City Council Details Process and Timeline to Fill Vacancy
November 17, 2022
{COLUMBUS, OH} -- Following last week’s announcement that City Council President Pro Tempore Elizabeth Brown will leave her seat to serve as the President and CEO of the YWCA Columbus, Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin is outlining the process to fill the vacancy as required by the provisions of the City Charter and Code.
“To ensure the continuity of governing, Council must fill vacant seats based on the process outlined in the City Code,” said President Shannon Hardin. “As we prepare for historic changes at Council, moving to a nine-member hybrid district system to better represent our neighborhoods, I believe the City would be best served by an experienced civic leader who can act as a caretaker. While I am only one member of this body, I will be looking for applicants to finish the one year remainder of Council President Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown’s term rather than applicants planning to campaign for the seat in the 2023 elections.”
In a memo to City Council Members, Council President Shannon Hardin provided an outline of the timeline and process. Applications will be accepted beginning Tuesday, November 29, 2022. Applicants must email a current resume to [email protected] by Friday, December 9, 2022, at 12:00pm, which will be filed with the City Clerk pursuant to Columbus City Code section 111.35(A). Members of Council will submit a list of finalists to the Clerk by Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at 12:00pm.
A public hearing will be held the week of January 2, 2023 to hear comment from the public on the list of finalists. Members of the public who wish to provide testimony, either in-person or digitally via WebEx, should email [email protected] with the subject line “Speaking at Vacancy Public Hearing” by noon on the day of the hearing. Written testimony may also be emailed to [email protected].
During the January 9, 2023 council meeting, Council Members will nominate applicants for the vacancy and vote to appoint a new member. If a majority of Council Members vote to appoint a nominee, they will then be eligible to be sworn in under oath and take office pursuant to Section 5 of the City Charter and Section 111.35 of Columbus City Code.
The full memo can be viewed here.