BY ROBERT SANCHEZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cleves residents will decide whether to dissolve their 180-year-old village on the November ballot.
And both sides are heralding the development as a victory.
Cleves Village Council unanimously voted Wednesday to place an issue on the ballot that could put an end to the village government. The vote came after the Hamilton County Board of Elections validated 519 of 542 signatures on petitions circulated by a group that supports joining Miami Township. Only 256 valid signatures were needed.
People who favor dissolving the village say that current services could be better and more efficiently supplied by Miami Township. Also, taxes would be lowered, they think.
The approval came months after a grass-roots effort began to eliminate the local government. Proponents of dissolving the village said the council's vote was a testimony to their work.
"People think they can't fight city hall, but we've proven that you can," said Jeff Wullenweber, co-chair of Team EFFECT (Ensuring the Financial Future and Enhancing Cleves for Tomorrow). "A lot of people would give their left arms to be in this situation.
"We're going to get to see if we should stay on the same track we're on now. It's everyone's win."
But if voters approve dissolving the village government, it could open other villages to attack, said Ron Bowling, leader of Save a Village Environment.
If people do not like the way the village has been governed, Mr. Bowling said, village officials should be voted out of office and new officials elected.
Still, he likes the council's decision.
"If we get this issue to a vote, then we have a chance to nip it in the bud before it gets any bigger," said Mr. Bowling, a 38-year resident of Cleves. "We don't want to see this coming back next year."
