Tagged: John Cranley

Over the past few weeks, the fight in the Cincinnati mayor’s race has been about the streetcar.

Roxanne Qualls for it; John Cranley against it.

This week, it is about parking meters and whether they should be leased to a private company, an issue that is going to be decided by Cincinnati City Council in the next few weeks.

Once again, Qualls for it; Cranley against it.

Don’t worry, the streetcar debate will come back. That debate is likely to go on all year, right up to election day.

You had to know that this $110 million streetcar project was going to run straight down the middle of this year’s Cincinnati mayor’s race.

One candidate, Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, has been an ardent supporter. The other major candidate, John Cranley, has been a vocal opponent.

At the moment, though, the streetcar appears to have jumped the tracks.

On the same day, mayoral candidate John Cranley proposed a debate soon over the issue of privatizing parking meters, his opponent, Vice Mayor Roxanne Qualls, proposed a series of five post-primary debates - after council has acted on the parking issue.

Cranley, a former city council member, opposes the plan - which has yet to be formally introduced in Cincinnati City Council - while Qualls is a supporter.