knows the people and the culture. Many friendly people waved at us as we drove by. Ironically she is from England and her birthday is one day before mine!

While touring she took three short videos. The second one was interesting. We pulled into the parking lot of the Westside Supermarket at the same time as a parked car with two children in the back seat lost control and began to coast down the parking lot towards Germantown St.. Reacting quickly, two women from the store and I ran to the car and managed to stop it before it was about to roll down Germantown in the wrong lane. The event ended happily and the owner of the car was able to park it safely.

Sarah has done a number of You Tube videos. This one is really cool!

An Open Invitation

2009-04-08T00:27:00.000-04:00

Gary Leitzell
For Dayton Mayor
Ready. Willing. Able.

You are respectfully invited to a Pancake Breakfast and Open House at
“This Old Crack House.”

Enjoy homemade pancakes with delectable toppings.
View before/after photos of “This Old Crack House.”

Suggested Donation: $5.00 per person
All proceeds and donations will go to “Friends of Gary Leitzell.”

Please RSVP or there won’t be enough pancakes for you!
(937) 253-1359 or Gary@daytonmayor.org

Where: 114 Volkenand Ave., Dayton, OH 45410
(Across the street from Wayne Ave. Family Video)
Time: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Date: Saturday April 25, 2009

www.daytonmayor.org

Paid for by Friends of Gary Leitzell
Dan Kennedy, treasurer, 525 Heiss Ave. Dayton, OH 45405

Ask and You Shall Receive!

2009-03-28T21:00:00.000-04:00

Being Branded

2009-03-18T23:04:00.001-04:00

This weeks Dayton Weekly News published the above article. The Dayton Weekly News is a weekly African-American newspaper published locally. The writer did not contact me regarding the story and got the photograph of me from the Dayton Daily News. For the record, my five year old daughter took the photograph in December 2008 so that the Dayton Daily News had a photograph of me for the story that they ran that month announcing my intention to run for Mayor.
I spoke with the editor of the Dayton Weekly News today. I informed him that I am an independent candidate in a non-partisan, local mayoral race that has been endorsed by the Republican party. His paper's labelling me as being a Republican candidate is wrong and should be corrected. He assured me he would make a correction. I also gave him my contact information should his staff wish to contact me in the future.
I have nothing against Republicans. I have nothing against Democrats. I am very centralist in my views and to be branded as being for either party would be wrong information. I am about being fair to all of the citizens of Dayton, regardless of their party affiliation. I can only hope that I will be treated fairly in the months ahead.

Making The Grade.

2009-03-10T22:38:00.000-04:00

The Montgomery County Board of Elections has counted all the signatures on the petitions that were submitted before the Friday March 6th deadline of 4:00 PM from all potential candidates for mayor and city commission. The results were surprising to say the least. I won't go into details because you can read about the information in the Dayton Daily News. The only commissioner challenger to qualify was David Esrati who hosts a politically oriented blog. He has kindly posted links to the official results which I looked at and analyzed a little.

If you looked at the results, I want you to consider only those people who qualified to be on the ballot. Then I want you to consider which candidates demonstrated organizational skills that would allude to them being effective and efficient under pressure. The following shows the name of the candidate. Their status. The number of valid signatures / number of total signatures. % valid of the total.

Rhine McLin (Mayor) 667/991 (67.3%)
Gary Leitzell (Candidate for Mayor) 613/753 (81.4%)
Joey Williams (Commissioner) 635/1032 (61.3%)
Nan Whaley (Commissioner) 661/975 (67.8%)
David Esrati (Candidate for Commissioner) 514/642 (80.0%)

I explained in an earlier post how quality is important and effective, efficient methods are critical under the restriction of time, cold weather and getting to the people who count. This is one of those scenarios where the concept of "Less is More" applies. It is obvious to me from these results which two candidates understood the task at hand and worked most effectively to achieve their goal of getting 500 valid signatures on their petitions. Effective efficient leadership is absolutely imperative in the days ahead. Dayton is a quality town. It needs quality, creative people at the helm.

Before I forget, I would like to thank the few quality people who helped me get on the ballot and in advance all of you who will support my candidacy. Thank you.

