These comments were always intended for private conversations but Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin continually ignore us so, now I am compelled to speak publicly. Ginther served on the Columbus School Board six years before his appointment to City Council. Then he was elected Mayor in 2016. Hardin was appointed to Council in 2014 and has been President since 2018.

Here is an abbreviated recap of the Ginther-Hardin legacy. Columbus ranked as the second most economically segregated major US city in 2015. In 2022, the JPMorgan Chase report found racial inequities cost Columbus’ economy $10 billion annually. A 2024 report said Columbus is growing by leaps and bounds but is 700 years behind in racial equality.

In July 2025, JD Vance said Columbus is lawless. In September, Columbus Police Lieutenant and Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) President Brian Steel had his SUV with Marine Corp plates stolen from his driveway. Last week, NBC4 reported 182 cities were ranked and Columbus placed at No. 159, making it the 24th most unsafe city. It ranked even lower at No. 164 for home and community safety.

Columbus is in its second decade of Ginther-Hardin leadership. Do you feel safer today than 10 years ago? Hardin agrees with JD Vance. He said there was no credible threat but since 2023, taxpayers pay for all councilmembers’ security details, official business and “to an unknown extent their personal outings at restaurants and performances.”

“Officers are shifted out of other more general assignments in order to focus full time on Council members,” he said. Taxpayers pay a premium because “officers with the most seniority get first choice at these details.”

By contrast, our efforts to obtain no parking signs for seniors’ residences are stymied. Due to Council’s aggressive parking reductions, on street parking is no longer possible and code says they are ineligible when rear parking via alley access is available. Council legislated so that developers don’t need any parking so now handicapped, female seniors must carry their purses and groceries from the back alley while paying taxes for sworn officers to babysit Council members.

Like tax abatements, Zone-In is another colossal failure evidenced by the city’s retaliation, withholding investments and services and Hardin’s slanderous, race baiting lies against Driving Park. Ask Hardin for the address of the 80 percent market rate housing development he says “the good people of Driving Park that raised him” opposed. Ask Shayla Favor for the address of the 60 percent AMI development she lectured on and played word games to publicly embarrass an elder and sorority sister.

Driving Park Civic opposed the development for several well documented, egregious reasons, including everyone’s refusal to disclose the brownfield chemicals and quantities. Inhumanity and cruelty led to not one, not two but three unanimous Council votes to rezone the commercial brownfield for housing despite registered sex offenders residing for years within eyeshot. Now at least 14 sex offenders, some Tier II, can sit on their lawns and watch residents. Tier II includes juveniles adjudicated as delinquent for committing any sexually oriented offense or any child-victim oriented offense. Since 2022, we have repeatedly asked for the project’s maximum occupancy and everyone refuses to respond. Unlike Ginther, Hardin and all Council members, reasonable minds agree the very purpose of the sex offender registry is to protect everyone especially children.

Ginther, Hardin and Council have repeatedly been asked to tour our neighborhood. Invitations were also extended to Tiara Ross and Jesse Vogel. No city representatives accepted but we greatly appreciate Ms. Ross including our neighborhood in the Columbus Police Community Immersion Program. It is mutually beneficial and continues building upon our decades of community police engagement. However, Ms. Ross parrots Hardin with alarming statements like area commissions and civic associations hinder development. Conversely, Jesse Vogel responded immediately, toured and was disturbed by the adverse impact of the city’s myopic, singular focus on developers and businesses.

Good leaders represent ALL, and should engage, not exploit constituents and never intimidate, slander and violate free speech. Vindictive acts to silence dissent are repugnantly undemocratic and un-American. Historically, Columbus has been on the side of justice even when the nation’s moral compass was misguided. Columbus, it’s time for change.