Covington might be changing how its local government is structured

Covington — one of Kentucky’s largest cities — might be changing how its local government is structured if its residents give the green light this November.

Over the summer, a group of local leaders called Covington Forward launched a petition to put something on the November ballot to make Covington run by a mayor and city council, rather than the current city manager system.

That effort appears successful, with the following question set to face voters: “Are you in favor of the proposal entitled petition for the City of Covington to adopt a Mayor-Council Plan, Yes or No?”

Basically, voting yes means let’s switch to the new form of government in Covington; voting no means, well, let’s not.

The question will only appear on ballots for folks in Covington. (Kenton County residents, you can check out what exactly will be on your ballot right here.)

Kentucky cities have three different governing structures: Mayor-council, city manager and commission. 

Covington’s current city manager government set-up includes four elected city commissioners and mayor, plus a city manager, who is selected by and overseen by the group. The city manager then handles the day-to-day running of the city. Only around 5% of Kentucky’s cities use this model, according to the Kentucky League of Cities.

A mayor-council situation is more widely used in Kentucky, with more than half of cities opting for this structure. It is similar to how things operate at the state level: Everyone is elected, with the mayor being like the governor and the council being the legislative branch. 

Changing the government’s structure would mean changing the power dynamic. The mayor would have more power, being able to veto stuff coming out of the council and having more say over some of the day-to-day affairs. 

“By adopting the mayor-council plan, Covington’s government will be more efficient and accountable to the city’s residents,” current Covington Mayor Joe Meyer, who supports the change, is quoted as saying on the group’s website.

In order to get the initiative on the November ballot, supporters needed to get at least 3,156 registered voters in the area to sign their petition. Those signatures also needed to withstand scrutiny from the local county clerk’s team, who is tasked with ensuring petition signatures are valid and everyone lives in the right area.

If ultimately passed, the change won’t take effect until the beginning of 2027.

Election Day is Nov. 5, and Kentucky offers a few days of no-excuse, in-person early voting before that, too. Kentuckians who will be 18 by Election Day have until Oct. 7 at 4 p.m. local time to register to vote. You can register to vote or update your current registration here.