WHITEHALL, Ohio ( WCMH ) – When Whitehall Mayor Michael Bivens was first sworn in , he told his alma mater, Capital University, that he wanted to keep the progress of the city while maintaining the small-town charm. When Councilor Gerald Dixon joined Whitehall City Council, he said he wanted to fight against what he believed to be a corrupt government prioritizing progress over residents.
Now colleagues, the pair have not strayed from their original messaging. Bivens promotes a growing Whitehall. Dixon asserts the administration is of a one-track mind. Increasingly, they have made unfavorable comments toward the other in public, both during Council meetings and online.
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Bivens began the Dec. 17 Council meeting with comments, including several directed at Dixon. Dixon responded in a blog post “from the desk of Ward 1 Councilor Gerald Dixon” on Dec. 30.
See coverage of Bivens assuming office as Whitehall’s first Black mayor in the video player above.