Seventy Four percent of Columbus voters Tuesday approved a charter amendment allowing for the creation of a civilian review board to investigate police misconduct.
The board will direct, fund and staff an independent Inspector General department to investigate allegations of excessive use of force and other police actions. The board will have subpoena powers and can recommend disciplinary action.
Seventy Six percent of Columbus voters approved a clean energy initiative. The city will contract to provide residents and small businesses competitively-priced, clean electricity from a retail generation supplier certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Participation will be voluntary, and residents can opt-out at any time.
Seventy One percent of Franklin County voters approved a levy for the county's Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health board.
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Long time Franklin County prosecutor Ron O’Brien lost his bid for a seventh term last night, saying the climate in the county has become increasingly uncomfortable for Republicans. Retired Democratic Judge Gary Tyack, still recovering from a stroke in September, took 53 percent of the vote. While he admits the party played a role in his win, Tyack believes his support for the Columbus ballot issue to create a citizen police oversight panel was a more important factor.
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Democratic incumbents held onto their Franklin County Commission seats Tuesday against first time candidates. With 97 percent of the votes counted, two-term commissioner John O’Grady had a two-to-one lead over Republican challenger Luis Gil. Incumbent Kevin Boyce, former Columbus city council member and former state treasurer, held a similar lead over Republican Andrew Littler.
