The Martin Chronicles has reported that Councilman Jim Noll has been going door-to-door in the lead up to tomorrow's vote on the road tax fuzzing the facts about the purpose of this ballot initiative. He wants voters to believe they are simply voting to repeal the hated $40 sticker tax. In reality, he wants voters to approve a significant local tax hike on roughly 92% of Villa Hills households.
So who is Noll? Well, he was the top vote-getter in last year's council race. His most significant proposal to-date has been the hiring of a mediator to help council work out its disagreements.
Fellow council members say Noll describes himself as "a new wave of politician committed to civility". Sounds great. But civility simply for civility's sake is not leadership. Legitimate disagreement about issues of significance, like resistance to Mike Martin's winnowing down of the police department's manpower, is an integral part of the democratic process. The Soviet Politburo's meetings were shining examples of civility. They were not democracy however.
Noll has also been known to reposition himself at the council table when one of his colleagues is absent. His stated purpose? To get more "face time" in front of the television cameras during the meeting. Is that the action of a "new wave" of politician?
Civic Club members tell the story of Noll stopping in to collect a "to-go" adult beverage before heading to a council meeting and returning for a refill while the meeting was still in progress. Is that the action of a "new wave" of politician?
Rumors have been swirling around town about Noll's behavior to city employees for months. The Martin Chronicles confirmed that the city attorney has been investigating. This rumored conduct, and Mayor Martin's handling of it, will also likely be a key part of the special counsel's investigation and report.
The Martin Chronicles describes the preceding as standard behavior for the archetypal hack politician. No big surprise. We are far more bothered by Noll's deception about the road tax.
We'll know a lot more about the mindset of Villa Hills' voters in about 36 hours.
