Cincinnati Post, October 25, 2003: “In his first term on council, Pepper has established himself as a go-to player. [H]e has demonstrated a capacity for effective intervention at key moments. He's focused on the basics -- safety and economic development, in particular -- and is one of the best consensus-builders on council.”
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 26, 2003: Pepper “was one of council's most forceful and effective members during his first term. He has led the effort to streamline the development operations inside City Hall by co-sponsoring legislation to create an economic development panel to advise the city manager. That panel has recommended such things as a one-stop shop for developers to cut through red tape.”
Cincinnati Post, October 23, 2003: “Pepper [has] developed a reputation for finding consensus among his colleagues on a host of issues . . As a result, the current Council has yielded more unanimous votes on major issues than any of its predecessors in recent memory.”
Cincinnati Enquirer, September 1, 2003: Pepper “is the swing vote on a City Council otherwise split between liberals and conservatives, allowing him to steer the city's legislative agenda on issues from economic development to crime and safety. Rarely does an ordinance or resolution come to the floor for a vote unless it has his support.”
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 29, 2005: “Pepper has spent two terms on City Council developing a reputation as both a negotiator able to work with members from all parties and as a planner with meticulous attention to detail.” He brings a “combination of teamwork and detail - the sense of knowing exactly what it will take to get a program moving, and of understanding the full ramifications of a public action . . .”
Cincinnati Post, October 29, 2005: Pepper has “consistently been one of the most rational voices on City Council. . . . He has a record of getting things done on tough issues. He helped get the collaborative agreement off the ground. . . .He led a push to set aside money for targeted neighborhood programs to attack blight and known havens for criminal activity. . . . Pepper, a dyed-in-the-wool policy wonk, has produced detailed proposals on how he wants to address issues facing Cincinnati. . . [H]e has been working to build a governing coalition on Cincinnati City Council.”
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 15, 2006: Pepper “has the intelligence, the cooperative spirit and the constancy to successfully” lead Hamilton County . . . He is a “detail-oriented wonk with a demonstrated record of collaboration.” . . . “Pepper understands the benefit of working with people.”