A look at Gary Leitzell’s first 100 days

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Elizabeth Leitzell sits with her father, Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell, on a new 40-foot hybrid diesel RTA bus unveiled at the Wright Stop Transit Center.

Jim Witmer Elizabeth Leitzell sits with her father, Dayton Mayor Gary Leitzell, on a new 40-foot hybrid diesel RTA bus unveiled at the Wright Stop Transit Center.

Mayor’s goal: Turn  Dayton around

By Joanne Huist Smith, Staff Writer Updated 10:40 AM Monday, April 12, 2010

DAYTON — The initial 100 days of Gary Leitzell’s term has shown this about the Dayton mayor: He is not Rhine McLin.

Citizens often referred to former Mayor McLin as the face of Dayton. She filled that role by attending a multitude of events around the city.

Leitzell’s schedule is very tightly controlled and he makes clear on certain days that his time belongs to his 7-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who he home-schools.

“I’m out and about in the community. I’m being seen, but I say ‘no’ to a lot of events,” Leitzell said.

Elizabeth was at her dad’s side last week when the Greater Dayton Regional Transportation Authority unveiled its new hybrid buses. Leitzell declined to comment on the fuel-efficient vehicles saying “I’m under her watch today.”

The new mayor earned praise for making city commission agendas more transparent and he has kept a campaign promise to curtail the practice of pushing through legislation as emergency ordinances, which gave little time for public scrutiny.

Leitzell has a tendency to toss out suggestions, often with little advance study, such as making bus rides free or creating a virtual Dayton on the Second Life Web site, a 3-D world where people can learn about doing business in Dayton.

“I’m just saying we could use it as a tool to make Dayton more business-friendly,” Leitzell said.

Supporters who expected Leitzell, an entrepreneur, to have an immediate impact on jobs here, haven’t seen proof in the numbers.

The Dayton unemployment rate in February 2009 was 12.1 percent. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services data showed the rate at 13.5 percent in February 2010.

The mayor, who lives in southeast Dayton has been reaching out to owners of mom-and-pop businesses in West Dayton and says he even gets his hair cut in that area.

“I don’t feel my legacy is turning Dayton around with one big thing,” he said. “It’s connecting the dots.”

Video: Leitzell in his own words

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