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Resident criticizes council president Bowers over celebratory resolutions and cites city charter nondiscrimination clause
Summary
Kathy McCorkle used the public-comment period to criticize Council President Marissa Bowers, alleging partiality in the city's celebratory resolutions and citing the charter's nondiscrimination language; she asked why her proposed recognition for 'natural families' had not been advanced.
During public comment, resident Kathy McCorkle of 677 Piccadilly told council she felt Council President Marissa Bowers had refused to advance a celebratory resolution recognizing what McCorkle called "natural families," while having supported a prior mayoral pride proclamation and a council resolution recognizing the LGBTQ community.
"Last year's mayoral pride proclamation claims, the city of Gahanna and its residents, as reflected in the non discrimination clause of the city charter, denounced prejudice and discrimination against any person or group on the basis of, and the list includes, marital status, religion, ****** or an orientation," McCorkle said. She said those principles, which she quoted from the charter and last year's resolution, meant council should equally recognize "natural families" and accused Bowers of partiality for declining to advance a celebratory resolution for the group.
McCorkle told council, "Celebratory resolutions are not law or policy. It's a celebration of something that has worth and deserves dignity and respect," and said she viewed the council president's refusal to act as inconsistent with the oath of office McCorkle said Bowers had signed. She asked the council to reconsider and said the omission, in her view, amounted to discrimination.
Why it matters: Public comment raised allegations about the equitable application of ceremonial recognitions by elected officials and cited city charter language. The remarks were a citizen's statement; no action or staff response was recorded on the record during the meeting minutes provided.
Ending: The council moved on to its consent agenda following public comment; the transcript shows no immediate council response or formal vote related to McCorkle’s request.
