The small fraction of Columbus voters who cast ballots in Tuesday's special election resoundingly dismissed Issue 1, a proposal that would have expanded the Columbus City Council and included 10 district representatives by 2018. About 71.6 percent of the 49,009 votes cast were against the issue. Voter turnout Tuesday was 9 percent unofficially, a low turnout that was still higher than many Columbus elected and Franklin County Board of Elections officials expected.

The small fraction of Columbus voters who cast ballots in Tuesday's special election resoundingly dismissed Issue 1, a proposal that would have expanded the Columbus City Council and included 10 district representatives by 2018.

About 71.6 percent of the 49,009 votes cast were against the issue. Voter turnout Tuesday was 9 percent unofficially, a low turnout that was still higher than many Columbus elected and Franklin County Board of Elections officials expected.

The elections board must still certify the results before they are official.

Issue 1 proposed expanding the council from seven seats, all at-large, to 13 seats by 2018. Ten of those council members would have been elected from wards, with the other three elected at-large.

The resounding defeat and low turnout is a signal for the Democrats who now hold all the elected offices at City Hall that the public feels comfortable with the path they're taking.

>>> Issue 1: Complete coverage

�Columbus voters have spoken loudly and unambiguously – they don�t want Issue 1�s confusing, costly plan for their local government,� said Bryan Clark, who took a leave from Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther's office to work as the campaign manager for One Columbus, the political action committee formed to oppose Issue 1. �Voters have also rejected the negative, sky-is-falling rhetoric of the pro-Issue 1 campaign.�

The special election cost Columbus taxpayers about $1.1 million.

Whitney Smith, a co-organizer of Represent Columbus which brought forward the proposal, said the issue's opponents were able to win because they significantly outspent her group during the campaign.

"The message I am taking away is that our opponents outspent us 10-to-1," Smith said. "They had over $1 million of misinformation and suppressing the vote."

Smith cited One Columbus television commercials and mail pieces that called Issue 1 a "Republican power grab."

One Columbus, the anti-issue campaign, was backed financially by the city�s largest business owners, developers and labor unions. The group reported raising more than $500,000 leading up to the election, according to its filings with the elections board.

Smith's Represent Columbus showed spending of about $300,000 in cash and in-kind help leading up to election. Both groups still must file a final report with the elections board that will detail total expenditures.

Issue 1 has sparked tensions between Democrats in power and some neighborhood leaders who said officials at City hall have become deaf to their needs.

City Hall Democrats have fired back that Issue 1 was politically motivated and launched a campaign that suggested it was a Republican-driven venture.

Represent Columbus had argued that expanding the council and adding districts was necessary to overcome allegations of corruption, favoritism toward developers and large businesses and a lack of accountability on the current City Council.

Tuesday night Jonathan Beard, one of the co-organizers of Represent Columbus, said his group�s fight will go on to change City Hall.

"The issue doesn't go away," Beard said. "But at least we know now those at City Hall are listening so we will see what changes are made."

Democrats at City Hall have said throughout the campaign that they want to study changes. Councilman Shannon G. Hardin said the process to appoint new members to vacant city council seats should be examined that the concerns of the public need to be heard.

Mayor Ginther has said he will form a group to review the city�s charter to see what changes might be made to increase transparency and accountability. He said he wants to look at "modernizing the city."

Ginther said if the will of the people is to expand council, then he would support that. He has declined to say whether he feels such an expansion is necessary.

Before being elected mayor in November, Ginther served as council president for four years. During his tenure on the council he repeatedly stated that Columbus is on the right path and there�s not a need to significantly change the way things are done at City Hall.

James Ragland, a Democrat who ran against Ginther in last year�s mayoral primary and who was paid by the One Columbus campaign to help beat back Issue 1, said Tuesday�s results send a clear message:

�We have a modern urban city and the voters realize and have caught onto that momentum,� Ragland said. �But we are going to get out there and continue to hear from the people.�

Smith said that though her proposal went down by a wide number, the city is headed for change.

"We definitely moved the ball forward when it comes to Columbus voters wanting better representation," she said.

lsullivan@dispatch.com

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