Columbus City Council District 4 candidates offer views

A political newcomer is challenging a two-term incumbent for the Columbus City Council District 4 seat in the Nov. 7 municipal election.

Democratic nominee Keegan Hill, 33, is challenging Republican incumbent Frank Miller, 70, for the recently redrawn District 4.

The district largely runs from Marr Road north of 25th Street to the west to Tally Road to the east and contains the Fox Point neigborhood, the Briarwood Apartments, Lincoln Village, as well as some areas just north of Rocky Ford Road between Marr and Tally Roads.

The district previously included the Columbus Air Park and the IU Columbus and Ivy Tech campuses, which were drawn into the new District 6 after the city adopted “second class” status and expanded the number of council seats.

Early voting for the municipal election starts Oct. 16.

Q: What are the biggest issues in your district and how would you address them if elected to the city council?

Hill: Issues facing District 4 are housing costs, low wages and substance abuse. These should be the top priorities of our community. We need to work with developers to increase housing options, exercise judicial use of tax abatements with the focus of higher wages and continue our progress with recovery programs.

Miller: In my experience, issues typically are somewhat uniform throughout the city. Usual topics from residents I respond to the most include homelessness, substance abuse and issues concerning streets and sidewalks. We need to continue support for ASAP and the new mental health initiative, annually continue budgeting as much as possible for our street overlay and repair projects and increase our sidewalk reimbursement plan.

Q: If elected to the city council, what would be your approach to addressing homelessness in the city?

Hill: The unhoused call Columbus home just like the rest of us. I believe that we need to work to implement housing first programs in the long term. More immediately, we must expand access and hours of operation. I certainly see room for improvement in communicating our services to the community.

Miller: Homelessness is a complex issue that has not been solved anywhere to any great extent. We need to get a grasp on the local root problems, collaborate with our non-profit organizations and initiatives to facilitate meaningful discussions to brain-storm viable solutions for the current homeless and those on the verge of homelessness.

Q: How would you approach the issue of housing affordability in your district?

Hill: We need to focus our efforts on working with developers to replenish the supply of affordable housing by way of low to high density projects. I believe that ADU incentives and Co-op housing in addition to rental and down payment subsidies are some of many options to address this issue.

Miller: Housing affordability is not unique to a district or even just to Columbus. Locally a housing study has been initiated that should help us understand exactly where we stand and what specific shortfalls there are. In the meantime, we need to work with and support developers to expand total housing units in the city, with a focus on mixed income and a percentage of affordable units.

Hill