Latest news with #JesseVogel
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats defy calls to remain neutral, endorse Tiara Ross for Columbus Council D7 seat
Despite calls from some within and outside the party to stay neutral, the Franklin County Democratic Party has endorsed Tiara Ross over fellow Democrat Jesse Vogel in the Columbus City Council District 7 race on the Nov. 5 ballot. After tense debate at a packed meeting on July 22, eligible party members voted 106-48 by a show of hands to endorse Ross ahead of the Nov. 4 election. During the meeting, Vogel and multiple party members reiterated their plea for the party not to endorse either candidate. Voters want a choice on the ballot, Vogel said. 'If this party gets involved in endorsing in this race, it will send a message to Democrats that they don't have a choice and it will hamper our ability to continue the hard work to mobilize voters across the city,' Vogel said. An open letter circulated ahead of the meeting called for the county Democratic party to stay out of endorsing in the District 7 council race and got more than 600 signatures, mostly from ordinary voters. Some of the opponents to endorsement packed into the meeting at the IBEW 683 Union Hall, in addition to Ross supporters. Ross said she would be proud to accept an endorsement. 'I'm asking for you to stand with the candidate who has taken on powerful interests and won,' Ross said ahead of the debate and vote. 'I'm ready for Columbus City Council because I believe in a city that has leaders who will roll up their sleeves and do the work.' Vogel, a public interest attorney, is more of an outsider to the party establishment than Ross. Heading into the meeting, Ross already had endorsements from a bevy of powerful local Democrats, including the entire city council, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, and City Attorney Zach Klein. Klein spoke at the meeting in favor of endorsing Ross, an assistant Columbus city attorney. He said she's been a strong advocate for tenants and criminal justice reform. The party's screening committee recommended Ross, based on her experience in city government. It was not a unanimous committee decision, said Screening Committee Chair Gretchen James. Ross narrowly beat Vogel in the citywide May primary 41% to 39% by about 700 votes. Meanwhile, Vogel won in the district they're vying to represent 49% to 31%, according to a Dispatch analysis. They knocked independent candidate Kate Curry-Da-Souza out of the race. All city residents vote in all nine council districts under an unusual district system the city launched in 2023. Candidates must live in their geographic districts. The county party has no policy in its bylaws about when to endorse in a race between Democrats, said Brian Shinn, the county party's parliamentarian. He told The Dispatch before the meeting that not having a policy gives the party flexibility. During the meeting, opponents to endorsement repeatedly said staying neutral would encourage voter turnout and engagement. A few also mentioned Ross' driving record. In March, it was discovered that Ross had been driving on a suspended license for a speeding ticket and had nearly $3,800 in unpaid city parking tickets. Ross supporters said she has earned a spot on the city council, noting she won the primary. Ross told The Dispatch after the meeting that she's "truly honored to have the support of the party." "I'm disappointed," Vogel told The Dispatch after the meeting. "Tonight we saw political insiders and elected incumbents support the status quo." Government and politics reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@ Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Democrats endorse in Columbus City Council race despite calls to pass Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What county, municipal issues and races are on central Ohio's May ballot?
