My neighbor thinks I hate Columbus City Council; that’s just not true.

Look at the recent ordinance passed December 2025 to regulate submetering companies in Columbus.

Submetering is out of control in Ohio and there are two bills in the state house to provide better regulation, but neither is going anywhere. While our state government does nothing some submetering companies are over-charging renters for electricity.

But Columbus City Council wasn’t going to ignore this challenge. Instead of waiting, they went to work and passed a new ordinance to:

1. Prohibit submetering companies from charging a tenant more than what is charged by a utility provider.

2. Cap administrative fees at $8 per billing cycle.

3. Prohibits late fees that are more than what a utility provider is charging, and

4. Prohibits a landlord from billing tenants for spaces primarily used by a landlord at an apartment complex.

Were some submetering companies taking advantage of apartment renters?

Yes, some of their charges were extreme and aimed to make as much money as possible at the expense of the renter. Columbus City Council put a stop to that with the new ordinance they passed.

This is an example of how city government should work.

They clearly identified a problem. Found a solution. Passed an ordinance to solve the injustice. Their time and effort made the lives of hundreds of people better. Their work should make you proud to live in Columbus and I am thankful for their leadership.

Now, does this mean that we should ignore the fact that City Hall doesn’t do enough to solve homelessness? Nope.

Or that the Mayor and City Council continue to waste our taxes on useless projects? Nope.

Or that the system used to elect City Council is broken beyond repair? Nope.

And that’s the frustrating thing about city government in Columbus.

For all of the bad decisions that they make, every now and then they sincerely do the right thing; like passing an ordinance to better regulate submetering.

So to my neighbor (you know who you are): I don’t hate Columbus City Council.

I just love Columbus enough to question their bad decisions… and you should too.

Government only works when you pay attention and ask questions.