Explanation
In December 2021, the Columbus District Map was adopted by Columbus City Council. Section 7-3 of the Columbus City Charter requires that if territory is annexed into the city after the adoption of the districting plan, council shall by ordinance, which shall be an emergency measure, amend the districting plan to attach the territory to the contiguous council district sharing the largest boundary with the territory. If territory is detached from the city after adoption of the districting plan, council shall by ordinance, which shall be an emergency measure, amend the districting plan to detach the territory from the council district within which it previously resided. This ordinance amends the Columbus District Map to reflect any annexations that have been accepted since July 2023.
Passage of this ordinance is contingent upon the passage of all ordinances outlined in Section 2.
EMERGENCY ACTION: Emergency action is requested in order to comply with Sec. 7-3 of the Columbus City Charter requiring that the ordinance amending a districting plan be an emergency measure as it is immediately necessary to authorize the adoption of this amended map to ensure that all residents that have been annexed into the City of Columbus are properly accounted for in time for the next general municipal election thereby preserving the public peace, property, health, or safety.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Title
To amend the Columbus District Map to reflect any annexations to the city since July 2023; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, Columbus voters overwhelmingly voted in support of Issue 3 in May 2018, to add two additional seats to City Council and create residential districts in the City of Columbus; and
WHEREAS, a five-member independent, citizen-led commission was seated prior to March 1, 2021 and charged with creating three Council residential districting plans in accordance with the Columbus City Charter (the “Charter”); and
WHEREAS, the Charter mandated that the Commission follow specific requirements when creating the district map; and
WHEREAS, the Charter mandated specific requirements for preserving the map; and
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in that the Charter requires that adoption of an amended map be passed as an emergency measure as it is immediately necessary to authorize the adoption of this amended map to ensure that all residents that have been annexed into the City of Columbus are properly accounted for in time for the next general, municipal election thereby preserving the public peace, property, health, or safety; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the City Council hereby recognizes its obligation under Section 7-3 of the Columbus City Charter to amend the Columbus District Map to include any annexations to the city.
SECTION 2. That the City Council finds the following ordinances to have accepted petitions to annex parcels into the City of Columbus since July 2023:
• 2173-2023
• 2427-2023
• 2619-2023
• 3307-2023
• 3309-2023
• 3310-2023
• 0316-2024
• 1011-2024
• 1142-2024
SECTION 3. That the Council hereby amends the Columbus District Map, pursuant to the requirements of Sec 7-3 of the Charter, by assigning the parcels associated with the ordinances listed in Section 2 to districts as indicated in the attached Exhibit A.
SECTION 4. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.