Columbus

Four candidates are running for three seats on Columbus City Council. Axios Columbus is highlighting the candidates in alphabetical order — Nick Bankston, Lourdes Barroso de Padilla,  Shannon Hardin and Tom Sussi.

In Nick Bankston's mind, "bricks-and-sticks" — infrastructure projects that serve as visual signifiers of hope —  are the easy part.

The harder task, he says, is investing in people mentorship of children and other intangible tools to give residents the means to reach their potential.

Why it matters: A year after heading the campaign to create a Civilian Police Review Board, Bankston's first foray into electoral politics is centered on community development and policing reform.

State of play: Bankston did not initially gather enough valid signatures to be a candidate, but was named to the ballot when a Council incumbent decided not to run for re-election.

He is running as part of a Democratic team of candidates this fall.

His background: Bankston worked on neighborhood revitalization projects under two mayoral administrations and now leads Gladden Community House, a nonprofit offering emergency assistance and other social services to Columbus families.

What they're saying: "I've grown up in the city as the city has grown," Bankston, a native of the near east side who now lives near Easton, tells Axios.

Bankston sees the city's rapid growth as both its biggest opportunity and pain point.

Threat level: The two issues he hears most about on the campaign trail are affordable housing and safety concerns.

Columbus isn't building enough housing units to meet the demand, much less affordable housing, Bankston says. 

Police reform will take time, Bankston notes, but he is optimistic about the new review board's work and with the "fresh set of eyes" in law enforcement leadership.

Yes, but: Bankston highlights "sprouts of opportunity" throughout the city, pointing to the Linden area.

A new recreation center opened this year and a fresh food market reopened last month (along with a charitable pharmacy).  

Headshot of candidate Nick Bankston. Photo provided

 Columbus City Council candidate Nick Bankston. Photo provided 

When Lourdes Barroso de Padilla recently asked an east side resident about their flooding issues, they were shocked at how she even knew.  

"I was like, 'Because I literally grew up five minutes away.' That's a historic issue in this area."

This is what community representation can bring, she tells Axios — advocating for better sewer system infrastructure to help serve her fellow neighbors. 

Why it matters: Barroso de Padilla has centered her campaign on the successes and struggles of Columbus immigrants, migrants and refugees.

She would be the first ever non-white and non-Black member of city council.

What they're saying: "It's not about being the first. It's about really setting the stage for the 6th and the 7th and the 8th after me. 

"It's about changing the conversation and about ensuring that all people are parts of that conversation."

Her background: Barroso de Padilla's parents fled Cuba a half-century ago and moved to the east side of Columbus, where the candidate still lives. 

She has spent 15 years working with City Year, an AmeriCorps program serving local schools and students.

The big picture: Governments often overlook basic needs within minority communities, Barroso de Padilla tells Axios.

Barroso de Padilla wants to see city officials be more "culturally competent" to better serve diverse communities.

"We need to make sure our city is accessible for everyone."

State of play: Between the pandemic and local civil unrest, Barroso de Padilla believes the past year has exposed Columbus to systemic issues many communities like hers have long faced.

"We are seeing the desperation of people. We are seeing people with too few opportunities," she says of the rise in homicides and safety fears.

She has confidence in new Police Chief Elaine Bryant and serves on the chief's community advisory panel.

Barroso de Padilla recalls seeing "Cowlumbus" t-shirts in the years leading up to the city's explosive growth.

"Our growth got ahead of us," she says, noting a lack of rail transit system and a major housing shortage.

She wants to serve on Council to help shape the city's growth in years ahead.

"I think I'm just proof that you can be a kid from the east side and hustle hard, get here and create change."

Headshot of candidate Lourdes Barroso de Padilla.

 Columbus City Council candidate Lourdes Barroso de Padilla. Photo provided 

Shannon Hardin predicts Columbus will add hundreds of thousands of new residents over the coming years. This brings up the central question to his campaign: How does the city grow effectively?

Why it matters: Hardin is the only candidate running for Council who is currently serving on the body.

State of play: Hardin has been council president since 2018 and leads a ticket of three Democrats running as a team.

He calls the group, which includes Lourdes Barroso de Padilla and Nick Bankston, a "historic slate."

Between the lines: The candidates have had to balance championing the recent policies of city leadership, including Hardin, while acknowledging the improvements needed over the coming years.

