Why Have I Been Quiet About Piqua?

Vol. IV, No. 79 - It''s Time To Answer The Question

The last few months have been a challenge when it came to this newsletter and probably not for the reason you might think.

There has been plenty to talk about in Piqua. Franchise ordinances. Building leases. Recall petitions. Referendum petitions. Questions about public process, accountability, leadership, and the direction of the community. There has been no shortage of activity at City Hall or in the broader civic conversation.

As they say, there has been plenty of grist for the mill.

Yet, if you have noticed, I have been conspicuously quiet about Piqua.

I think it is important to be transparent about why.

A few months ago, I applied to become Piqua’s next city manager. It was not a decision I made casually. Piqua has been an important part of my professional life, and it remains a community I care deeply about.

During my years working for the city, I had the opportunity to be involved in work that helped move Piqua forward. I was part of the effort to create the Piqua Government Academy from scratch, which gave residents a closer look at how their local government operates. I was also privileged to work on significant community projects, including the demolition of the former Piqua Memorial Medical Center and the renovation of Fort Piqua Plaza.

Those were really good years. They were years when Piqua was willing to take on difficult projects, pursue bigger ideas, and imagine possibilities beyond what had been done before. I was fortunate to have a role in that work and to learn from many people who cared deeply about the community, both inside and outside of the Municipal Government Complex.

When the city manager position became available, I believed my experience in both Bethel Township and Piqua, my years leading a local nonprofit, and my broader educational background in local government made it reasonable to put my name forward.

But once I applied, I also knew that the tone and tenor of this newsletter had to change.

Civic Capacity has built its reputation by being honest, forthright, and accessible. This publication exists to help residents better understand the decisions being made in their communities and to encourage them to take part in the process. That mission has not changed.

Still, I believed it would have been inappropriate to publicly announce my application while the selection process was underway. More importantly, I did not believe it would have been appropriate to continue offering regular commentary on Piqua’s city government while I was being considered for the job of leading it.

Discretion is the better part of valor.

That does not mean there was nothing worth discussing. There was. But in this case, restraint was the right choice—for the City Commission, for the other candidates, for the community, and for the integrity of this publication.

The process is still not complete, but at least for me, it is over.

I am grateful for the opportunity to interview with the City Commission. I will not share the details of that conversation, because those conversations should remain private. But I can say that it was a healthy, respectful, and worthwhile discussion.

And with this chapter closed, Civic Capacity can return to the full and robust coverage that its more than 2,500 subscribers have come to expect. I remain excited about this platform and its purpose. Local government decisions have real consequences. They affect taxes, public safety, infrastructure, development, neighborhoods, public trust, and the future residents believe is possible.

Civic Capacity will continue to examine those decisions, explain what they mean, and continue the conversation about what is happening in our communities.

As always, thanks for reading.

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