A decade ago, Chris Seelbach ran for Cincinnati City Council wanting to help stop the city's yearslong population decline.

The trailblazing Democrat was personally doing his part. He purchased a condo in Over-the-Rhine for $125,000, $10,000 of it an inheritance his parents told him he was squandering on such a purchase.

Seelbach, first elected in 2011, has watched his neighborhood thrive ever since.

As Seelbach prepares to leave city hall early next month, he told The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati" podcast that he accomplished more than he thought possible on council. Prevented by term limits from running for reelection, he reflected on his time at city hall and talked about what might be next for him. 

"I ran for city council because we were losing population for 65 years ... and that's why we had a deficit every year," Seelbach said. "And so the conversation was only about what are we going to cut? What are we going to not cut? I wanted to run to change that conversation to not what are we going to cut or not, but what can we invest in that will attract people back to our city that will make people want to live in Cincinnati."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey and Enquirer research, from 2014 until 2019 – the last year estimates are available – the city's population grew 1.9%, or by nearly 5,800 people. It might not be a lot, but it's not a decline – and Seelbach is proud of the growth.