Pam Limes files petition for Hillsboro mayor's race

By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press

Longtime Hillsboro resident Pamela Limes has filed her 2015 campaign petitions for mayor of Hillsboro with the Highland County Board of Elections.

Limes turned in her petitions – which must have at least 50 valid signatures – on Tuesday, Jan. 20. She had 110 signatures on the petition.

According to Highland County Board of Elections Administrator Steve Witham, the board will verify the petition signatures approximately 10 days after the Feb. 4 filing deadline.

Limes officially announced her candidacy on Aug. 3, 2014 at the annual Highland County Democratic Party Picnic.

Limes holds a bachelor's degree from Miami University in Oxford and has completed post-graduate academic studies in legal, real estate and business fields.

From 2000-11, Limes served as an executive assistant for Highland District Hospital in Hillsboro. Prior to that, she was an office manager and administrative assistant for Birch & Bush, P.C., in Cincinnati.

Limes also has worked with the former law practice of (now Judges) Rocky Coss and Kevin Greer in Hillsboro.

Hillsboro residents will recognize the Limes name as it was associated with the local business of Limes Jewelry for many years on West Main Street in historic uptown Hillsboro. Limes served as the manager and sole proprietor of Limes Jewelry, a locally owned and operated Hillsboro business.

In addition, Limes has served on the Highland District Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees; was a co-chair of the Hillsboro 200th Anniversary Celebration; served on the Highland County Historical Society Board of Directors and the Board of Directors of the Highland County Chamber of Commerce. She was a treasurer and charter member of the Hillsboro Area American Association of University Women (AAUW) and serves on the Highland County Democratic Party Central Committee.

In announcing Limes' candidacy and her support, former Mayor Betty Bishop said: "As most of you know, I have always been reluctant to recommend and support anyone running for any office just to have a name on the ticket – unless I believe with all my heart that the person can and will make a difference and will be able to move our community forward.

"I am excited and I believe Pamela Limes is the right person for mayor of Hillsboro," Bishop said.

Highland County Democratic Party Chair Dinah Phillips agrees.

"Pam Limes will be an excellent mayor of Hillsboro, and we are thrilled about her candidacy," Phillips told The Highland County Press last summer. "I have known Pam for many years and have always been impressed with her business acumen, her professionalism, her fundraising abilities on behalf of the Highland District Hospital Foundation and her interest in community affairs.

"The Limes family has a long history of caring and involvement in Hillsboro," Phillips added. "Pam's father ran Limes Jewelry for many years, and I know Pam wants that family and community legacy to continue. Those who know Pam know that she'll be fair, honest and approachable. She will listen to others' concerns and ideas and listen to city employees and their concerns and ideas. The city's best interests will be at the top of her agenda. I know she will work tirelessly and relentlessly on behalf of the city, and Hillsboro residents can be proud to call her their mayor."

"Representing Hillsboro is a very serious responsibility not to be taken lightly," Limes said.

"Because my Hillsboro and Highland County roots are deep, I care very much for the city. My grandfather, my father and I have all owned businesses here. My grandfather was from Danville, my father from Greenfield and my mother from Hillsboro. My career took me away from Hillsboro for several years, but I always seemed to find my way back. I like it here. This is where I am most happy."

Witham told The Highland County Press that Hillsboro Republican Jason Grove also has taken out petitions for the mayor's race, as has Drew Hastings.