The Republican Party Endorsement

2009-03-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I recieved a phone call from the Montgomery County Republican Party. The chairman, Mr. Gregory Gantt wanted to meet me. I met him at a local coffee shop and we exchanged stories for an hour. He asked me how I would feel about being endorsed by the Republican Party. I stated that I don't have a problem with it since they had come to me but he may want to wait to see who gets on the ballot. Their endorsement doesn't make me a Republican candidate in our Democratic town. I am an independent candidate in a non-partisan mayor election.

The day I turned my petitions in they wanted to meet with me again. They checked my paperwork for me and basically told me I was their guy. They wanted to help me get elected and would rally the business community behind me.

I have to see the bigger picture. This endorsement does many things. It gives a shimmer of hope to the regions business owners who feel left out while at the same time connects me with them directly. A connection that I need if I am going to win this election. I am willing to listen to all ideas. That includes both Republican and Democratic ideas. We all have to think way outside the box if we want to get things done in Dayton. This strategic alliance also helps to level the playing field by giving me access to the same information our current mayor has and most importantly it tells her I am very serious about what I am doing.

More About The Petition Process

2009-03-05T23:26:00.000-05:00

I turned my petitions in this afternoon to the board of elections. I ended up with 753 signatures. I need 500 registered voters residing in Dayton in order to be on the ballot. I personally collected 680 signatures. Over 500 were acquired by going door to door. This is time consuming but ensures quality. It turns out that the City of Dayton and the City of Oakwood require the use of their own special petition forms. All other municipalities use a standard form. The forms have to be filled in with specific wording but the Board of elections is not permitted to tell you the exact wording. It is up to the city of Dayton's legal department to determine what that is should it be questioned. For anyone interested in local government, this is a red flag that confirms the perception that our city administration is trapped in a 50 year paradigm. The election process for the city of Dayton is not designed to be easy. The fact that you need 500 signatures in itself acts as a screening process. I am not opposed to having to acquire a large number of signatures. I knew what I was up against there. I shouldn't need a law degree or a friend in the city commission in order to fill out the basic part of the form though. It appears that I did everything properly. I will know in a few days. There is a filing fee of $45.00. I don't know if they tell potential candidates this. I assumed there would be some fee. There are some other filing fees that need to be paid regarding campaign financing. It looks like I am going to have to solicit some funding very soon because I need name recognition. I have some but it is minor. I am trying to be creative and don't want to be wasteful. If anyone has any ideas that don't involve me getting arrested or "not having sex with that woman" I am all ears!

The Petition Process

2009-02-23T23:59:00.000-05:00

I am providing this information for those of you who have the ambition to run for public office some day. It may be useful to you.

This has been an interesting process. In order to get on the ballot to be a candidate for either Mayor or Commissioner here in Dayton, you need to circulate a nominating petition and acquire 500 signatures from registered voters residing in the city. I picked up my petition forms back in April 2008. Almost a full year before the process would begin. I was informed that the layout of the forms could change if the city commission decided to do so but this would require a change in the city charter. Four changes to the city charter were announced and on the November 2008 ballot. None affected the petition forms. I started getting signatures in October 2008. I knew exactly what it was going to take to get 500 valid signatures. I wanted to get my petitions turned in early but as time went on, I realized that there is no good reason to do so. I will explain this later.

I started the obvious way. I went to public events and asked people to sign. Public events included the South Park Jazz festival and numerous neighborhood association meetings. Getting people to sign is no problem. Finding registered voters who reside in the city is. At neighborhood meetings I could sit for two hours and get anywhere from two to twenty two signatures. By December I realized that it was time to go knocking on doors. I had voter registration lists for my neighborhood that show me when people last voted. It also shows party affiliation. Since I am an undeclared, independent candidate these affiliations have no effect for me.

I am a strategic thinker. My goal is to get 500 signatures with the least amount of rejection and make the most effective use of my very limited time. For the bulk of my signatures I walked the streets of my neighborhood where I am the president of the neighborhood association. I help produce a monthly newsletter which is distributed to just about every resident in the neighborhood. I have done this for six years. Since I have been the president of the neighborhood association for five of those years, my name appears as such in the newsletter. By walking my own neighborhood, I was able to greet residents with the following;

"Hello. I'm Gary Leitzell, the president of the neighborhood association. I'm collecting signatures from registered voters because I am running for mayor this year and the process involves coming out on warm days in January to get signatures from 500 registered voters so that I can be on the ballot in May." In 26 degree weather this generally got a chuckle.

