Mason City Council At the December organizational meeting of Mason City Council, four Council members elect were sworn in to serve a -year term. Members Ashley Chance and Diana Nelson will return to Council to serve a new term, Michael Gilb returns having served on Council previously from February – November and T.J. Honerlaw will serve his first term as a Council member. All four terms run through November , . Three or four Council members are elected at-large in odd-numbered years. The City’s charter calls for an organizational meeting on the first day of December in odd-numbered years. At that meeting, a mayor and vice mayor are selected by the Council members from among their members. In addition to duties as a Council member, the Mayor presides over Council meetings, acts as the ceremonial head of the City, and administers oaths. The Vice Mayor assumes these duties in the absence of the Mayor. Victor Kidd was named to another term as Mayor and Barbara Berry-Spaeth was also named to her second term as Vice Mayor.
Mayor Victor Kidd Mayor Victor Kidd returned to Council in a er a li le more than a -year absence. He was first elected in 2001 and was re-elected in . He served until early when he resigned to take a temporary position in Hawaii. Mayor Kidd’s term on Council ends November . Mayor Kidd was educated at Trevecca University in Religion/Philosophy and the University of Cincinnati in Judaic Studies. He opened Kidd Coffee in downtown Mason in and the franchise has now grown to five locations. 8 CenterPoint Spring 2018
Mason City Council: Mike Gilb, Kathy Grossman, T.J. Honerlaw, Vice-Mayor Barbara Berry-Spaeth, Mayor Victor Kidd, Diana K. Nelson, and Ashley Chance
“It is an honor and a pleasure to serve the citizens of Mason,” said Victor.
Vice Mayor Barbara Berry-Spaeth Vice Mayor Barbara Berry-Spaeth was re-elected in November to her second term on Council. She graduated from Mason High School in 1978 and went to Eastern Kentucky University for a Bachelor’s in Social Work. She holds a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Kentucky. She has been a caseworker at the Boys Group Home for the Christian Appalachian Project and a counselor at the YWCA Domestic Violence Center. During her years for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, she served in a variety of positions that included field coordinator for the Foster Care Review Board, victim’s advocate, and caseworker and special needs adoption specialist. Her work has put her in contact with volunteers, judges, a orneys, doctors, nurses, social workers, accountants, educators, blue collar workers, and others. “I appreciate the confidence given to me by the citizens of Mason,” she said. “I am honored and will work hard and do my best for all citizens. I will listen to you and ask that all citizens contact me with your concerns and questions.”
Councilmember Chance Councilmember Ashley Chance was appointed to Council on September , .
Ashley holds a Bachelor’s degree from Miami University. Professionally, Ashley’s entrepreneurial spirit has allowed him to spearhead the successful startup of three companies. He currently is a partner at two Mason based companies – Chance Development and Eco Development Group. Ashley is the Co-founder of A New Chance Foundation. A New Chance Foundation has been helping children who have disabilities live more independently by providing them with much-needed mobility equipment, minor home modifications, and therapies that are not covered by insurance. “I am very excited to be serving Mason, a community my family and I love. Mason has experienced dramatic change over years that has improved our quality of life. I look forward to building on that foundation to create an even be er future,” said Ashley Chance.
Councilmember Gilb Mike returns to Mason City Council having served previously from February – November . Mike also served three terms (six years from - ) at the Statehouse in Columbus. Mike served as a Mediator and Visiting Magistrate in Mason Municipal Court and as a Judge in Warren County Common Pleas Court.