Franklin County Issue 21 — Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:07 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Gahanna voters

What it does
Gahanna – Proposed Charter Amendment — Shall Section 4.12, Legislative Procedure, of Article IV, The Council, be amended to require that an alleged improper voting abstention by a Council member be subject to the notice and hearing procedures for removal established in the Charter?
A YES vote means
An alleged improper voting abstention by a Gahanna Council member would be subject to the charter's notice and hearing procedures for removal.
A NO vote means
The charter would not be changed to apply the removal notice and hearing procedures to alleged improper voting abstentions.
Needed to pass
A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean
Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Today

  • Gahanna's Charter requires Council members to vote yes or no on every matter, and allows an abstention only if the member states on the record that the reason is a conflict of interest.
  • If a member abstains without doing so and does not immediately change the vote or cite a conflict after being told of the rule by the Clerk or City Attorney, the member is considered to have removed himself or herself from office, and the seat is filled under Section 4.08.

If it passes

  • The member would no longer automatically lose the seat. Instead, the alleged improper abstention would be handled through the Charter's notice-and-hearing removal procedure in Section 4.07.
  • The rest of Section 4.12 (quorum, vote requirements, readings of ordinances) would not change.

Who would notice

Gahanna City Council members. It does not change any tax.

How it got here

Gahanna City Council passed Resolution RES-0029-2026 on July 20, 2026 to place it on the ballot. The City's exhibit says the purpose is to replace an automatic, self-executing removal trigger with the notice-and-hearing process in Section 4.07.

Written by SpectrumVote from 3 linked sources (1, 2, 3). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

Gahanna's charter requires a Charter Review Commission every five years; the seven-member 2026 commission, appointed by the Mayor and City Council, recommended amendments that the Council placed on the ballot as Issues 18 through 27, according to the city.

City Council adopted RES-0029-2026 on July 20, 2026 to submit this amendment to Charter Section 4.12; according to the resolution, an alleged improper voting abstention by a Council member would be handled through the notice and hearing procedures in Section 4.07 rather than resulting in automatic removal from office.

Put on the ballot by Gahanna City Council, July 20, 2026 (RES-0029-2026), on the recommendation of the 2026 Charter Review Commission.

From official source 1, official source 2, official source 3.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Franklin County Issue 21 mean?
An alleged improper voting abstention by a Gahanna Council member would be subject to the charter's notice and hearing procedures for removal.
What does a NO vote on Franklin County Issue 21 mean?
The charter would not be changed to apply the removal notice and hearing procedures to alleged improper voting abstentions.
Could a Council member still be removed for an improper abstention?
Yes, but only through the Charter's removal procedure with notice and a hearing, rather than automatically.
Do members still have to explain an abstention?
Yes. A member may abstain only after stating on the record that the reason is a conflict of interest; the basis of the conflict need not be stated.
Is this the only Gahanna charter question?
No. Franklin County's certified list shows ten Gahanna charter amendments (Issues 18 through 27) on the same ballot, covering topics such as the mayoral primary, qualifications for office, ward boundaries, the city attorney, the Planning Commission and the Charter Review Commission.
How many votes does Franklin County Issue 21 need to pass?
A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on Franklin County Issue 21?
SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?
The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Franklin County ballot.

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