Candidate Profile: Neil Kelly
Most people that are active within Cincinnati’s political scene are familiar with Neil Kelly, a transit and disability rights advocate. Advocating for transit and disability rights is important to Neil because has been paralyzed since birth and uses a wheelchair to get around. In 2018, The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote an article about how drivers in SUVs kept hitting him as he crossed the street. In total, Neil has been hit by three separate vehicles while using crosswalks to cross the street. This week, Neil is announcing that he is running for Deer Park City Council. Deer Park is a small city located in eastern Hamilton County that has a population of approximately 5,500 residents. “I moved to Deer Park because of the bus line and because the neighborhood is affordable,” Neil told me.
Deer Park City Council Candidate, Neil Kelly.
Neil is originally from Symmes Township where he graduated from Sycamore High School. He went on to obtain Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Mount St. Joseph University and then a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Northern Kentucky University. He moved to Deer Park in 2017 and his home is located right on the bus line. Due to his disability, Neil is a strong advocate for public transportation and worked hard to pass Issue 7, a recent levy that expanded Metro bus routes and infrastructure repairs across Hamilton County. In terms of employment and volunteering, Neil has a plethora of experience in the political and non-profit sectors. He served as the Deputy Campaign manager for Micah Kamrass’ 2014 campaign for State Representative as well as a legislative intern for Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley. He worked as a Grant Manager at Community Matters, a non-profit that’s mission is to strengthen and improve the Lower Price Hill community. Currently, he volunteers on the Board of Directors for the Center for Independent Living Options and serves on the Advocacy Committee for the non-profit LADD, Inc. (Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled). He is also employed at Hamilton County Job and Family Services as an Eligibility Technician, assisting Hamilton County residents who apply for SNAP benefits. Lastly, Neil is an adjunct faculty member at Mount St. Joseph University where he regularly facilitates courses in public speaking.
After years of non-profit and political experience, Neil has finally decided to formally run for political office himself in the small community of Deer Park. “During the pandemic, our world really shrunk,” Neil said. “Within the past year, I spent a lot of time within Deer Park and met many interesting people and really fell in love with everything Deer Park has to offer.” Neil explained to me that he wants to serve the community of Deer Park in a positive way, focusing on solving infrastructure problems that all cities face. “Some of my top priorities if elected include updating many of the neighborhood streets by re-paving them and fixing potholes,” Neil said. “I’d also like to work with the fellow councilmembers and Mayor to expand pots of money to assist residents in fixing the sidewalks in front of their homes.”
Neil considers himself a Democrat, but the Deer Park City Council election is a field race that is non-partisan. “I am approaching this campaign in a very non-partisan way,” Neil told me. “There are non-partisan issues that need to be solved and there is no Democrat or Republican way to fix streets,” Neil continued. Due to his experience getting hit by cars and SUVs while using his wheelchair, Neil would definitely like to focus on pedestrian safety. “I’d love to continue to make Deer Park a walkable community for all of its residents,” Neil said. “In my opinion, a “walkable community” means it’s safe for bikers, walkers as well as people in wheelchairs,” Neil explained.
Neil told me that Democratic success in Deer Park has been so-so over the years. President Biden obtained about 50% of the vote in Deer Park and other Democrats like Denise Driehaus have done well there in her county wide races. Neil explained that nepotism is one issue that has been around in Deer Park for years. “There are certain groups of people who have been running Deer Park for decades and someone needs to be elected that has a difference range of experiences,” Neil said. “I believe I can bring a different view point to the table while also being collaborative.” At the age of just 31, Neil hopes that Deer Park residents will elect him to bring a fresh perspective to local government on November 2nd. If you’d like to learn more about Neil Kelly and his campaign for Deer Park City Council, you can visit his website here.
This post is a part of Cincinnati Delusion’s Candidate Profiles for the upcoming 2021 November election in Cincinnati and Hamilton County. You can read our previous candidate profiles below: