Columbus City Council

Editorial
The best pick
City Council appointees need broad vision, should not be agents of narrow interests
Sunday, January 4, 2009 3:27 AM
City Council members have no shortage of hopefuls from which to choose two new colleagues: At least 65 people have applied for the seats left vacant by Maryellen O'Shaughnessy's election as clerk of Franklin County Common Pleas Court and Kevin L. Boyce's appointment as state treasurer.
But the pool of suitable candidates isn't quite that large. Some applicants have backgrounds or agendas that open to question their commitment to serve the entire city.
Many of the best City Council members over the years entered public service because of interest in a specific issue. And leadership in a civic group that serves a limited geographical area is a natural starting point for community leaders. But City Council has only seven members, each of whom must represent Columbus at large. Serving on the council requires the willingness to set priorities from a citywide perspective.
Activists who have sought to maximize a certain constituency's piece of the budget pie must recognize a responsibility for the entire pie and for all residents. Put another way, they're seeking promotion to management and must look out for the good of the corporation, not just the best deal for the department they came from.
The hopefuls also should realize the difficult circumstances in which they would take office. A City Council facing an $80 million budget shortfall for 2009 lacks the wherewithal to bestow favors on any group or cause, however worthy.
Until the financial picture improves, serving on the council will require saying no more often than yes.
Current members say they have made the selection process more open than in the past, when they were criticized for announcing the picks weeks before taking the official vote, making obvious that they had conferred and decided outside of public view.
This time, they say they won't confer before the vote.
They could prove their commitment to openness by holding a public discussion at a council meeting of the candidates' strengths and weaknesses. In an election, council candidates are publicly subjected to tough questions and criticism; council appointees should be able to withstand the same scrutiny. The public should know why a candidate is chosen or rejected.
Members should appreciate the importance of a fair process leading to a good choice; all of the sitting members originally came to their seats by appointment.
Voters eventually get the chance to ratify council appointments, when appointees must run for the remainder of a term or for election to a full term.