Columbus Freepress - November 7th 2013 Nov 7 2013 | Page 17
Continued from pg. 5
Schools? Together, we can. It’s time for
the community to create a plan for reform
in Columbus City Schools. Parents for
Real Education Reform in Columbus City
Schools want to engage you to form the
NEW Columbus Education Reform Plan.”
No Big Surprises Here: Council Incumbents
Roll to Easy Victories
In an election that shocked absolutely
nobody, the three Columbus City Council
incumbents -- A. Troy Miller, Priscilla
Tyson, and Eileen Paley -- were returned to
office, continuing the string of victories by
incumbent council members. It has been
sixteen years since an incumbent lost an
election, last happening when Republican
Peggy Fisher lost to Democrat Maryellen
O’Shaugnessey.
The vote count for the incumbent winners
was Tyson (47,500), Paley (43,603), Miller
(42,704). The vote totals for the challengers
were: Brian Bainbridge (24,460), Greg Lawson (26,139) and Nick Schneider (16,454).
Under the City Charter adopted in 1914,
the City of Columbus has nonpartisan
elections for council, and party affiliations
are not listed on the ballot. However,
campaigns for council are clearly partisan
in nature and the current council is 100%
Democrat, and has been since 2002.
Campaign finance reports filed October
31st revealed that campaign financing continues to be a major issue for challengers,
as Brian Bainbridge for Columbus reported
raising $1,434.99, Friends of Greg Lawson
reported raising $2,826.43, and the Nick
Schneider Tyranny Prevention Fund raised
$482.05.
In contrast, Citizens for Priscilla Tyson
raised $22,010.35 and also benefited from
$58,901.58 of in-kind contributions from
Friends of Ginther; A. Troy Miller for Columbus raised $7,110.74 and benefited from
$58,751.58 from Friends of Ginther; and
Paley for Columbus raised $12,159.30 and
also benefited from $58,751.58 contributed
in kind from Friends of Ginther. The major
in-kind contributions from Friends for Ginther were for radio time and TV time, which
the challengers did not have.
The Columbus Coalition for Responsive
Government has announced it will be filing
a proposed campaign finance reform law
that would limit transfers of money between
candidates. Denise Benning of the Coalition
states, “quite frankly, we believe all candidates should carry their own water. There
should never be any doubt in voters’ minds
about whether a candidate is independent, or
beholden to another council member due to
the contributions that keep them in office.”
Incumbent Auditor and City Attorney Returned to Office
Unopposed City Attorney Richard Pfeiffer
was returned to office by the voters, winning
65,385 votes. City Auditor Hugh Dorrian
will also be returning for his 45th year in
office, defeating the nominal opposition offered by newcomer Igor Ternovsky (63,432
to 8,093).
Issues 1, 2, 3, and 4 Pass
Columbus bond issues 1, 2, 3, and 4 were
passed by the voters handily, and will allow
for capital investments in public safety,
parks and recreation, public service, and
publ X? ][]Y\??[??\??Y[?[??\??Y?H?]Z[?Y??X?[? H\ ?[?Y[??\??Y[?[??\???Y?H[?]??[?? ?\? ?KY[X?Y?H B???\??? Y\?^KY?X][????[??XX??B?[??[Y\?YZ\? ?]XX?X\??[??
? M
?? K
L?[? MK
?M? ??\? ?\?X?]?[ K?????[Z] YH??]^?[??Y?Z[??\??YH
L ??LH ?[X\?\??ZY[[?\???[?[?????\????'???S?HS?U?T??'B??H??[Z] YH??]^?[??Y?Z[??\??YH
L ?
LH ?[ ?\??[?\??\??[??[? ?]H ?[? ?????X?[??? HY X?][???[ ?[?[? H B??? [X?\??] H???? ?\? ?X? ?H??[Z] YH ?[ ??? ?][?]^?[?? ?? H ?Y? [?????[ H?[ ?[?[? H ?\?[H[?[?????\? ??H??[Z] YH ?\]Y\? ? H?]H]Y]??&\???X?H ?[X\?H[???X][???Y?\?[?? H]H ?Y??[??[??\?Y?][? ?\? ? H?]^?[???\?[? ?? B??? [X?\??] H???? ?\? ?X? ??H??[Z] YH ?\]Y\? ? H ???X?]??&\???X?H?[H[?H?[Z[?[?\??\?\?[\?^X?]H ??\??[Z[?[ ???Y \?H ?Y ?\?????\????[?\?Y[??\? ??[?[ ??H??[Z] YH\??? ] HX^[??&\??\??[? ??????[Z\??[??B?\??[X?Y? ?K[??[?^?Y ?[?? YH \?[? ?[?[?]?Y X[ ?]?[?? ?][??H?? [X?\??] H???? ?\? ?X? ??H??[Z] YH ?\]Y\? ? H[?\??[]Y]??H ?] \??Y ? ] ??][??[??]?[?[ H???\?][? ???? YH[??\?Y?][?[? ?\?? ?H???\????]\?[??\?K???]^?[?? ?\]Y\?H?\??X?[ [H[? ???[H]Y] ?]Z[[???\???[??XX??Z[[??\\?Y[?[?YZ[?\? ?]]?H??X?H?H??\[Y??XX????][?[? H\? ?X? ???]^?[??[???\?Y?H[?\?? ] H?? [X?\??] H?????\?[B???X??]H ?] H??[][?] H ?]?[?H??\ ?Z[??]?HY X?][? [??] ?[ ?[ H?[?Y?][?[ ?[?[??? [X?\??] H???? ???M??