Erlanger residents are raising concerns about city leadership ahead of an upcoming mayoral election, with questions about transparency, traffic, and public safety emerging as repeated themes at a recent community forum.The issue s surfaced during a WCPO 9 "Let's Talk" community forum last week, where residents aired grievances about the direction of the city."I hate the hiccups, shall we say, of the last seven years," Erlanger resident Angie Ziegelmyer said.Traffic ranked among the top concerns for many attendees."Most of us are going, 'how are we going to move north or south in the next couple years," one resident said.WATCH: Erlanger residents raise concerns about transparency, traffic and public safety ahead of mayoral electionPublic safety spending also drew scrutiny."We're currently spending tons of money on parks, and it's beautiful. It's wonderful. But we, you know, we need our public safety," Lucy Riffle said.Residents also pushed for a sharper focus on roads and quality of life."We should just be focused more on the roads and the quality of life," Diana Niceley said.Niceley is challenging incumbent Mayor Jessica Fette in the upcoming mayoral race. She told WCPO 9 she would balance ongoing development and beautification efforts while increasing the focus on infrastructure."I think we just need to just concentrate on the parks a little at a time and then make sure we reevaluate our streets. Which our public works does a great job!" Niceley said.I attempted to reach Mayor Fette for comment via email and text message, and also visited City Hall in person seeking a response. Just before 4:30 p.m., Fette sent a statement by email.In that statement, Fette acknowledged a delay in responding before addressing the forum's concerns."I'm sorry that I haven't responded, but we have been dealing with a family crisis over the past several weeks, and it has been extraordinarily terrible over the last several days," Fette said.Fette also pushed back on the framing of the forum's concerns."Unfortunately, the news coverage, subsequent article, and questions presented to me raise concerns that my opponent's supporters were heavily represented at the forum and may have shaped the direction of the conversation. Many of these questions closely mirror her campaign talking points, which makes me question whether the discussion reflected the broader community's concerns," Fette said.On transparency, Fette defended her administration's record, pointing to a range of communication efforts launched during her tenure."During my administration, Erlanger became one of the first cities in our area to livestream City meetings on both Facebook and YouTube, giving residents the ability to watch their local government in real time or revisit meetings at their convenience," Fette said.Fette said the city also established a monthly email newsletter, doubled the number of printed newsletters mailed to residents and businesses each year, redesigned the city website, expanded social media presence across Facebook and Instagram, and recently added TikTok."We have also increased the number of public workshops and community engagement opportunities, particularly when discussing major park improvements, road projects, and other initiatives where resident feedback is important," Fette said."There will always be opportunities to improve communication, and I welcome that conversation. But when you look at the number of ways residents can now access information, watch their government operate, receive updates, and participate in the decision-making process, Erlanger is communicating with the public in more ways than ever before," Fette said.On traffic, Fette said the city uses radar speed signs to study traffic patterns and identify areas that would benefit from increased police patrols. She also pointed to a recent development on Dolwick Drive."As recently as today, the state approved a reduction in the speed limit on Dolwick Drive from 55 mph to 45 mph after the City advocated for the change on behalf of multiple business owners. Because Dolwick is a state-maintained road, that approval required coordination with the state," Fette said.Fette also addressed Dixie Highway, saying she led the effort to stop a reconfiguration plan proposed by KYTC District 6."After the City learned of the proposal by chance, I alerted the other affected cities and worked with them to urge KYTC to reconsider. Our advocacy prompted KYTC to pause the plan. I will continue advocating for road improvements that address safety while keeping traffic moving efficiently," Fette said.On public safety staffing, Fette acknowledged recruitment and retention challenges but said Erlanger has taken steps to address them, including consolidating the police and fire departments under a unified Department of Public Safety."Turnover within local government, particularly in police and fire services, is a challenge being felt across our entire region and throughout the country," Fette said. "In Erlanger, we have worked intentionally to create an environment where our police officers and firefighters want to come to work, build their careers, and stay long term."Fette said the city has also created opportunities for police officers to become cross-trained as EMTs and transitioned the Fire Department to a 24/72 work schedule."Recruitment and retention will continue to be challenges across the public safety profession, but Erlanger is committed to being proactive, creative, and competitive in addressing them," Fette said.Fette pushed back on suggestions that certain areas of the city have been neglected, citing park improvements at Misty Creek Park, Cahill Commons, Silverlake Park, Eons Adventure Park near the Cherry Hill subdivision and Sherbourne Park, as well as road, sidewalk, concrete and beautification projects throughout the city."There is not one section of the city that has been intentionally left behind. In fact, one of the things I am most proud of is how deliberately we have worked to spread improvements throughout our community rather than concentrating them in only one area," Fette said."I understand that residents may naturally focus on what is happening closest to their own neighborhood, but when you look at the city as a whole, the record shows continued investment across Erlanger. For that reason, I strongly disagree with the characterization that the City unevenly prioritizes certain areas over others," Fette said.Fette also pointed to a recent public workshop on a proposed sidewalk addition along Linwood Avenue as an example of the city responding to resident feedback."Several residents attended and expressed concerns about the proposal and made it clear that they did not want sidewalks added to their street. Based on that feedback, the sidewalk portion has been removed from the project at this time," Fette said."That is exactly why we hold public workshops and invite residents into the process. We are listening, we are paying attention, and when community feedback warrants a change in direction, we are willing to make that change," Fette said.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less