Former Safety Director Is New Columbus City Council Member

Columbus City Council last night appointed former Safety Director Mitch Brown to a vacant council seat. The 66-year-old Brown succeeds Eileen Paley, who was elected as a Franklin County judge last November. He was the frontrunner since the list of applicants was released last month. Brown was forced to resign in 2014 amid criticism by now-former Mayor Michael Coleman and  then council member Zach Klein over problems with the crime lab, the police paid-leave system, ignored resident complaints and cruiser cameras. Klein took over as council president earlier this month. Brown did not attend last night's council meeting.