Even when it is getting dark outside and people stand guarded in their doorway wondering who I am, as soon as I mention that I am the president of the neighborhood association their shields drop. I am also able to find out if newsletters are being delivered or if there are any problems in a particular block. I have had very few people refuse to sign my petition. Those that have refused were people who don't sign any petitions or were staunch Republican voters who were waiting for their candidate to come knocking on their door to get their blessing which still hasn't happened. Out of the 700 or so people I have met maybe 15 have refused to sign. Five were of the Republican variety. Only three of the people I have met told me that they were going to vote for Rhine McLin. Two of these same people signed my petition. You will be surprised at all the stories you will learn about the other candidates!

When you go door to door with the voters lists, the quality of the signature is almost guaranteed. This said, I have to assume that at least 10% of my signatures will not be validated by the board of elections. Since all signatures have to be turned in in a single package (according to the city charter) and no petition sheets can be returned to a candidate (contradicting what it states on the petition form) there is no incentive to turn them in early and every reason why you should persist at getting as many signatures as possible until the deadline date. As of this date I have well over 600 signatures and should be able to get another 100 or more quality signatures by the deadline date.

You have to plan this process out. With a five year old daughter I have limited time to dedicate to collecting signatures. It is more limited in cold or inclement weather. The best time to be out is between 5:00 and 7:00 PM or on Sundays. You will average around 10 signatures an hour. You will be surprised at how many people aren't home and more surprised at how many empty houses there are at the moment. On warm days my daughter comes with me but she will tire out long before I ever do so I am sure to be close to home when I take her with me. If I had to do this over again, I would have pounded the streets in October and November when the weather was warm and hit the neighborhood associations when it was colder. I did ask some people to help me but unless they have a vested interest in the outcome you must not expect miracles. You have to realize that they may have a tougher time than you will because if people don't know who you are, they aren't going to know who your friends are. I'm looking forward to getting done with this phase of the process so I can get back to working on the house!

A Question and an Answer.

2009-02-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

I believe in communicating with our citizens after all I am one of them. I received an interesting question from a citizen yesterday. I don't think it falls within the parameters of what a mayor is supposed to deal with but I can answer the question and so maybe it does. I want to answer it because I feel that if you are passionate about an issue and are willing to pursue your passion then my job would be to put you in front of those people who I know could help you deal with that issue/problem/item. Realize though that others may not agree with you. All I can do is try to give people a fair opportunity to present their cause to the appropriate audience. Here is the question;

DEAR MR.LEITZELL

WHAT CAN BE DONE OF THE CORNER OF WAYNE AND WILMINGTON WITH OF THE 6 FOOT DEEP STEEL RTA POLES WHICH KILL PEOPLE FOR ONE THE POLE MY BROTHER MARK WAS KILLED AT IN 1998 IS STILL THERE BENT NEVER PAINTED THESE POLES ARE LEGALLY TOO CLOSE TO THE STREETS. IT IS LIKE DRIVING A GAUNTLETT WITH TRUCKS AND STEEL POLES WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT THIS?

My answer is as follows;

This is the first time that I have heard that this was a problem, though I know that the city declares this intersection to be one of the most dangerous in the city. The intersection at Wayne and Wilmington is going to be expanded this year. The city got funding from the state of Ohio for the project and my neighborhood association initiated public input meetings three years ago so they had enough time to react to all the problems associated with the project that many people still feel is unnecessary. Those affected by the project have had plenty of time to negotiate with the city and my understanding is that most are content with the result. I expect the poles will be moved. They may end up being placed near the road again though. I don't know what the distance has to be in order to be "legal" by the city code. If you are concerned then you can contact the city engineer in charge of the project and explain your case. I don't have his name or phone number but you can call the Southeast Priority Board co-coordinator, Connie Nisonger at 333-7380 and get that information. If you are disappointed with what you are told then you can contact me again and I will get you to state your case to the Walnut Hills Association. If the members agree with your opinion I can solicit public support for your case and help from that angle. Our neighborhood association can influence the outcome and ensure that the city follows its own codes.

