Organizers with Our City Our Say submitted more than 23,000 signatures, hoping to force a vote this November asking Columbus residents to change how city council members get elected.
The coalition of organizers gathered outside Columbus City Hall on Thursday to hand over three boxes full of signatures to the city clerk that the group spent months gathering throughout the community. In total, 23,188 signatures were given to the city, far surpassing the 12,533 signatures needed to force a charter amendment on November's ballot.
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein's office said once petitions with collected signatures are filed with the city clerk, then Columbus City Council, based upon reviews by the city attorney’s office and the Franklin County Board of Elections, can make a finding of whether a petition is sufficient to appear on the ballot.
Eastmoor resident Chris Tavenor, one of the petition committee members, said it's been an incredible group effort to get this amount of signatures. Volunteers canvassed the city and gathered signatures at many of the city's summer's festivals.
"That is the simple change we need to have a more representative democracy here in Columbus. And the work is not over though. We gotta get this passed on the ballot," Tavenor said.
The proposed amendment would make it so all nine city council members are elected only by residents within each of the nine city council districts. It's what many call a "true ward" system seen in many large cities throughout the United States.
Columbus used to have a completely at-large system where members were elected citywide. Then starting in 2023, the city elected members in a new hybrid district system.
The current system requires each of the nine members to live in one of nine council districts, but all voters in Columbus get to vote for each of the council members.
The proposal would keep the current map in place.
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin and City Council Member Rob Dorans issued a joint statement Thursday, but didn't declare support or opposition to the idea. They called the current system "imperfect," but Dorans has also called it "stupid" in the past.
"Now is the time to enact a durable model that settles the generations-long debate about Council’s structure. The Our City, Our Say coalition’s achievement today shows that this growing, dynamic city is not afraid to have that conversation about representation, democracy, and governance," Dorans and Hardin said.
The two added that council supports an ongoing conversation, which it's done in recent months with the coalition’s organizers about common ground and comprehensive reform.
"We look forward to more dialogue," the statement said.
Likewise, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther didn't take a firm stance on the potential ballot issue.
“It’s crucial that Columbus residents trust that the system by which they choose their city council representatives is fair, accountable and positions both our neighborhoods and the entire city for long-term success. This is a meaningful conversation for our community, and every resident should have confidence that their vote matters," Ginther said in a statement.
Signature gatherers said they were able to get signatures from four Columbus City Council members and U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty. The coalition said those council members include Melissa Green, Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, Christopher Wyche and Tiara Ross.
Jackie Byrd with Indivisible Central Ohio said the change to a district system will bring the city up to date with most of the country's other largest cities.
"What works in Bronzeville does not work in Clintonville. What works on Hilltop may not work on Italian Village, etc. So we're looking for more direct and responsible representation across the city," Byrd said.
Kwesi Low, a cofounder of Columbus Stand Up, helped carry one of the three boxes into City Hall. He said it felt like he was carrying the "weight of the city."
The 10,000 extra signatures will provide a cushion in case some of the collected signatures aren't valid.
Unlike statewide ballot campaigns that often require organizers to rent U-Haul trucks to carry hundreds of thousands of signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State's office, this campaign only needed three cardboard boxes.
Some of the other groups present at City Hall on Thursday included the Democratic Socialists of America, the Columbus Education Association, Indivisible Central Ohio and the Downtown Alliance for Voter Education. State Rep. Munira Abdullahi, former U.S. Senate candidate Morgan Harper and former mayoral candidate Joe Motil were also present as supporters of the movement.
Ross' election in November sparked concerns about the new council district system because she won the vote city wide, but her opponent won the majority of votes within District 7.
Ross' general election opponent Jesse Vogel was present Thursday and is part of the Our City Our Say coalition.
It is unclear if there will be organized opposition to this proposal. Community organizer Johnathan Beard was critical of this proposal and wanted to come up with his own idea that would also change the current city council district map, but that petition wasn't allowed to move forward by the city.
Klein's office said in a statement the city attorney understands the frustration residents have with the system adopted by voters in 2018 and would support a new system that includes both neighborhood (district) and city-wide representation.
Klein previously served on Columbus City Council from 2011-2017, including two years as president.
"As our city continues to grow and change, having a legislative body comprised of both neighborhood and citywide voices puts Columbus in the best position to tackle our most complex problems," Klein's office said.
Dorans also voiced support for a similar idea at a public hearing that was called to discuss the issue earlier this year.
