For City Council, stick with success
We endorse Brown, Hardin and Tyson
The Dispatch endorses incumbents Mitchell J. Brown, Shannon G. Hardin and Priscilla R. Tyson in the Nov. 7 races for Columbus City Council.
When something is successful, it’s unwise to gamble on the unknown and shake things up out of an itch for adventure, or because it is appealing to groom bright young people who have little life experience and scant political or business knowledge. The legislative leadership of the nation’s 14th-largest city is not the place for a panel that requires on-the-job training.
Council members must possess a breadth of expertise and understanding, alongside good intentions and dreams. In these days of hurly-burly growth and complex social issues, Columbus requires experienced leadership with a proven background of being able to get things done.
Tyson, elected to the council in 2007, heads its finance, health and human services, and workforce development committees. She is the most senior member of council, by length of service, and thus brings invaluable institutional knowledge. She is quiet, not bombastic — weighing issues for pros and cons and to broker community consensus — and is a principled woman who truly cares about serving those who are struggling. She is a senior director at Alvis House, a re-entry and recovery program.
Tyson, 62, a Columbus native, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration. She and her husband raised five children and reside on the East Side.
Brown’s resume, personable demeanor and intellect make him an invaluable asset to residents in his current gig as a council member. Brown joined the Columbus council in 2016, accepting an open seat for what he thought would be a brief stint after retiring as director of the Columbus Department of Public Safety. (He is also a U.S. Air Force veteran and former Ohio Public Safety director and Cleveland safety director.)
He has enjoyed the political side of public service and sees an opportunity to put his vast administrative expertise to a different use. For instance, as safety director in Columbus, he enacted record-keeping and data-tracking to prevent racial profiling.
Brown, 69, and his wife live on the Far East Side and have a grown daughter.
Hardin, 30, is the youngest member of the council, but he is not inexperienced. He grew up at Columbus City Hall, where his mother was an aide to then-Councilman and later-Mayor Michael B. Coleman; he became Hardin’s mentor.
Hardin, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, was appointed to the council in 2014 and elected to an unexpired term in 2015. He has quickly earned a reputation as a good listener for community concerns and as a smart advocate who does his homework. He is focused on transportation issues, looking ahead to Columbus’ growth; on diversifying city police and fire forces; and developing affordable housing. He lives on the South Side.
Together, these three incumbents have proved their ability to work with each other and the community to improve this city. To keep Columbus strong, The Dispatch urges voters to retain Mitchell J. Brown, Shannon G. Hardin and Priscilla R. Tyson on Columbus City Council.