SORTA Board: Next for Tarbell?

Turnabout is fair play, and the maxim looks like it's holding true when it comes to swapping positions between Jim Tarbell and Roxanne Qualls.

Tarbell is stepping down from Cincinnati City Council Sept. 3 due to term limits and arranged for Qualls — a former mayor — to finish his term to give her a leg up in this fall's elections. Now it appears that Tarbell is the frontrunner to assume Qualls' seat on the board that oversees Cincinnati's bus system, according to sources close to the deal.

Because Qualls is returning to city council, she must relinquish her seat on the board of trustees for the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA), which operates the Metro system. SORTA receives most of its budget from council, so holding both seats would be considered a conflict of interest. Qualls was one of the city’s appointees to SORTA, and Mayor Mark Mallory can select her replacement.

Qualls has lobbied for Tarbell to fill her spot on SORTA. and Mallory is leaning toward taking her advice, sources say. Any selection must be voted on by city council, which is scheduled to occur at the group’s Sept. 4 meeting — the same session when Qualls rejoins council.

For his part, Tarbell said he hasn’t been notified about possibly serving on the SORTA board but is interested in doing so.

“That would be good news,” he says. “Transportation issues are so critical to our city. I certainly would be supportive of that.”

Tarbell had hoped to campaign this fall for a spot on the Cincinnati Board of Education, but his last minute petition effort didn’t yield enough valid signatures to make it onto the ballot. Tarbell wanted to run as part of a slate that included former school board members Anne Power and Sally Warner, but all three fell 36 signatures short of the required amount.

Tarbell, who has served on council since 1998, is the former owner of Arnold’s Bar & Grill downtown and the Ludlow Garage in the Clifton Gaslight District. He has been active in arts and urban revitalization issues in recent years and been a strong advocate for building a downtown streetcar system.

— Kevin Osborne

Comments

[john Rosen]

best news ever

[Not the Mamma Cass!]

The finest example of logrolling since Charlie Luken appointed his father to SORTA.

[Howard Roark]

Little John Boy won't like that.

[David Gallaher]

Maybe Jim could get some buses fitted for playing music by Ma Crow, Katie Laur, a local jug band, etc.?
My neighbors here in the 'hood just love that kind of music.

Has anyone reading this taken a bus in Barbados? You have your choice of those that rock and those for quiet readers.