Nick Swartsell / WVXU For decades following a corrupt regime at City Hall, being the mayor of Cincinnati was mostly a ceremonial affair. That changed in 1999, when city voters approved an amendment to the city's charter allowing the mayor to be directly elected by voters and handing whoever won the seat a raft of powers over Cincinnati City Council. But was that change a good thing? Some local political watchers say the mayor has too much power and that it's time to go back to the original spirit of Cincinnati's 1920s-era charter reforms. Others, however, say the "stronger mayor" form of government Cincinnati has now allows for decisive leadership and growth under the council-manager system.