Columbus City Council’s decision to appoint Otto Beatty III to replace outgoing City Council member and newly elected Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor should come as no surprise. Council President Hardin was apparently warned of the illegalities of his demands that the appointee be “an African American woman and somebody not seeking election to the seat in November” and appointed an African-American male. Hardin has no legal authority to place restrictions on the appointee from running for the seat or demanding that they be of a certain gender. The reason he places restrictions on running for the seat is to give the false impression that they are not giving the appointed person the advantage of incumbency in the future election for the seat. It really doesn't matter because the Franklin County Democratic Party will endorse a preordained candidate for the seat whether it’s the appointee or someone else.

City Council's appointment process is a farce and always has been no matter what they do to give it the appearance that it's on the up and up. The selectee is chosen weeks prior to the formal announcement after assurances are made that they will be a good foot soldier that follows orders, rubber stamps legislation, genuflects to developers, and bows down to Ginther and Hardin.

Otto Beatty III is not only the stepson of Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, but married to Michael Colemans former deputy chief of staff Christie Angel. Ms. Angel is also one of 15 board members of Downtown Columbus Inc. (formerly the Downtown Development Corporation of which Coleman serves as its City of Columbus lobbyists). She is also serving as a member of Franklin County Prosecutor Shayla Favor’s 14-person transition team. Interesting too that the YWCA hired the firm Broadview Talent Partners to search for her replacement as the former YWCA Executive Director and Ms. Angel is now a managing partner of that firm.    

Among other things, Otto Beatty III is a real estate investor and a member of the Downtown Commission and Development Commission. Who better to see that developers continue to control development policy and to assure their bank accounts are overflowing at the taxpayers’ expense? Unless true city council districts are created where only the voters of a particular district are permitted to vote for their district representatives (and not the entire city electorate) this oligarchy will continue. District voters should also decide on who is appointed to an open seat. Not the power brokers and establishment of Columbus who control City Council and who allow this appointment process of musical chairs to continue.