NEW MEMBERS WILL SHAPE COUNCIL

At least three new Council members will join Westerville City Council with terms beginning in 2022. For the next four years, these newly elected individuals will integrate with existing Council members to set policy, establish goals and approve and oversee the City’s annual budget.

Westerville City Council consists of seven at-large members elected to four-year overlapping terms in nonpartisan elections. Municipal elections are held in oddnumbered years, with four seats filled in one election and three seats filled in the next election. The Nov. 2 election filled four seats on the current Council.

Organizational Meeting

As one of their first acts together, all seven members of Council will gather for an organizational meeting in January. At this time, they will take their oath of office and elect four officers among themselves to form their 2022-2024 structure as Council Chairperson, Council Vice Chairperson, Mayor and Vice Mayor. Council members also formalize appointments to committees and boards on which they serve. These positions will be announced and available at www.westerville.org.

How to Connect

Westerville City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month (outside of summer and holiday recess). Their schedule may be found on the City website, along with links to videos of public meetings. Special meetings for work sessions, executive sessions and certain hearings (e.g., budget) are scheduled throughout the year. Each Council agenda for regular meetings includes time for Citizen Comments.

Council members may be contacted as a group or as individuals via email. Email addresses and the web form to contact all of Council and administrative staff is at www.westerville.org/council.

Residents may make requests to the Clerk of Council, Mary Johnston at (614) 901-6410 or Mary.Johnston@ westerville.org.

Orientation with Staff Members

In January and February, new Council members will conduct orientation with department and division managers. These meetings go into much greater detail on operations of each department, including programs, services, revenue, expenses and staff structure. New members will also learn about pending legislative items at the local and state level.

Get Involved!

Each year, residents are invited to apply for public service on a Westerville Board or Commission. These formal groups are critical in Westerville’s local government, as they evaluate matters of special interest and when appropriate, make recommendations to Westerville City Council.

Westerville has several Boards and Commissions, including Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, Personnel Review Board, Planning Commission, Uptown Review Board, Zoning Appeals and more. Find the full list and detail at www.westerville.org/bc.

*The local election impacting Westerville City Council takes place Tuesday, Nov. 2. The date of distribution for this publication will be the first week of November. Outcomes will be posted at www.westerville.org.