Threat level: Hardin knows crime and police reform are topics on everyone's mind.  

They are on his mind, too, especially after he and other Black leaders were pepper sprayed during the protests last May.

Driving the news: As with other candidates, Hardin highlighted new leadership in place within the Columbus Division of Police. 

The Alternative Crisis Response Program is another welcome development, he says, with city residents being connected with social services instead of police presence during certain emergency calls. 

Hardin noted recent investments into a new crime center in Linden and a new police substation in the Hilltop that will include community meeting space, but also says more work is needed to rebuild trust in local policing.

On transportation: Columbus is the largest city in America without an advanced transit system, and Hardin says the city cannot grow without major infrastructure investments.

He recently toured new electric buses, meant to help Columbus achieve a diesel-free bus system by 2025. 

On housing: Hardin calls this an issue of math, with thousands more jobs being added than new housing units being built each year.

"Every year those statistics stand, we're exacerbating our affordable housing issue because the product is not keeping up with the demand."

Columbus needs to look at potential zoning code changes to support housing growth, he says.

The big picture: Hardin says the pandemic is still having a mental impact on residents and it's taking time for the city to fully rebound.

"Our job, though, is to make sure that folks do see the vision."  

Columbus City Council candidate Shannon Hardin. Photo provided 

Tom Sussi spent decades exposing government waste and restaurants' health code violations as a consumer advocate reporter on TV.

He hopes to take that same approach to City Hall, using a campaign slogan mirroring one used by a local station he once worked for: "On Your Side."

Why it matters: Sussi, a political independent endorsed by the county Republicans, is an outsider candidate running against a trio of Democrats campaigning as a team. He'll have to beat the odds in a Democratic-leaning city to earn a spot on Council. 

His background: Having left TV news in 2019, the resident of Italian Village now runs his own media company known as "The Sussi Report."

The coverage focuses on local crime and city government, with Mayor Ginther emerging as a frequent target of criticism.

Driving the news: The tumultuous year of 2020 led Sussi to pursue local office.

Sussi is highly critical of last year's protests, believing rightful anger over police misconduct was muddied by varying political interests.

He thinks the Christopher Columbus statue should have remained and that its removal amounts to "erasing history."

Threat level: Sussi contends Columbus is an "unsafe city" led by officials who do not adequately support law enforcement. 

"There needs to be somebody in there that supports the police department, supports law and order."

The big picture: Sussi does credit city officials with bringing development and jobs to the "inner belt" of Columbus, but says other neighborhoods have been left behind.

He'd like to see tax abatements given to small businesses and other support for low-income residents.

"(Columbus is) great for people who have money … but what about the people who don't have that money?"

The bottom line: The self-described outsider candidate wants to bring a dissenting view against an unencumbered "party machine."

What he's  saying: "Don’t read anything into it, but let’s say that their party and that machine is like Nazi Germany … They have uniforms. They’re well equipped and they’re motivated and they’re ready to take down the world. 

"I compare myself to early colonists. I mean, me and my volunteers, our uniforms don’t match, our guns misfire and we’re not organized. It’s like early colonists going against a well-refined army."

Columbus City Council candidate Tom Sussi. Photo provided 

Get to know the 4 candidates for Columbus City Council

Three Democrats and an independent are running for three total seats.

The Columbus, Ohio skyline, with a park, river, bridges and distant buildings.

Scioto Mile Park and the skyline of Columbus. Photo by: Jumping Rocks/UIG via Getty Images

Voting

Politics

The Nordecke Brass section has no sheet music. There are no rehearsals, no tryouts, and no director.

The only missions for these Columbus Crew musicians? Blast off and have fun.

Trumpeting the news: Luke Johnston, a veteran player for Nordecke Brass, invited Tyler to play at last Saturday's match against the New York Red Bulls.

State of play: The unofficial supporter band of the Crew features a rotating group of players in the Nordecke fan section. Members play along to the section chants amid a row of drummers. 

These chants include offshoots of Yankee Doodle Dandy, We're Not Gonna Take It and Yellow Submarine ("We all cheer for a yellow soccer team…").

💭 Tyler's thought bubble: It took some time to get familiar with the chants, but I had a lot of fun. There's nothing quite like watching a Crew game from the Nordecke. 

My favorite moment was the Crew's lone goal, followed by a full minute of bedlam and blasting random notes.

