Seven candidates are now vying for one of six Covington City Council seats in the November 3, 2026, election, after three candidates withdrew from the race.
Last year, Covington voters decided to change its form of government from a City Manager to a City Council form of government. Covington will now have six legislative body members instead of four, who will serve on the legislative body with Mayor Ron Washington. Because fewer than 13 candidates filed nomination papers for this office, no primary election will be held in May.
I’m Covington’s former City Solicitor and City Manager. I’m now serving in my fifth year as City Administrator for the City of Dayton, Ky. I have announced my retirement as Dayton City Administrator at the end of this year, and I’m hopeful that I will be elected this fall to serve the residents and businesses of the City of Covington, starting in 2027.
My campaign platform primarily stands on four pillars:
Public safety is my biggest priority, but all four of these areas are interconnected. For example, the City must have a strong business environment that creates and maintains jobs in the City to fund City services, particularly public safety, i.e., the City’s police and fire/EMT departments.
In its 2026-27 Fiscal Year Budget, the City of Covington projected a $84 million annual budget. Of this amount, $46 million — nearly 60 percent of the City’s revenue – will be used to pay for its public safety services.
This funding obligation means that funding from the City’s two largest revenue generators – City payroll taxes ($29 million) and insurance premium fees ($13 million) – must be used to pay for these services. Think about that. Funding generated by the City’s two largest revenue sources all be used to pay for public safety services, plus another $1 million from other sources.
That also means that the City’s remaining revenue sources must be used for all other City services — from Public Works and Code Enforcement to Housing and Economic Development efforts.
That’s why the City must focus on its internal finances while promoting economic development and job growth externally in the City. The cost of services that the City of Covington provides to its citizens rarely goes down. Annual operating costs almost always increase because of inflation and other increases in costs, negotiated contracts with the city’s three public unions, and the need to offer competitive pay to attract and keep qualified employees.
Similarly, clean, safe, and connected neighborhoods help bring new residents to and keep existing residents in our City, encourage investment and reinvestment in our housing stock, and support our local businesses.
A key component to ensure our neighborhoods are safe and attractive is maintaining a strong Code Enforcement Department, which requires property owners to maintain their properties in safe and sanitary conditions and eliminates blighted conditions in these neighborhoods.
The final pillar is Covington’s public schools. As a graduate of this school system, this issue is important to me, but it also important to every resident and business in the City. Fortunately for me, when I attended Holmes High School in the mid- to late-1970s — from an academic standpoint (and athletically, too) — Holmes was competitive with other high schools in our community.
This education provided me with a strong foundation for my post-secondary education and future careers as a journalist, lawyer, business owner, and city manager. Unfortunately, today’s Covington public schools are a mere shadow of the schools I attended as a young man.
As a result, Covington has trouble attracting and keeping families with school-aged children in our City. My own family is a prime example of this. When our kids were ready for grade school, we moved to my wife’s hometown, Fort Thomas, which has an outstanding public school system. In my mind, a high-achieving, thriving public school district is what our City needs to attract more families and keep them in our community.
While the Covington Independent Public School District is a separate taxing district and autonomously operating entity from the City of Covington, school district and City officials must build a strong relationship to work closely together as partners to achieve improvements in our public schools. As an alumnus, I have continued to work closely with Covington’s public schools, including serving as a board member and secretary of the Tom Ellis Athletic Memorial (“TEAM”) Foundation, which supports student-athletes at Holmes.
The Covington Board of Education recently selected Cortnei Flucas as the new superintendent to lead the district following an extended community-engagement process leading up to that decision. I was on a citizen committee that interviewed Ms. Flucas and three other candidates vying for the job. Based on her interview and presentations she has made, I believe that Ms. Flucas has strong leadership skills, including an ability to create and articulate a strategic plan for CIPS, which can guide the school district toward meeting its ambitious goals.
The City of Covington, its City Council members, and City staff must do all they can do to partner with Covington’s public schools to make this dream a reality and make the City a welcoming place for families from all socio-economic backgrounds.
To learn about me and my vision for Covington, visit my campaign website at jayfossett.com.
Paid for by the Jay Fossett for Covington City Council Campaign