Columbus City Council last night appointed a local realtor and the head of Northland Community Council as the newest city council member.
Emmanuel Remy will replace former Council President Zach Klein, who is the new city attorney. His term runs through the end of 2019. Remy said last night he was a bit surprised by the selection, but he's ready to go.
Remy was selected from a pool of 13 finalists, and will be sworn-in at a later date. Remy worked on the Franklin County Democratic Party’s successful fight against a 2016 ballot issue that would have expanded council and created council districts. The runner up in last November's elections, Jasmine Ayres, was a long-shot finalist. She is a member of the Yes We Can coalition of local Democrats that has been pushing change in the county party. The coalition held a demonstration outside of City Hall yesterday, protesting council's appointment process. Members say the system favors political insiders and people who have business with the city, and keeps diverse viewpoints off of the panel. The last Republican to serve on council was Jeanette Bradley in the early 2000s.