Columbus City Councilmember Priscilla Tyson Announces Retirement
[Columbus, OH] – The following statement can be attributed in full, or in part, to Councilmember Priscilla R. Tyson:
"As a lifelong resident of Columbus, I was honored to join Columbus City Council in January of 2007. When joining the body, my goals were to expand my commitment to public service, continue to be a role model for girls and young women, and increase the access and opportunities for every citizen to live their best lives. I believed then, as I do now, that public service is a calling rooted in service to one another.
"Today, I am announcing that I will not be seeking another term on Columbus City Council and retiring from office on December 31, 2021. Columbus is a special place, and I am humbled by the 14-plus years of civic, legislative service that you have entrusted to me. Our partnership has focused on maximizing job creation, economic development, safety, and a high quality of life for all Columbus residents. Leadership understands that true success requires a strong team, where every member contributes their portion.
"As the longest-serving woman Councilmember in Columbus history, I will be forever grateful for your support of my leadership and the many accomplishments we share:
- Together, we invested in programs designed to create pathways out of poverty, increasing access to food, healthcare, and employment opportunities
- Together, we passed the first joint City-County Food Plan in the nation aimed at reducing food insecurity;
- Together, we sponsored housing and homelessness prevention programs; funding $1.7 million in home repairs in the Driving Park neighborhood through the James Johnson Driving Park Home Repair Program;
- Together, we created the first city funding for the Columbus Arts Commission and Community Gardening;
- Together, we increased funding to recruit small and minority businesses;
- Together, we updated the Columbus Civil Rights Code to protect people on the basis of age, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, familial status, and military status;
- Together, we successfully passed T21 legislation, which raised the legal age of selling tobacco and tobacco products from 18 to 21 in an effort to improve the overall health of Columbus residents;
- Together, we established the Crown Act to ensure protection against discrimination based on race-based hairstyles by extending statutory protection to hair texture and protective styles;
- Together, we declared racism a public health crisis by acknowledging that the health impact of racism is affecting our entire community;
- Together, we established the Commission on Black Girls to study and assess the quality of life of Black Girls in Central Ohio.
"My twenty-seven years of service to the City of Columbus, at both City Council and The Civil Service Commission, represents some of the most important work in my career. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you!"