Publisher’s Note: Columbus Voters: Are Your Elected Leaders Truly Serving You?

Election season is heating up, with candidates vying for your vote and making lofty promises. But do they genuinely have the best interests of Columbus citizens at heart, or are they beholden to corporate backers? Local voters face complex issues, including a proposed $100 million annual tax levy from a seemingly unengaged Columbus City School board. The district’s employment makeup doesn’t reflect the community it serves: most teachers and administrators neither live in the district nor enroll their children there. With a largely white teaching staff and a predominantly Black student body, the board also fails to contract with Black vendors and performs poorly in state academic assessments.

Despite these challenges, the board president is asking for the community’s trust, all while maintaining opaque spending habits and seemingly disregarding Black leadership. So, do our votes really make a difference, especially when candidates often get elected via political endorsements?

Further complicating matters, the city must grapple with hefty tax abatements approved by elected officials, despite public disapproval. These abatements deplete funds for public education and impose extra financial burdens on citizens. And how should the community react to school board members who admit to voting on legislation they haven’t even read?

Lastly, the issue of silence among some Black leaders further exacerbates the problem. Afraid of losing status or organizational funding, they are unable or unwilling to address issues affecting the Black community. Who controls these leaders, and why?

Clearly, Columbus voters have a lot to ponder. The ultimate question remains: how can we hold our elected officials accountable?

Just my thoughts…rwb