ATHENS, Ohio — Nelsonville voters rejected a measure on Tuesday’s primary ballot that would have amended the city charter to adopt a new form of government.
Around 54% of those who cast ballots voted against Issue 4, according to unofficial results from the Athens County Board of Elections.
Last November, 70% of Nelsonville voters who cast ballots decided they wanted to abolish the Nelsonville City Charter and return to a statutory form of government.
Issue 4 would have retained the city charter but changed it to allow a mayor-council city government, with term limits for mayors and council members and an elected, nonvoting president of council, and more.
The issue also made it clear that Nelsonville voters may again seek to abolish their charter and that the council “shall have full authority to implement any necessary transition into a statutory form of government.”
Former council member Greg Smith, who opposed Issue 4 and brought forward Issue 23, sounded pleased on election night.
“We went through court five times, we’ve been through two elections,” Smith said. “I hope the people in the city now realize that it’s time to work towards getting a statutory government on Jan. 1 and quit all this fighting. There is nothing to be afraid of … Athens has [a statutory government], they run just fine.”
Nelsonville City Council Council President Gregg Clement noted how close the election was, with a difference of only 34 votes.
“The question I have now is: How do we come back together? How do we get past where we are and move forward, and have everybody be a part of moving forward?” Clement said. “The ad hoc commission will get to work, since they have had no transition plans given to them, they will have to create a transition plan and see what we can do to make it work.”
A place of concern, both Clement and Smith noted, is what happens this winter: All council terms expire in November and new council terms — based on Issue 23 — begin in January 2026.
Clement said the ad hoc advisory committee would brainstorm solutions; Smith is convinced that Ohio Revised Code 3.01 covers this. ORC 3.01 states that, “A person holding an office of public trust shall continue therein until his successor is elected or appointed and qualified, unless otherwise provided in the constitution or laws of this state.”
Clement isn’t so sure. “I think I’ll wait for a legal opinion on that, because I don’t know how you can force anyone to stay in an expired term seat,” he said. “We have a few months to figure that out, and we’ll go from there.”
City Law Director Jonathan Robe and City Auditor Taylor Sappington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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