Candidates running for office in Nelsonville address government uncertainty at a roundtable
By: Haley Richardson
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – During Tuesday night’s roundtable for Nelsonville candidates, voters had one main question on their minds: What happens to the government Jan. 1?
“It’s still a question, it’s going to be decided,” he said.
Holmes is one of three mayoral candidates running for a position that does not currently exist and may not even after the election.
Current Councilmember Jonathan Flowers and former Council Vice President Nancy Sonick are also running for mayor, but Sonick was unable to attend the League of Women Voters’ roundtable.
Jan. 1 marks when Issue 23, a citizen-led ballot initiative voters passed last November, mandated a change from the city’s charter government to a statutory government with an independent mayor and partisan council.
However, the council repealed Issue 23 in August, citing concerns over the lack of a transition plan between when the current councilmembers’ terms end Nov. 30 and the new government would take effect Jan. 1. This gap became known as the December problem.
The city then asked the Ohio Supreme Court to remove all candidates running under Issue 23 from the November ballot. The court denied Nelsonville’s request but did not rule on the validity of the council’s repeal of Issue 23.
Now, a candidate for auditor under Issue 23 is challenging the repeal in the Athens County Court of Common Pleas, but it is unlikely the court will resolve the issue before Election Day. This means there may be two governments Jan. 1, one under Issue 23 and one under the charter.
However, until the court makes a decision on the validity of the repeal, Issue 23 is no longer in effect.
This means all the candidates at Tuesday’s roundtable are running for positions that technically do not exist.
Despite the confusion surrounding which government will take effect Jan. 1, Holmes and Flowers say they plan to continue their mayoral campaigns.
“We are not victims, we are survivors. We survived COVID … we have survived a bypass, we are not victims,” Holmes said.
Flowers echoed Holmes’ sentiment.
“I want to make this city proud of being this city,” he said.
If elected, Holmes said he wants to prioritize improving the city’s infrastructure to attract new businesses. He said he wants to focus on rental property inspections to better serve Nelsonville renters.
“This rental inspection has to get done because we have certain sections of our population that’s not being taken care of,” Holmes said.
Flowers said he also wants to bring more businesses to fill vacant properties and for local businesses to emphasize their roots in Nelsonville. By employing beautification tactics, Flowers said he wants to clean up the city.
“I want to do a lot of code enforcement, not to punish anybody for a violation, but to give the city more of a shine,” he said.
Despite the ongoing uncertainty concerning the city’s form of government, Holmes said he believes the city will prevail.
“Nelsonville is going to survive this, there’s no question. Exactly how, I’m not sure, but I can guarantee you, Nelsonville will survive,” Holmes said.