Unfortunately, the Crew lost the match, 2-1. 

🎺 Tyler plans to be back next season for a few more games. 

Blasting away with Nordecke Brass, the Columbus Crew supporter band

A night spent with the Columbus Crew's rabid fan section.

Four trumpet and trombone players pose at a soccer game, wearing the team's attire.

Tyler (second from right) and other members of the Nordecke Brass section at last Saturday's Columbus Crew game. Photo provided 

Soccer

Sports

Can you believe there are only two weekends left of spooky season? Here are some ways to celebrate in central Ohio while also staying safe outside:

🎃 Pick a pumpkin, hop on a hayride or explore a corn maze at a family farm:

🌽 The MAiZE at Little Darby Creek has dedicated its corn maze to Jack Nicklaus this year.

Big fans of the "Golden Bear" can complete the maze using a passport to answer trivia questions to guide you through it.

👻 Survive a haunted forest in Pataskala.

🍁 Go leaf-peeping at some nearby state parks:

🍺 Sample some pumpkin ales at the outdoor patios of BrewDog and Columbus Brewing Company.

🍎 Pick apples — or launch them out of a cannon — at Lynd Fruit Farm.

🐘 Take your kids to Boo at the Zoo for trick-or-treating alongside the animal exhibits.

🍬 And yes, trick-or-treating is a safe option for kids this year, especially if they're vaccinated, NIAID director Anthony Fauci says.  

Our picks for fall-themed trips in the Columbus area

What to do this fall while staying COVID safe.

Two children pick out a pumpkin in a patch.

People enjoy during picking pumpkins at a New Jersey farm earlier this year. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Halloween

Things to Do

Ever find yourself scrolling through Zillow for new homes?

You're far from alone. The most popular ZIP codes for home buyers (and dreamers) in the Columbus Metro Statistical Area all feature suburban neighborhoods surrounding the capital city.

Why it matters: It's no secret the Columbus area remains a very hot market for home sales, and Zillow's data shows where potential buyers want to live the most.

Zillow, the online real estate marketplace, tracked which ZIP codes had the highest number of median website views in Columbus.

There are 132 total ZIP codes within this geographic area.

Communities: Dublin, Tuttle Crossing, Riverside, Muirfield Village

Communities: Westerville, Huber Ridge, Little Turtle, Sharon Woods, Hoover Dam

Communities: Forest Park, Salem Village, Northgate 

Communities: Hilliard, Mill Run, Brown Township

Communities: Westerville, eastern Polaris Parkway, Harlem Township

The Columbus area's most popular ZIP codes for home buyers

Ever find yourself scrolling through Zillow for new homes? You're far from alone.

Real estate

Real Estate

Ohio's general election is next week, with early voting underway in Columbus and Franklin County communities. 

Why it matters: The Nov. 2 election impacts residents at the local level, featuring key races for school boards, city councils and other ballot issues.

State of play: Only around 25,000 people in Franklin County cast ballots early as of last Friday, Board of Elections spokesperson Aaron Sellers tells Axios.

With 876,000 registered voters in the county, that's a 3% voter turnout thus far. 

Yes, but: Turnout is generally lower for "off-year" election years without presidential or congressional races.

For the 97% of registered voters who have yet to cast ballots, here's what to know:

What's on your ballot: There are many candidate races and ballot issues to be decided throughout Franklin County, all listed on this sample ballot. 

Where to vote early: Franklin County Board of Elections, 1700 Morse Road, Columbus.

Extended early voting hours are offered each day until Election Day.

Election Day voting: Polls are open Tuesday, Nov. 2 from 6:30am-7:30pm. 

Some voting locations have changed for this election. 

What to bring: Make sure to take valid ID to the polls.

The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Saturday.

What to know before heading to the polls in Franklin County

What, where and when to vote this coming week.

A pollworker wears a mask reading "VOTE" at a voting location.

A volunteer poll worker inside the Franklin County Board of Elections office last year. Early voting is available through next Monday for the upcoming Nov. 2 election. Photo: Ty Wright/Getty Images

Tyler Buchanan

Featured stories

Blasting away with Nordecke Brass, the Columbus Crew supporter band

The Columbus area's most popular ZIP codes for home buyers

What to know before heading to the polls in Franklin County

Get to know the 4 candidates for Columbus City Council

Our picks for fall-themed trips in the Columbus area