Columbus Mayor Robert Smith broke a tie vote Tuesday to reappoint his former campaign manager to the city’s utilities board.
The city council was split 3-3 on whether to reappoint Brandy Gardner to a five-year term on the utilities board, forcing the mayor to break the tie. Former city utilities board member and businessman David Shelton had also applied for the spot.
Gardner has served on the utilities board since December 2009, when Smith also broke a 3-3 tie in favor of appointing her to the board.
Smith told The Dispatch after Tuesday’s vote that Gardner, during her time on the board, had been a “team player” and had done an “outstanding job.”
“Both (Gardner and Shelton) were good applicants,” Smith said. “She presently serves on the board, and I support her continuing to serve. I believe she will continue to do an outstanding job.”
Councilmen Gene Taylor, Joseph Mickens and Kabir Karriem voted to reappoint Gardner. Councilmen Charlie Box, Marty Turner and Bill Gavin opposed.
In 2009, Karriem opposed Gardner’s appointment and called for “transparency in government” for board appointments. Gardner’s mother — who also worked on Smith’s campaign — serves on the Columbus Housing Authority board. On Tuesday, Karriem seconded Mickens’ motion to reappoint her.
Before the vote was taken, Box asked Taylor if he would recuse himself since his wife works at Columbus Light & Water. Box noted that Taylor had recused himself for such votes in the past. Taylor declined, participating in both the discussion and the vote. He also voted for Gardner’s 2009 appointment.
If Taylor had recused himself, the motion to reappoint Gardner would have failed 3-2.
After Tuesday’s meeting, Taylor would not comment on why he did not recuse himself. As to supporting Gardner, he said he thinks she’s done a good job so far.
“I haven’t heard anything negative about her,” Taylor said. “She’s doing a good job as far as I know.”
Box told The Dispatch on Tuesday that he supported Shelton, who served 15 years on the utilities board before the council chose not to reappoint him in 2014. He said he felt Taylor should have recused. He would not comment on Gardner’s performance on the board.
“I just don’t want to go there,” Box said.
Gavin, who also supported Shelton, called Gardner a “good person” but said he wanted to see the best applicant appointed.
“(Shelton’s) past years of experience on the CLW board made him, in my mind, the best candidate,” Gavin said.
Other business
In other business, the board:
■ Finalized the lease purchase of five police vehicles, computer equipment for those vehicles and a Ford F-150 for the building inspection department;
■ Suspended two municipal court employees without pay — one for three days and the other for two days — for failing to follow court procedure.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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