The Mayor and City Council announced this week the nine people who will review the city government structure.
The Charter Review Committee was created in response to the ballot measure that failed in August. The measure would have transformed Columbus City Council from its current seven-member at-large structure into one with 10 district representatives and three at-large. The issue, headed by local grassroots organization Represent Columbus, was meant to give struggling neighborhoods a bigger voice in city government.
“The members we have selected for the Charter Review Committee reflect a range of backgrounds and neighborhoods,” said Mayor Andrew Ginther. “I am confident they will lead a thorough and thoughtful discussion of how City Council can best represent Columbus in the future.”
Members of the committee include former government officials, faith leaders and other community leaders:
Stefanie L. Coe, of Southwest Columbus. Selected as the Charter Review Committee Chair. Currently the general counsel at MPW Industrial Services and chair of the Southwest Area Commission.
Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, of Merion Village. Former City Year Columbus Executive Director. Born and raised in Columbus and first generation American of Cuban decent.
Jennette B. Bradley, of Far East Columbus. Managing partner of J. Bradley Partners, LLC. Has served as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, Treasurer of Ohio, director of the Ohio Department of Commerce and as chair of the Ohio Housing Finance Agency Board. Former member of Columbus City Council for 11 years.
Frieda L. Gilyard, of Eastmoor. Community activist involved with the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence.
Tyrone A. Lawes, of the Hilltop. Presiding pastor of the Philadelphia Baptist Church of Love and Faith. Member of the Baptist Ministerial Alliance of Columbus and the Vicinity. Formerly the associate minister of the Mount Vernon Avenue Baptist Church.
Frederick E. Mills, of Northwest Columbus. Member of the Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission. Formerly the Majority Chief of Staff, Majority Legal Counsel and Clerk for the Ohio House of Representatives.
Keary McCarthy, of Clintonville. President and CEO of the non-profit Innovation Ohio. Worked toward similar goals in Cuyahoga County. Has served as Minority Chief of Staff to the Ohio House.
John C. Rosenberger, of German Village. President of the non-profit corporation Central Ohio Community Improvement Corporation. Previously guided the Capital South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and served as special counsel to the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
Robert Vitale, of German Village. Editor-in-chief of Outlook Magazine, an LGBT news and entertainment magazine publication. Former beat reporter for the Columbus Dispatch assigned to Columbus City Hall.
“There are some good people on the new Charter Review Commission, but the power to make change still lies exclusively in City Hall,” the Franklin Country Republican Party responded in a statement. “City Hall went through the same exercise two years ago, gave itself a clean bill of health and recommitted itself to the status quo.”
Critics of the committee question the legitimacy of a governing body picking the people who evaluate it. Jon Beard, one of the leaders of Represent Columbus, said he didn’t apply to be a member, and he doesn’t expect much to come out of the review.
“I would like to be surprised, but I have no expectations of the CRC being a serious effort to move Columbus forward,” Beard said, citing his previous attempts to reform campaign finance policy.
“If there was anything at all about Mr. Ginther’s conduct over the past five years that indicated he saw a need for change, I would have applied,” Beard continued. “But every time the issues come up he says Columbus is just fine, as is.”
Ginther and Councilmember Shannon Hardin said in the press release that the committee is meant to address the need for underrepresented neighborhoods to tell council what needs to change. Committee members will hold several hearings, beginning this month, intended for hearing public input. After seven meetings have been held, the committee will submit its suggestions to be voted on by council and Columbus voters.
“The Committee has been charged with the important work of making sure all residents in all neighborhoods have a say in the future of governance,” said Coe, chair of the committee. “I am grateful to Mayor Ginther and City Council for the opportunity to serve with this diverse group who cherish Columbus as much as I do.”