Two visions for Columbus council could clash in November
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Efforts to reform Columbus City Council's election system could soon get more complicated, with two dueling ballot items looking increasingly likely in November.
Why it matters: The situation could muddy a grassroots effort to overhaul how council is elected — and potentially trigger a legal battle if voters approve conflicting proposals.
- In that scenario, the city charter says whichever one gets more votes wins.
Catch up quick: Petitioners with the Our City, Our Say coalition have turned in enough signatures to put a city charter amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot. It proposes a ward-style voting system in which only residents of a district vote to elect that district's council member.
- Currently, all nine council members represent a district, but they are elected with a citywide vote.
- Council unsuccessfully tried to reach a compromise with the petitioners on a hybrid proposal that would retain some at-large seats.
The latest: Council is now expected to hash out its own, separate charter amendment Monday.
The intrigue: The conflicting ballot-item scenario is outlined in the Columbus charter and the Ohio Secretary of State Handbook.
- The charter states that if "the city council finds that any provisions of two or more are in conflict, the proposal receiving the highest number of votes shall prevail."
- "Any determination as to whether amendments conflict with each other is a legal question to be resolved by the courts," the handbook says.
Flashback: The rule dates back to a 1931 Attorney General opinion involving two different council reform proposals in Toledo.
- That opinion also affirmed that voters can vote "yes" on both items.
What we're watching: Council has until Sept. 4 to advance ballot language for both measures.
- Council leadership has voiced support for retaining at-large seats, suggesting the two would indeed conflict.
Friction point: During a hearing this week, President Pro Tempore Rob Dorans said at-large members are needed to represent citywide interests on issues like housing, transit and infrastructure.
- Petitioners say that at-large elections favor candidates with establishment support and that district-only races would give neighborhoods better representation.
The bottom line: Switching Columbus to ward-style elections has already been a source of debate for decades — and it appears that will continue this fall.