Ward 3 Columbus Councilman Charlie Box said Monday he does not plan to run for a fourth term in 2021.
“I’ll keep my options open, but my mind’s pretty much made up,” Box told The Dispatch. “I’ve been made up for the last two or three months.”
Box, first elected in 2009, said while some of his constituents have asked him to run again, he feels many citizens are offering nothing but complaints about how the city is run with no solutions.
“I’ve had a lot of people asking me to run again and all that, but this is not fun,” said Box, who at 80 is the council’s eldest member. “It’s a thankless job. … It’s just aggravating. If people are really sincere, they’ll come up and talk and try to work things out.”
Box’s announcement comes two weeks before candidates must qualify for the upcoming elections at the city clerk’s office. Qualifying begins on Jan. 4.
Box was the only elected official in the city who told The Dispatch he won’t run again, with Mayor Robert Smith saying he definitely would, and the other council members all saying they will at least consider re-election.
The nearly-four term mayor, who was first voted in office in a 2006 special election after former mayor Jeffrey Rupp resigned, confirmed this morning he plans to qualify.
“I look forward to serving the city of Columbus for the next four years, and working with the businesses, the (Golden Triangle Development) LINK and all other organizations to help improve and progress the city of Columbus,” Smith told The Dispatch. “There are some things that, due to COVID-19, we haven’t had a chance to complete and finish. It’s been a challenging year, 2020, because of the pandemic for all elected officials and their respective municipalities.”
Both Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens and Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones told The Dispatch they would run again.
Mickens has served three terms on the council, beginning in 2009. Jones was first elected in a special election in 2016 to fill former Councilman Kabir Karriem’s seat after Karriem was elected to the state Legislature. Jones won re-election in 2017 and is about to complete his first full term in office.
Both Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard and Ward 6 Councilman Bill Gavin told The Dispatch they are still considering their options. Beard said he will announce his decision in January.
Gavin was also first elected in 2009 and would be seeking his fourth term.
Beard was elected in a special election in 2019 after former Ward 4 Councilman Fred Jackson resigned July 3.
Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Stewart, who was voted into office during a special election in 2019 after the death of her brother, former Ward 1 Councilman Gene Taylor, did not return a message from The Dispatch by press time.
Conflict disclosure: Managing Editor Zack Plair took part in editing this article. He is currently involved in legal proceedings with the city of Columbus.
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