CINCINNATI -- What will Yvette Simpson do now?
The election for Cincinnati mayor is over. It's time for Simpson to choose her next pursuit.
When the new Cincinnati City Council takes office in January, Simpson, 39, will be an ordinary citizen watching from the outside. However, she has no plans to ride off into the sunset.
“I think my voice is very, very important — being an advocate for individuals who need us most - and however that comes about, whether that's in the private sector, whether that's in nonprofit or that's in public service,” the two-term council member said after losing her bid to unseat Mayor John Cranley.
What form that will take isn't clear just yet. After six years on city council, is running for a higher office a possibility?
"I'm not sure politics is something I'm going to get into right away,” Simpson said Wednesday. “I really want to make an impact on the community, so I've got a lot to think about.”
Simpson vows to carefully watch what happens at City Hall.
“What people value about me is my spirit, my compassion, the fact that I am tenacious in support of issues that matter. I'm fearless in many ways,” Simpson said, “and if I can make people's lives better with all of those gifts, I'm going to do that.”
Now that Cranley has been given a second four-year term, his agenda begins with help for the less fortunate.
“What I think would be most inspiring is if we could build a permanent infrastructure — generational effort— to reduce poverty,” Cranley said on the day after his victory.
But, there are other pressing issues, too, such as getting the housing court going again and finishing the Metropolitan Sewer District deal with the help of Ohio's general assembly.
Plus...
“Public transportation,” Cranley said. “There's a broad-based need to put together a transportation plan for county voters. Will that happen in 2018? Different date? Those are things we're going to be active in immediately.
The new council will be sworn in Jan. 2.
New members include Tamaya Dennard, Greg Landsman and Jeff Pastor.