This may not be the answer that our citizen wants to hear because it requires their participation but it is really what I can do under the circumstances because the development is occurring this year. The power of individual citizens in this city is greater than city hall would have you believe. The power of neighborhood associations is greater than they would have you believe, too. These are two things I know that I can help with. If we empower our neighborhoods and our citizens with the knowledge they need to improve where they live then we create desirable places to live and we give citizens the power with which to hold their civil servants accountable for what they do.

The Prologue

2008-12-21T14:16:00.000-05:00

That's right everybody. I am going to run for Mayor. I threatened to do it four years ago and wish I had because things don't appear to have changed that much in Dayton in the last four years. They certainly don't appear to have changed for the better. Some things are better but many things are worse. In order to run for this elected position in Dayton, you need to acquire some 500 signatures from registered voters living in the city. In reality, it means you need about 700 signatures just to be safe because some people that sign may not actually be registered within city limits.

During this process I have been asked a few questions. So I am listing them below with answers so that you have a better understanding of what I stand for.

What political party are you with? - None. I am independent and I want to stay that way. I am very centralist. Economically conservative and socially liberal. I match about 80% of the population. I vote for both republican candidates and democratic ones. I vote for the person that I feel is best suited for the task at hand not the one who advertises the most or rakes in the most campaign contributions. I am not a politician but more of a problem solver. By being independent, I don't have to tow the party line and can do what I feel is right and fair for the customers (residents) of the City. I can listen to all ideas not just party ideas.

Why am I doing this? - Someone has to do the job. I feel that I am the perfect candidate. I don't work for an employer that is affiliated with a political party so I have no pressure steering me at work. I can do almost anything I please besides run for mayor. I have many talents and much entrepreneurial experience. I am not a lawyer or a developer with ulterior motives. My only motivation is to create a better Dayton for my 5 year old daughter to experience as she grows up. I'm not wanting a political career and don't plan on running again in four more years unless the voters want me to.

What experience do you have? - Besides that of a very rich and fulfilling life, I held several sales and sales management positions in my early adulthood. I was in retail management with Gimbels department store in Pittsburgh in the early 1980s before they closed their doors forever. I was a store manager for Lane Bryant also. I spent seven years in sales and management in the life and casualty insurance business and when I finally tired of that I spent almost two years working with an auction company where I learned the true value of "stuff".
I have been a member of the South East Priority Board since 1999. In 2008, I was elected by the board to be the chairperson. I have been the president of the Walnut Hills Association for five years. This is the neighborhood association in the Walnut Hills neighborhood. Many of our achievements are documented on our web site Walnut Hills Online. As a community we have done many things that have involved "thinking outside the box" and reinventing how we envision what we do.

Why should I vote for you? - Because I care and because I don't quit projects that appear to be overwhelming. I am not afraid to attempt new things and I am not afraid to fail at new things. Without failing we don't gain knowledge. Without knowledge we can't improve. I am certainly not wasteful and I am extremely creative. I also have an ability to motivate others to achieve more.

Why don't you run for commission instead of Mayor? - Easy. Besides the fact that I stand a good chance of winning the seat, I honestly believe that every single one of our commissioners has the potential to appear to do more and be more passionate about what the do and why they do it. However, there is no one encouraging them to do so. They are all members of the democratic party and I don't think they want to outshine our current mayor who is a very active and influential member of the same party. Our elected leaders don't lead because the person at the helm isn't pushing them to. It appears that none of them are being groomed to be successors. Leaders and heads of businesses are always grooming people to replace them. I don't see it being done in our city government and feel that it is time to encourage the concept. It creates better leaders because it creates competition. As mayor I can lead others to lead. As commissioner, I would be expected to follow the lead of others. Others that aren't leading.

What do you have against Rhine McClin? - Nothing. She is a sweet lady with much character. She is intelligent and a good legislator. However, I don't feel she is the leader and motivator that Dayton needs at this very moment in time. A leader is someone who takes people from where they are, to places they have never been before. After 7 years of being in office, I just don't see it happening in the next 5 years if she is re-elected.

