NELSONVILLE, Ohio — The Ohio and Athens County Leagues of Women Voters are set to present a proposed ward map to the Nelsonville City Council at its next meeting Monday, July 14.
The Leagues hosted their last town hall Monday, June 30 where they finalized a previously drafted ward map that residents built by considering components like historical buildings, labor demographics and student populations.
Trevor Martin, program coordinator for the Ohio League of Women Voters, hopes that Nelsonville’s redistricting process could be a good example for municipalities across the state. And locally, he hopes this process “is a good springboard into something better for Nelsonville.”
“I’ve enjoyed my time here,” Martin said.
In November 2024, Nelsonville residents voted to abolish its city charter and replace it with a statutory form of government. The change will take effect Jan. 1, 2026.
Even though the map will be presented to the Nelsonville City Council at its next meeting, the council will not vote on a map before the new statutory government comes into existence.
“The council is still standing fast in that they believe they can’t do anything because they’re not able to operate under the statutory guidelines because of the charter’s legal limits,” Tony Brooks, director of the Athens County Board of Elections, told the Independent.
Brooks said the board accepted a petition by an individual who declared he was running for the 3rd Ward council seat, despite the fact that no wards exist under the current city charter. This comes as the BOE shared new guidance on ballot petitions for Nelsonville council seats in the November general election.
Nelsonville City Council meets every other Monday of each month, at Nelsonville City Council Chambers, 211 Lake Hope Drive. Its next regular meeting will be Monday, July 14, 2025, at 7 p.m. Meetings are live streamed on YouTube. Find more at cityofnelsonville.com.
