Barney and Brown lay out priorities at Milford City Council candidates forum

Milford — Two candidates for Milford City Council used a community forum hosted by Igniting Connections and the League of Women Voters, Clermont County, to set priorities ahead of the Nov. 4 election.

Kathy Barney, an active volunteer and longtime poll worker, said she would bring listening and community-oriented planning to the council. "I believe running for Milford City Council is the next step," she told the audience, and asked for residents' support.

Barney said the council should improve how it communicates with residents and suggested auditing existing channels to make public information easier to find. "It would be time to have some kind of communications audit," she said, adding that residents should not have to "find out information" only by attending meetings in person.

Mike Brown, a former teacher and sales manager who described himself as energized by new development, said the city should accommodate growth while protecting affordability. "The key is to have affordable housing for them," Brown said, arguing Milford needs a mix of housing types as demand rises. He also described a local entrepreneur's interest in building a pickleball facility on a vacant lot near Cemetery Road as an example of new recreational uses under consideration. "I like to expand things or open things up, make things new," he said.

On how they would work with a seven-member council with differing views, both candidates emphasized listening and collaboration. Barney said she would do "a lot of listening, doing my homework" and serve on committees to balance resident concerns with group decision-making; Brown pointed to prior board service, including work with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, as preparation for collaborative governance.

Questions from the audience and Facebook viewers covered housing and development, preserving Milford’s small-town character, and downtown parking. Brown acknowledged weekend congestion downtown and said Friday and Saturday nights create pressure on available parking.

The forum was moderated by Teresa Herron of the League of Women Voters and organized by Igniting Connections; the event was broadcast on Facebook and will be available on the hosts' Facebook pages. Candidates were allotted three-minute opening statements and one-minute closing remarks under the forum rules.