What do you think we need to do to turn Dayton around? - There are many things we can all do. We are all in this boat together. We all need to assume responsibility for where we live and we all need to do our part to create the Dayton we want. The first thing we all need to start doing is change the way we think about what we are doing here and why we do it. We need to instill pride in all our residents and all the employees of the city and we need to sell that pride to our neighboring communities. It doesn't cost money to change how we feel about where we live. If we believe that we are working towards a greater Dayton we will create a greater Dayton and people and businesses will want to come here. If we change the way we think about what we do and become progressive in our thoughts we will attract progressive people and businesses.

If we can't get big business to come to Dayton then we should invite small business and lots of it. If we can't create a thousand jobs for people then we need to encourage a thousand people to create jobs for themselves. In 5 years some of those businesses will be thriving and we will have generated 5000 jobs. We need to encourage inventors and technology businesses to start up here. We should also spearhead anything involving recycling. Again, progressive thinking will attract progressive people.

We need to create desirable neighborhoods. Our city government can't create desirable neighborhoods. There are over 60 in total and they wouldn't know where to start. So we start by empowering all of our neighborhoods to empower themselves. We share with them the tools and techniques that create communities. Once again, this does not cost any more money than we already spend on salaries. We already have the "Division of Community Development" in place at City Hall. All we have to do is change the way they think about what their function as a department really is. Out of this at least ten neighborhoods will rise to the top with many more riding the wave that they create. Designed by their own residents, not city government. As neighborhoods become more desirable, they lift less desirable neighborhoods around them. If Dayton is the "Gem City" it certainly needs some jewels in it's crown. We currently have some peat, lots of coal, a few garnets and a topaz or two. No diamonds, rubies, emeralds or sapphires. If we encourage the topaz or garnets to become diamonds and emeralds, some of the coal will become garnets and topaz. Some will become rubies and sapphires.

The City has no money. Income from taxes and fees is at an all time low because responsible residents are leaving. One of the first things we can do is discuss ways that this city can generate income without taxing it's residents or imposing more fees to our water bills. If we can't squeeze any more out of our residents, there is only one thing left to do. Go make some of our own. We need to entice people from the region to visit and spend money here and we need to offer incentives for our loyal residents to remain. We need to become a revenue generator and not a revenue consumer. The city has always provided services. The quality of many of those services is at an all time low. People aren't willing to pay any more for bad service. We need to improve the services we currently offer and come up with some new ones that people would gladly subscribe to. It won't cost more money to become more effective or more efficient. It won't cost money to instill pride in our city employees. Our city needs to become proactive instead of reactive. This improves efficiency and effectiveness.

The City and the Dayton Public School District need to work in unison to attract educated, responsible people to live within the boundaries of the city and the school district. This should be their joint mission. The two should work hand in hand at making our designated community schools work and become centers for the community. Community centers help create desirable neighborhoods.

Finally we all need to be willing to share ideas and allow those who implement them to get the credit. If we keep things secreted with the knowledge that we will never do anything with the idea ourselves then we are robbing society of the knowledge of a better way. Remember the old saying, ideas are a dime a dozen? The real challenge is getting the team together to take the idea and make it happen. We need to share ideas and become part of the team.

I want to contribute to your campaign. What do I do? - I don't want campaign contributions. That's right. You heard correctly. I don't want money to invest in a political campaign. If I don't get elected, the money is wasted on advertising that ends up in a landfill. If I do get elected, all the campaign signs and newsprint advertising gets thrown away and winds up in the same place! Like I said earlier, I am not wasteful. I may design some posters, signs or stickers that people can print for themselves and put up if they wish to support me but I really don't believe in spending hard earned money for a political campaign when it could be put to much better use. What I would like to do is establish a "Dayton Neighborhood Initiatives Fund". The board of directors being elected by each of the seven Priority Boards. The money will be used to empower the 60+ Dayton neighborhoods to empower themselves. If you regularly contribute to a mayoral campaign fund you should seriously consider this as the ultimate best use of your money. It won't be used to get your candidate elected. It will be used to help Dayton's neighborhoods improve themselves. The money will be there regardless of who gets elected. Your money will actually be helping to solve some of our city's problems. Which is where it needs to go. If this doesn't appeal to you then donate to your own neighborhood association. Very soon I will list how to donate to this fund. I may have to utilize my neighborhood association as a pass through to get things rolling but I need to be sure I can do this and that the members will permit it.