West End Group Blasts Mayor, Family

A neighborhood group in an area that was once home to Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and his extended family recently issued a statement that accuses the Mallory clan of numerous conflicts of interest that affect their public service.

The West End Community Council (WECC) unanimously approved a statement July 15 that harshly criticizes the mayor for his successful efforts to have the neighborhood removed from a list of "impacted communities" where social service agencies potentially could be blocked from building new facilities or expanding existing ones.

Also, the document asks city council to reconsider its June decision and restore the West End to the list.

At city council’s last meeting before its summer break, on June 25, a revised version of a resolution first proposed in April was introduced and approved in an 8-1 vote. Councilman Cecil Thomas was the sole dissenter.

The resolution stated that the city should strive to avoid concentrating social service agencies and programming in neighborhoods deemed negatively impacted due to over-saturation.

Although the original version listed Over-the-Rhine and the West End as currently impacted neighborhoods, the West End was removed from the final version at the mayor’s insistence.

City council’s rules require that any item introduced on its agenda must be voted upon within 90 days; Mallory held the resolution for more than 80 days while behind-the-scenes negotiations continued.

In the proclamation approved two weeks ago by the WECC, the group states, “the mayor willfully and deliberately caused (the resolution) to have the West End removed as an impacted community due to his and his family’s financial, professional and political conflicts.”

The proclamation continues, “Mayor Mallory was widely quoted as saying that the West End had only one social service agency in the Society St. Vincent de Paul, when in fact there are well over 30 social service agencies in the West End.”

That statement refers to a quote that Mallory gave to CityBeat in April, when he said, “Would the West End be deemed to be oversaturated? There’s St. Vincent de Paul and not much else. It depends on the radius used.”

Referring to the fact that the Mallorys frequently refer to themselves as West End residents but spend most of their time at a second home elsewhere, the WECC’s proclamation states, “the mayor falsely claims to reside in the West End when he actually resides in Mount Airy.”

City council began mulling the new restrictions on social service agencies in April after the city lost a two-year long legal battle against the City Link Center, a proposed $12 million “social services mall” that some suburban churches want to build in the West End despite the objections of city council and many neighborhood residents.

Several nonprofit social services agencies opposed that the proposed changes, calling them too severe. They allege the changes would make social services a zoning issue, and that the wording in the changes is overly broad.

Under city council’s rules, a resolution is a general statement of policy but isn’t binding. To enforce the directive, council would have to pass an ordinance and make changes to Cincinnati’s zoning code.

The City Link project has driven a wedge between the Mallory family and many West End residents.

Project opponents believe City Link is being foisted on the West End in an effort to move social service agencies out of Over-the-Rhine as it’s eyed by developers who want to build more upscale projects centered around Washington Park and the Gateway Quarter on Vine Street.

In 2006 Dale Mallory — the mayor’s brother — was impeached as WECC president after it was revealed he was paid to secretly lobby on City Link’s behalf after he initially told the neighborhood group that he wasn’t connected to the project.

-- Kevin Osborne

Comments

[The Bodyguard]

The Mayor wants you all to know, he's getting pretty tired of having to defend his families corrupt activities, and he wants all of the criticism to stop right now. Political patronage is hard enough, without the a bunch of West End Taxpayers, constantly outing his family's sleazy, self serving activities. You know if the Mayor doesn't get re-elected my ass goes back to just being a cop. So just stop it!

[The Bodyguard]

Oh wait, I can retire on my fat pension based on the last three years of over payment for all that pointless overtime. Never mind, screw the Mallorys.

[citystink]

It's amazing how much the Mallorys are hated in the West End.
They ruled with an iron hand for 40 years. No one had the balls to challenge them. Their complete sell out to CityLink was too much and the West End booted Dale's slimey ass out of office.
Over the last 2 years, the sordid family secrets have hit Front Street, and the Mallory clan make believe the stories aren't true.

[just asking]

Do you have a copy of the WECC statement?
I heard its format was just like a City Council resolution.

[Obamaesque]

If the West End is so damn powerful how come Dale Mallory won his race for the Ohio House by 70%?

[The Bodyguard]

The reason would be, political corruption.

[MissFannie]

If the West End is so damn powerful how come Dale Mallory won his race for the Ohio House by 70%?

Obamaesque, wake up & pay attention. Dale's Daddy had to fork over some large bucks for those votes. It's the same as it was in the Mayor's race for 3M to ascend the Throne. Big Daddy Mallory had to cough up mucho dinero in Bond Hill & Roselawn. Other than that, the only other way the Mallorys can win in this burg is run unopposed like Judge Billy Jr. did.

The lights are on full & bright & the Mallory roaches are running!

[nilla300]

Dear Just Asking,
I managed to get a friend to email the WECC resolution. Here it is:

West End Community Council
Responds to
Resolution 41-2008
(Revised Resolution—CityLink)

WHEREAS, Mayor Mallory refused to place the Resolution 41-2008 (noted by Interim City Solicitor Patricia M. King as Subject: Revised Resolution—CityLink) on the Council agenda for over 80 days; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Mallory insisted the West End be deleted as an “impacted
community”; and

WHEREAS, Mayor Mallory was widely quoted as saying that the West End had only one social service agency in the Society St. Vincent de Paul, when in fact there are well over 30 social service agencies in the West End; and

WHEREAS, the Mayor's brother was impeached as West End Community Council President for having conflicts of interest and secretly being a paid CityLink proponent while the West End Community Council overwhelmingly opposed CityLink; and

WHEREAS the Mayor falsely claims to reside in the West End when he actually
resides in Mt. Airy; and

WHEREAS the Mayor and his family have numerous financial, professional and political ties to CityLink; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED that the West End Community Council:

Proclaims that the Mayor willfully and deliberately caused Resolution 41-2008 to have the West End removed as an impacted community due to his and his family’s financial, professional and political conflicts of interest.

The West End Community Council respectfully implores City Council and the City of Cincinnati to share the process and enroll the community in said process to acknowledge that the West End is an impacted community.

This Response was unanimously approved by the body of the West End Community Council on July 15, 2008.

[AnnaM]

No republican wins the 32nd seat.
The real election was the May 2006 primary that Eve Bolton lost by about a hundred votes.
That was before Dale's theft of WECC funds was known and before his CityLink EZ invoices were known.
Besides, she didn't do squat to campaign.
Miss Fannie's right, it's hard to win when 1/2 brother Joe's counting ballots at the BOE.
All the spawn of tom cattin Bill are all over the 32nd, fixin things their way.

[jonny swift]

Dear nilla300,
LOL!
Thank you.
That resolution's funnier than the New Yorker Obama cartoon.
The bodyguard's a hoot too.
The format and language is priceless.
The WECC "respectfully implores" council to consider them impacted. Now that's a "modest proposal" if I ever heard one.
Respectfully,
Jonathan Swift