About the Commission
Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman and City Council President Andrew J. Ginther have created the Charter Review Commission for the purpose of reviewing the Columbus City Charter and making recommendations for potential revisions.
The highly regarded civic leaders who serve on the commission will study the operation of city government and help find ways to improve our service to the community. At its April 17 meeting, the commission adopted the bylaws that will govern its process.
Charter Review Commission members:
- State Representative Michael F. Curtin, co-chair
- Columbus attorney Marchelle E. Moore, Vice President of Legal & Government Affairs and General Counsel for the Central Ohio Transit Authority, co-chair
- Jeff Cabot, Executive Director of Kids Voting Central Ohio
- Dawn Tyler Lee, Senior Vice President of Community Impact for United Way of Central Ohio
- Columbus City Auditor Hugh J. Dorrian
Staff contacts:
- Commission Secretary: City Clerk Angie Blevins, (614) 645-7431
- Mayor’s Office Liaison to the Commission: Deputy Chief of Staff Sherry Kish, (614) 645-7671
- City Council Liaison to the Commission: Senior Legislative Advisor Bryan Clark, (614) 645-6992
The Columbus City Charter, originally adopted by voters in 1914, outlines the fundamental rights, powers and responsibilities of the citizens and their elected municipal officials. The Columbus City Charter was last amended in 2010, 1999 and 1998. In each of these instances, revisions to the Charter were limited to specific sections.
The Charter review will be comprehensive and open to the public, culminating in recommendations to the Mayor and Council that may include specific amendment language; suggestions to improve, clarify or modernize the Charter; or recommendations to further research sections that require additional consideration or deliberation. Any recommendations made by the Charter Review Commission to amend the Charter will require a vote of Council and the approval of Columbus voters.
The Charter Review Commission expects to begin holding public meetings in April and to continue to meet through the spring and into the summer. There is no specific deadline for recommendations to the Mayor and Council. Meetings will be recorded for rebroadcast by CTV, Columbus’ government television channel on local cable systems.