COLUMBUS – Faced with a lawsuit by a citizens group, Columbus City Council Monday voted to place a charter amendment on the May 8 ballot that increases the size of Council and alters the system of representation, taking a baby step closer to a ward system.
The amendment would increase the size of the City Council from seven members to nine and institutes “at-large, by-place elections,” in which members would represent different areas of the city but would be voted on by all residents.
“We are dedicated to ensuring that residents maintain a high-level of trust and accountability with Council and governing processes,” said Council President Shannon Hardin. “Ultimately, the decision rests with the residents of Columbus.”
A lawsuit was filed Monday by a citizens group, Everyday People for Positive Change, that collected signatures for its own ballot proposal to change how council is elected, according to a report in The Columbus Dispatch. Last week, the Council shot down that plan after city attorney Zach Klein said it did not satisfy the “single-subject” provision of city law.
If the group’s lawsuit is successful, the competing initiatives both could end up on the ballot.
City Council’s proposal also addresses the appointment process, lengthening the time period for filling a vacancy from 30 to 45 days and requiring Council to hold at least one public hearing prior to the appointment
The ballot issue is based on recommendations from the Charter Review Committee, which began reviewing the issues in September 2016, after an earlier attempt to make amendments at the ballot box.
If enacted, the changes would take place in 2023.The proposal addresses the following.