| COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release: November 17, 2010 For More Information: John Ivanic, (614) 645-6798 |
PRESIDENT MICHAEL C. MENTEL ANNOUNCES HIS RESIGNATION FROM COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL
After more than a decade of service to the Columbus community, City Council President Michael C. Mentel announced his resignation from City Council. Councilmember Mentel was elected President in January 2007 and served has served on City Council since January 1999. He has chaired numerous committees, including Safety, Zoning, Judiciary and Court Administration, Recreation and Parks and Rules and Reference Committees.
“After careful consultation with my wife and family, I have decided that now is the time to end my tenure on Columbus City Council,” said President Mentel. “I have been humbled by the continual support of the public and consider myself extremely fortunate to have worked with so many talented and caring city workers and neighborhood leaders.”
President Mentel says he is most proud of his work with Columbus safety forces, making sure that the thousands of men and women who work for the Division of Police and the Division of Fire have the resources they need to be the best trained and equipped in the nation.
“Every budget we have passed while I was on City Council reflects the importance of protecting our residents and visitors, that’s why the overwhelming majority of our spending goes toward public safety programs,” said President Mentel. “These brave men and women, from the rank and file to the top brass and union leadership, deserve the highest amount of respect and praise from the Columbus community.”
In addition to funding those in uniform, President Mentel continually worked to care for the most vulnerable in our community. President Mentel created the position of Director of Advocacy for Homeless and Social Services. This office, believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, provides a direct link between a wide variety of city services that deal with the homeless and agencies in the community that can help move men, women and sometimes entire families from the land to stable housing situations.
President Mentel has worked tirelessly to raise Columbus’ profile on the national and international stage. In addition to visiting with business and community leaders from across the country about the advantages Columbus has to offer companies, he also helped lead a trade mission to Israel that included representatives of Battelle, the Chamber of Commerce and TechColumbus which helped secure agreements that will lead to future high-tech investment opportunities for Columbus.
He was also a strong voice for Columbus in the state house and the U.S. Capitol. President Mentel worked in a bi-partisan fashion to craft legislation that helped lead to the move of the Columbus casino from the Arena District to its current West Broad Street location. He also went to Washington, D.C. to highlight how unfunded federal mandates were forcing Columbus residents to pay higher utility rates to meet newly implemented guidelines.
This spring, President Mentel empanelled a Charter Review Committee to study the possibility of amending the city Charter to allow for the use of executive sessions. After reviewing the findings of the committee and consulting with his Council colleagues, President Mentel sponsored the legislation that passed City Council unanimously to place the issue on the November ballot. Columbus voters overwhelming supported the charter change and future Councils will have the ability to meet in executive session to discuss sensitive personnel and legal matters that could save taxpayer dollars.
President Mentel also worked to create a more open and transparent City government by creating a law that requires all City Hall lobbyists to register with the City Clerk’s office. This ordinance provides greater accountability while protecting a citizen’s right to meet with City officials.
In 2007, President Mentel convened a working group of representatives of Columbus Area Commissions and select civic associations to study the role of neighborhood groups and their interaction with city government. This was the first time City Council had implemented such an initiative, which resulted in many positive recommendations and helped improve relations between City Hall and Columbus neighborhoods.
President Mentel also helped protect Columbus neighborhoods enacting a law restricting the expansion of new strip clubs to residential areas. Adult businesses must be at least 250 feet from residences, schools, day care, preschool or church.
Citing his strong leadership skills and unwavering support for Columbus residents, the St. Stephen’s Community House has named President Mentel the winner of the 2008 John Maloney Leadership Award. The John Maloney Leadership Award was established in 1989 by the Board of Trustees of St. Stephen’s Community House and is given to a deserving member of the Columbus community who demonstrates a similar level of leadership Mr. Maloney provided the city in his personal and civic endeavors.
His public service includes involvement with the boards of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Charity Newsies, the Shamrock Club and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Mentel graduated from Bishop Ready High School, Capital University and Capital Law School and currently serves as General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for a multi-state engineering company.
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