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohioans voting in the May 6 special election will be deciding several countywide races and municipal issues, from city council seats to Fairfield County property taxes and Delaware County library funding. Early-in person and absentee voting has already kicked off in the May election, which also features Issue 2 on ballots statewide. If passed, Issue 2 would allow Ohio to give out up to $250 million in bonds annually, or $2.5 billion over the next decade, to fund local infrastructure projects, like building roads, bridges, landfills, water supply systems and more. Learn more about Issue 2 in the video player above. Otherwise, here are the countywide races and municipal issues to expect on your ballot. City councils Columbus District 7 — Vote for one, two proceed: Kate Curry-Da-Souza (I), former chair of the Near East Area Commission; Jesse Vogel (D), an immigration attorney; Tiara Ross (D), an assistant city attorney. Hilliard — Elect 4: Samer Bazerbashi, Tina Cottone, Dorothy Hassan Tony Moog, Kathy Parker‐Jones, Nadia A. Rasul, Andy Teater. Whitehall Ward 2 — Vote for one, two proceed: David F. Coleman, Jr., Brian McCann, Micole L. Spicer. Municipal issues Blendon Township: An additional, continuing 4.48 mills for the police department. If approved, property owners would pay $157 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Brown Township: An additional, continuing 5.2 mills for fire and EMS services. If approved, property owners would pay $182 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Clinton Township: A continuing replacement of 3.2 mills for fire service. If approved, property owners would pay $92 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Franklin Township: An additional, continuing 14.79 mills for fire service. If approved, property owners would pay $518 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Hamilton Township: A renewal of 3.75 mills for five years for police service. If approved, property owners would pay $57 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Jefferson Township: A renewal of 2.8 mills for 10 years for road maintenance to replace an expiring levy. If approved, property owners would pay $98 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Mifflin Township: An additional, continuing 1.95 mills for fire and EMS service. If approved, property owners would pay $68 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. An additional 3.48 mills for 10 years for the police department. If approved, property owners would pay $122 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Village of Lockbourne: Income tax increase of 1.5% to a total 2.5%, with a credit of 1.5% for income tax paid to another municipality. Washington Township Fire District: A renewal of 8.25-mill for five years for fire and EMS service, which would raise $18,351,000 annually. If approved, the measure would cost property owners $176 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Municipal Court Clerk of Courts Democratic Primary: Scott Charland, Tyler Frederick. Winner will face Republican Cindy Dinovo. Countywide Delaware County District Library: An additional 1-mill to generate $10,459,000 annually for the Delaware County District Library. If approved, the measure would cost property owners $35 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Municipal issues: Genoa Township: A renewal of 5.3 mills and an increase of 2.4 mills for five years for fire and EMS services to generate $9,489,000 annually. If approved, property owners would pay $199 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Liberty Township: An additional, continuing 2.4 mills for fire and EMS services to generate $6,667,000 annually. If approved, property owners would pay $84 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Washington Township Fire District: A renewal of 8.25-mills for five years for fire and EMS service, to generate $18,351,000 annually. If approved, the measure would cost property owners $176 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. City councils Lancaster: Council at-Large Republican Primary — Elect four: Burt Conley, Alayna Hoop, Rob Knisley, Corey Schoonover, Michael Wing, Bob Wolfinger. Council Ward 2 Republican Primary — Elect one: Elliot E. Hall, Talia Barsi, Joe Bizjak. Council Ward 5 Republican Primary — Elect one: Kristina Crites, Ethan Dorr. Council Ward 6 Republican Primary — Stelphen Ogg, Becky Tener. Countywide Fairfield County Board of Developmental Disabilities: A renewal of 1.85 mills for five years to generate $7,608,000 annually for programs and operation of facilities. If approved, property owners would pay $40 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Municipal issues Bloom Township: An additional, continuing levy 2.25 mills for fire and EMS to generate $1,087,000 annually. If approved, property owners would pay $79 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Greenfield Township: An additional, continuing 1.75 mills for road and bridge maintenance to generate $451,000 annually. If approved, property owners would pay $61 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Hocking Township: An additional, continuing 4 mills for fire and EMS to generate $655,000 annually. If approved, property owners would pay $140 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Village of Buckeye Lake: an additional property tax of 4 mills for three years for police protection, to generate $524,000 annually. If approved, property owners would pay $140 for each $100,000 of the county auditor's appraised value. Municipal Court Clerk of Court Republican Primary — Elect one: Gary Burkholder, Carrie Masterson. City councils Newark City Council Ward 3 Republican Primary: Molly Ingold, Jeff Rath. Countywide County Children Services: a 1-mill replacement for 10 years. County Line Joint