Five candidates eye council spots

Mayor among those who have taken out petitions to run; deadline to submit paperwork is Aug. 4.

Five people have taken out petitions to run for Hamilton City Council, including Mayor Pat Moeller and two others now serving on council. Two challengers also have pulled petitions from the Butler County Board of Elections.

One of the challengers is Adam

Collins, 38, who said he is running, as he did four years ago, because of his dislike of former President Donald Trump.

“When I first did it, four years ago, it was because Donald Trump won the presidency, and it had me so (upset) and fired up that I felt I had to do something,” Collins said. “I had to get involved in some kind of community activity, progress, to try to push against

Adam Collins, 38, has taken out petitions to run for Hamilton City Council. what I saw as a threat to our democracy.”

If elected, he said, he would work to improve the lives of Hamilton’s underprivileged residents.

Also taking out petitions to run is Danny Ivers, 21. He ran two

Michael Ryan, a Hamilton native and council member for three years, to run again.

years ago. Ivers was the first to pull petitions to run, on Jan. 4.

So far, only Council Member Michael V. Ryan has turned in the petitions necessary to run, which he did Friday. Council Member Timothy F. Naab took out petitions Feb. 24.

The leader of city council is the mayor, although the mayor’s position is elected separately from the other members. Moeller took out petitions Thursday, and nobody so far has taken out paperwork to run against him.

Hamilton candidates, who run for four-year terms, have until Aug. 4 to turn in the required petitions that are signed by fellow city residents. Council members are paid $300 per year.

Candidates