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Notice/Advertisement Title: Public Hearing: City Council District Systems
Contact Name: Andie McDonald
Contact Telephone Number: 614-645-7994
Contact Email Address: abmcdonald@columbus.gov
HEARING RESCHEDULED FROM APRIL 28, 2026
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Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, and City Council, will hold a public hearing on Monday - May 4, 2026 at 5:30pm to provide an overview of the historic structure of Columbus City Council’s makeup, as well as the structures that other major cities in the U.S. and Ohio follow for electing their own city councils.
Council President Pro Tem Dorans called for the creation of a “durable council system that creates a representative body that can consider citywide needs, while also addressing neighborhood representation concerns.”
"I know there will be diverse opinions about the answer to this question, but now is the time to engage our residents, study the data, learn from our history,” Dorans said. “I believe we can create a system that reflects both neighborhood voices and citywide priorities. I am hopeful that this process and engagement will result in city council putting forth a proposed charter amendment for voters to consider this fall.”
“The at-large districts model that voters approved in 2018 was a compromise forged when the City was at a stalemate, deadlocked between those who wanted no change to the Council structure and those who wanted an all-new model overnight,” Council President Shannon G. Hardin said. “I always saw it as a first step toward reform, not the final destination. So, I’m happy to see the community having this conversation. Every model comes with different incentives. For me, the questions are: would the new structure allow Council to build the housing our City needs, knowing that ward models amplify voices that tend to oppose affordable housing? Will it enable representation that looks like the City as a whole, knowing what a racially and economically segregated city we are geographically? And will it allow the City to make investments where they’re most needed, not pitting neighborhoods against each other? I’ve always been intrigued about a hybrid model that mixes at-large and district-based seats, for example.”
Public Hearing: City Council District Systems
• Monday, May 4, 2026
• Council Chambers, City Hall - 90 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
• 5:30pm - 7:00pm
The hearing will broadcast live on CTV, YouTube, and Facebook Live. Any resident seeking to submit written testimony should submit their testimony to the office of Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans.
If you would like to provide written or public testimony, including signing up to speak at the hearing, email Andie McDonald at abmcdonald@columbus.gov.
Written testimony must be received by 3:00pm on the day of the hearing and should be emailed to Andie McDonald at abmcdonald@columbus.gov - please include “written testimony” in the subject line of your email.
Any resident wishing to speak during the hearing should email Andie McDonald at abmcdonald@columbus.gov. Members of the public can also sign up to speak in person at the hearing. Each speaker will be asked to limit their remarks to no longer than three minutes.