Fire District: an additional 4.5 mills for five years for fire and EMS operations. Municipal Issues Heath: A renewal of 1-mill for five years for fire and EMS. Granville Recreation District: A renewal levy of 0.75-mill for five years for parks and recreation. Hanover Township: An additional 0.5-mill for five years for operating cemeteries. Hopewell Township: A renewal of 2 mills for five years for roads and bridges. Madison Township: A renewal of 2.3 mills for five years for fire and emergency medical services. Newark Township: An additional 1.5-mills for five years for roads and bridges. Perry Township: A replacement 3 mills for five years for fire and EMS. St. Albans Township: A renewal of 3 mills with an increase of an additional 7 mills for five years for fire and EMS. Village of Alexandria: Increase the village income tax from the current 0.50% to 1.5% for municipal expenses, like police protection. Village of Buckeye Lake: An additional property tax of 4 mills for three years for police protection, to generate $524,000 annually. Village of Hanover: A replacement 3 mills for five years for streets and walkways. West Licking Joint Fire District: A continuing replacement 3 mills. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Columbus City Council candidates debate how to fix housing affordability crisis
Three Columbus City Council candidates differed at a forum Wednesday on how to address one of Columbus' biggest problems: rising housing costs. All three candidates enthusiastically expressed their support for making housing more affordable, just as they agreed amicably on many progressive ideals like unions, better transportation and community-style policing. But the candidates differed on how to tackle the housing problem and by how much their ideas strayed from the status quo of the current city council, which is all Democrats. Jesse Vogel, an immigration attorney, said the status quo in Columbus is not sufficient. Kate Curry-Da-Souza, former chair of the Near East Area Commission, said she represents a different choice as the independent running against two Democrats. Tiara Ross, an assistant city attorney, touted her experience working in the city for nearly a decade as a zoning attorney. The three candidates are vying in a May 6 primary to move on to the Nov. 4 general election and fill the District 7 Council seat vacated by Shayla Favor's election to Franklin County prosecutor. Two will proceed from the primary to the general election. While the winner would represent District 7, which includes much of Columbus' core neighborhoods, council candidates are elected by a citywide vote. The Franklin County Democratic Party and other local Democratic and progressive groups hosted the Wednesday forum at the Goodale Park Shelterhouse, at which moderators and the audience asked questions. Columbus' shortage of housing, particularly affordable housing, and rising homelessness was asked about multiple times throughout the night. Vogel, who frequently recalled his work as an attorney representing tenants in eviction court before he switched jobs, proposed a different way of spending the city's $200 million affordable housing bond package. "Our voters have given authority for the city to go out and raise money on the bond markets to invest in affordable housing. Rather than invest that in one-off projects, what I propose to do is invest that into a revolving fund where the city develops and then holds housing and then the rents come back and help continue to build that fund so our taxpayer dollars aren't thrown away into project by project," he said. Vogel also criticized what he called a lack of leadership that led to 30 homeless residents being turned out of a hotel over the weekend. The Community Shelter Board moved residents in despite the city's ongoing case with the property over crime and safety issues in a breakdown in communications, he said. Vogel said if he's elected, he'll build a working group of community organizations that understand homelessness. Ross said the problem Columbus' housing market is facing is as simple as supply and demand. It's a theory frequently expressed by current council members and underlies their ongoing zoning code overhaul. "We do not have enough housing period. Oftentimes our conversation is very focused on we need more affordable housing. We need more housing that is affordable to everyone in every income bracket so that the pressure is released from the bottom," Ross said. Ross said she spoke with a woman in the audience whose friend lived outside because no shelter would take his pets. "We have to be making it easier to get housing units online so that folks can be housed," Ross said. More news about the District 7 race: Columbus City Council candidate addresses license suspension, unpaid parking tickets Curry-Da-Souza said, "It is about building more housing, but it is also about keeping the housing that we have in good shape." She pointed to how many people put up with substandard housing like the shuttered Latitude Five25 apartment building. "We have a lot of other issues also with substandard housing, where people are like in Sawyer Towers, where people were so desperate to not be homeless, ... that they were staying in such terrible living conditions. So we really need to be more proactive in what we do with the housing that we currently have," Curry-Da-Souza said. She also said the city spends too much on clearing homeless camps. She proposed that the vacant home registry Columbus is building could be used to identify opportunity properties. "Where are the vacant homes that are in Columbus that could be rehabbed, and we can be getting those back online because those come online a lot faster than brand new projects," she said. jlaird@ @LairdWrites This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus City Council candidates differ on affordable housing policy
