Explanation
BACKGROUND
On July 16th, representatives of the Our City, Our Say Coalition submitted signed petitions sufficient to send a charter amendment proposal to the ballot at the November 3rd, 2026 general election. The proposal, known as “Proposed Amendment No. 1, City Council District Elections,” would limit the ability to vote on City Council district representatives to only those electors living within the districts those members would represent.
Concurrently, Columbus City Council has convened two public hearings to discuss the future structure of council, and it is the opinion of this council that the inclusion of at-large representation is a crucial feature of a representative government for the City of Columbus.
With this ordinance, Columbus City Council sends to voters for their consideration an amendment to the charter that would enact all of the provisions of Proposed Amendment No. 1, while complementing those changes with the addition of at-large representation. The aforementioned complementary proposal is hereafter known as “Proposed Amendment No. 2, City Council At-Large Complement.”
Fiscal Impact: None.
Emergency Designation: While not an emergency, City Charter Sec. 42-12 requires that this ordinance have immediate effect upon passage.
Title
To submit to the electors of the city of Columbus at a special election to be held concurrently with the regular general election on November 3, 2026, the question of amending the Charter of the City of Columbus, such question to be known as "Proposed Charter Amendment No. 2, City Council At-Large Complement.” ($0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, on March 4, 2026, Our City, Our Say petitioners filed with the City Clerk a pre-circulation copy of a petition for a charter amendment, titled “To amend the City Charter to eliminate at-large voting for city council district elections and to replace it with district-based voting wherein council members are elected or recalled only by the Columbus voters who live within...
Click here for full text