Tuesday night's Columbus City Council candidate forum in German Village got tense as the two candidates tried to litigate the differences between themselves.
Tiara Ross and Jesse Vogel sparred over somewhat niche issues unique to the affluent neighborhood south of downtown, but used the topics to differentiate their governing philosophies. Ross also had to defend her parking ticket history after a resident questioned her trustworthiness.
That moment came later in the evening when one of the roughly two dozen attendees at The German Village Society forum brought up how she owed about $3,800 in parking tickets and drove on a suspended license. Ross paid off the tickets and got her license reinstated before narrowly winning the most votes in May's primary election.
John Clark, who wore a Pink Panther button-up shirt, asked how citizens can believe anything Ross says, especially when it comes to transparency and ethical leadership, given these issues.
Ross defended herself but acknowledged she has work to do.
"That was a mistake full stop, and I think that I certainly need to regain the trust of individuals like you and I'm committed to doing that," Ross said.
Several moments Tuesday evening hit at the bigger picture of this council race. The election has become a race between two Democrats running very different campaigns.
Ross is a candidate supported by most of the city's political establishment and who is receiving much of her campaign funds from those politicians.
Ross has racked up endorsements from all of city council, her boss Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, the Franklin County Democratic Party and many of the large labor unions.
Vogel was passed over by the Franklin County Democratic Party in favor of Ross despite vocal objections to an endorsement by many community members. He's since campaigned on an outsider message and outraised Ross with more small donors in an effort to buck the headwinds he faces.
Ross is an assistant city attorney who has spent her career working within the city structure to get things done. She's had to fight against bad actors like out-of-state landlords who allowed Latitude Five25 towers to crumble, while also defending and working with the city.
Vogel, by contrast, has spent his legal career working with organizations like Legal Aid of Central and Southeast Ohio and Community Refugee and Immigration Services, assisting tenants and immigrants directly. He sometimes butts heads with the city and power players in city politics like developers.
Those differences reared their heads in each question the two answered Tuesday night.
Ross and Vogel diverge on support for city political establishment at forum
One of the last questions of the evening expressed frustration with the current city council.
The man who asked the question pointed out Democrats have been in power in the city for about 40 years. He accused the party of having a "stranglehold" on any competition to run for office and change city council. He asked what each candidate, both of whom are Democrats, would do to change how city council operates and to make it a more fair government.
Vogel took the opportunity to criticize Ross, attacking her for moving back into the city from Reynoldsburg days before the deadline to run for this city council seat lapsed.
Ross's residency was litigated at the Franklin County Board of Elections, which ended up siding with her ability to run. The question of her residency and later the parking tickets were uncovered by the political blog, The Rooster.
"Ms. Ross moved into the city two days before the deadline to run for this seat because she was asked to by city council members," Vogel said.
Ross immediately interrupted Vogel, saying she wasn't asked to run, but rather she herself asked whether she should run for the seat earlier than Vogel may have done so.
Vogel admitted he didn't know the exact conversations that occurred.
Vogel then criticized Ross for a comment she made earlier in the forum. Ross said that she asked City Council President Shannon Hardin whether city council members were even allowed to disagree with each other.
"When I was thinking about whether or not I was going to run for city council, the biggest thing that bothered me was this idea or this perception of groupthink," Ross said.
Ross said she'd like to see a lot more transparency in the decision process on council, allowing for disagreements and debates to be seen at public meetings. She likened it to showing the work on a math problem in school.
Vogel said his campaign shows he would take a different approach.
"I've shown throughout this race that I've demonstrated action that I'm willing to do that without asking," Vogel said.
Vogel said during his campaign he's now even heard from sitting city councilmembers who have told him they think it's useful to have different voices competing to talk about issues that people care about that lives depend upon.
"I believe that work to provide different kinds of perspectives is not yelling. It's not opposition. It's what we actually have to do and are obligated to do in order to fight to make life better for folks in Columbus," Vogel said.
