Highland Heights Council President to Run for Mayor

Highland Heights Council President Scott Mills will run for mayor in the November election. The eight-year council veteran has served as council president for the past four years.

"Under current budget restraints and economic environment, local cities need real leadership focused on creating jobs and more effectively leveraging city resources while assuring a more responsible local government," Mills said.

Incumbent Mayor Scott Coleman has been mayor since 2004. By running against Coleman, Mills will be giving up a seat on council – all three at-large and four ward positions are also on the ballot this year. Council terms are for two years, while the mayor's term is four years.

Mills said his decision to run this year was based both on it being the right timing as  far as his eight years of experience goes and dissatisfaction with the current mayor.

He particularly objected to the mayor's agreement on a gas well lease, a contract he said Coleman had no authority to sign and which has been the subject of a legal battle that Mills said has cost the city almost $100,000.

Mills added that any profit the city can make from a lease wouldn't be worth the risks, particularly when hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," is done to break through rock.

"Fracking scares the living daylights out of me," he said.

In his campaign, Mills will emphasize the need to build a stronger tax base, infrastructure improvements, accountability and sustainable growth in property values through code enforcement.

"If someone doesn't take care of their property, we need to have the tough conversations. Because it affects us all," he said.

As for the city's tax base, he said more needs to be done in terms of economic development. Mills said Highland Heights Business Park is severely underdeveloped and said that there are also vacancies at Alpha Park, which he suggested might be filled by splitting into smaller spaces as was done at the FedEx property on Bishop Road.

Mills said the need for infrastructure improvements is evident by the failure of the Highland Road water main more than 10 times in recent years.

The part-time job of mayor pays $24,000 annually. Petition filing deadline is Aug. 10 for the non-partisan race.