Hamilton High School teacher, and Badin High School assistant football coach, Joel Lauer, was elected to a seat on Hamilton’s City Council
What do you love about living in Hamilton Ohio?
I feel that Hamilton has this unique pride that I have seen very few places in all my years. It has a strong sense of a hometown. The fact that it was at the point of decline it had reached and is now coming back strong is extremely impressive to me, and it’s almost unprecedented in our area.
I still have the relationships that I had from the time that I was 8 years old going through West Side Little League. No matter if somebody has left and then they come back, it’s like they never left, and that is something rare and unique to most cities. I like the fact that it has a small town atmosphere, and at this point in time, it has big city aspirations.
What background and experiences do you think will be helpful in your time on city council?
Being a head football coach at a high school and coaching in college has developed some leadership skills, it has developed some qualities in me that has allowed me to interact with a diverse group of people.
Being at Badin and hanging around many kids from Hamilton High, teaching and coaching at Hamilton High as well as coaching at Badin, has also made me more well-known. There’s not a neighborhood that I can’t go into in this town and be familiar with people. I grew up in a working class family, and I understand the blue collar aspect of this town.
What made you decide to run for city council?
I’ve always wanted to run. I’ve always wanted to be part of the leadership in this town in some aspect. I’ve been a part of the labor union for the teacher’s association, I’ve been a head football coach in this area, so I’ve always been drawn to some type of leadership position, so when my kids graduated from high school, they went in three different directions, I was beginning to consider getting on some boards and things like that.
Jeff Bowling said to me, if you’re going to do this, it’s time to get started. I never expected to win, but he told me to get started. Jeff Bowling was a major influence and a great friend, and I genuinely miss his guidance and had such a great respect for him as a friend. I’ll miss that since he has passed. I think he’d be happy to see how this turned out.
What particular changes or improvements are you looking forward to in Hamilton?
At this point in time, I think we’re headed in the right direction. I don’t think I am out to change a whole lot; I’m out to help continue to improve this town. There have been many improvements, and I just want to support that, just staying the course.
I also want to be a bridge between the communication gaps, where people may not fully understand or be willing to accept some of the changes that have occurred. To help them have a better understanding. I want to continue to support and be a part of the direction that we’re headed. Being that I’m familiar with the many diverse areas of this down, I think that I can facilitate that.
Anything else you’d like to say to the people of Hamilton?
It’s humbling that when I got elected, I got such a great response from the citizens of this town, and it’s my honor to represent what they want for the future of this town.