City solicitor candidate Michael L. Jones will go into the fall campaign season with three major endorsements as he takes on incumbent David Kuhn.

The city fire department has joined the city police and Scioto County Sheriff's Department in endorsing Jones, according to him.

He provided the Portsmouth Daily Times with endorsement letters from each.

“I hope this will tell the voters that they are not happy with the city solicitor,” Jones said. “They are not getting timely advice from him and they are not getting the advice they need.”

Kuhn, who said he has endorsement of the Shawnee Labor Council and Labor Local #82, disagreed with Jones.

“That's hogwash,” he said. “My record speaks for itself. We're running on the record and our accomplishments.”

Kuhn said the police, fire and sheriff endorsements are not major endorsements.

“Endorsements are endorsements,” he said. “They just show that a group of people endorse a particular candidate. It's obvious the voters will determine the outcome of the election.”

Kuhn said he lost the city police endorsement because he wouldn't fire a prosecutor the police said was not aggressive enough.

He would not name the prosecutor.

Instead of firing the prosecutor, Kuhn decided to give him time to get more aggressive.

“That's not the answer they wanted to hear,” he said. “I'm not going to let the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) tell me how to run my office.”

Kuhn also said the two unions may have a problem with him because he represents the city in contract negotiations.

If elected, Jones said he will maintain an active presence in municipal court, establish a victim advocacy program and minimize the outside legal fees the city incurs.