German Village Society questions candidates as the group's curb ramp lawsuit hits court
The German Village Society, who hosted the forum, started off by asking each candidate if they would support changes to city code to address an issue that has found its way to court.
The German Village Society sued the city over whether neighborhood improvements done by the city — like accessible curb ramps — need to get approval by the German Village Commission.
Improvements made by private landowners have to go through the commission to make sure changes follow regulations for historic districts.
The group argues in its lawsuit the ramp's installment jeopardized historic brick sidewalks. The lawsuit aims to clarify whether the city and utility companies have to seek approval before work is done.
The question from moderator Courtney Thraen with The German Village Society asked whether each candidate believes local governments, municipalities, infrastructure, and utility companies should go before the German Village Commission seeking the same approvals to make external alterations, the same as a private property owner would.
Both Ross and Vogel offered less than clear answers, but each said accessibility is important to the city. The two appeared confused about what the law actually said on the topic.
Vogel said he thinks everyone should play by the same set of rules and follow the law.
"I think that as I read deeper on this story, I got upset because I saw that it's another example of the city not listening to folks who are organizing to try to get what they need," Vogel said.
Vogel said the city has an obligation as representatives of the people to listen carefully to what residents said and identify where there are ways to collaborate. He said he doesn't understand why a solution couldn't have been negotiated.
Ross said she'd like clarity from the city on its laws, because she believes it isn't clear. Ross said she thinks there needs to be more collaboration so disagreements don't result in a lawsuit.
"One, we need to be sitting down with residents more, baseline, as a city," Ross said. "Two, when we are being able to come to a solution that's workable for both the community and the city. I always hate when we get to lawsuit because we haven't been able to come to reasonable conclusion."
Ross didn't commit to changes, but said she'd be open to changing the city code so there is clarity.
The two candidates used the topic to show the differences between themselves and their governing philosophies.
Vogel pointed out that this question shows the differences in the experiences and point of view that he think himself and Ross bring to this race and to this office.
"Unfortunately then what we saw was the City Attorney's Office take the approach that they often take which is to defend the city and its operations and to say this is the way things are and this is how things go," Vogel said.
Ross was not the assistant city attorney assigned to this case.
Vogel also likened the issue to the city attorney's office's choice to issue a temporary restraining order, silencing the man who blew the whistle on the data breach that Columbus was a victim of last year.
"I think that residents of German Village and residents of Deshler Park and residents of Hilltop deserve a council member who takes a different approach," Vogel said. "Which is to see the value in the neighbors who come to collaborate on solutions, sit with them, listen to them, and work to think creatively about how to implement that solution rather than to protect the status quo."
Ross didn't get a chance to immediately rebut Vogel, but she later explained what she believes is the difference between herself and her opponent.
Ross said she's learned the inner workings of the city of Columbus through the great fortune of her job, but also the crises she's had to contend with. She gave the Christmas Day 2022 evacuation of residents of the condemned Latitude Five25 towers as an example.
Ross said she's built relationships with folks not only in the community, but also in positions, in elected positions and in the administration.
"I say all that to say, in order to be able to mediate between community, elected officials and the administration, you have to first have the relationship. And having the relationship requires presence. Having the relationship required a record of service. Having the relationships requires delivering results," Ross said.
Ross said she's learned to lock arms with people that may not necessarily agree with her and her position. She said she does this so the two parties can get to similar results, which is to help people live a better life in Columbus.
Early Voting begins next week for Columbus races
Early voting begins Tuesday, October 7 in Ohio, the day after the voter registration deadline lapses on Monday, October, 6. Voters can request an absentee ballot or vote early, in-person at the Franklin County Board of Elections on Morse Road.
Voters will see this race for Columbus City Council District 7 on the ballot as well a several other contested races and issues.
All of Columbus will be able to vote in the District 7 election. The city's district system only requires the candidate running for one of the nine seats to live within the boundaries of the district.
Columbus voters will also see several city bond issues, tax levies and three seats for the Columbus City Schools Board of Education. The tax levies include ones for the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
Sample ballots for Franklin County can be viewed online on the Franklin County Board of Elections website.
