While the turnout was not what we hoped for (only 4.87% of Gahanna's registered voters came out), I was buoyed by the response! In just 78 days with only 4 days of canvassing, Team Browne scored nearly 40% of the vote. That’s AMAZING and wholly reflective of how disgusted the voters are with the status quo. Some glaring examples of the incumbent's lack of effective leadership and relevant government experience follow:
FIRST, the Sheetz mess: The current administration showed the community that it doesn’t prioritize collaboration or public input. On March 6, the incumbent blatantly told residents and other elected leaders that their opinions in matters of business development didn’t matter: “Gahanna Mayor Laurie Jadwin told members of the city council on Monday night that it [i.e., the Sheetz development] is now in motion regardless. ‘When a private property owner wants to develop a parcel of property, they have the right to do so as long as it is consistent in the matter in which that property is zoned,’ Jadwin said at the meeting.” https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/gahanna/new-sheetz-location-in-gahanna-will-have-final-design-pitched-at-planning-commission/
Then, on March 13, after residents packed a council meeting to demand the matter be reassessed, the City’s chief executive portrayed herself as a helpless victim: “Gahanna Mayor Laurie Jadwin said she's frustrated that she and city council members are taking flak for not speaking out against the plans. ‘I'm getting criticized for not voting against this project,’ she said. ‘Residents get upset and they don't understand the legislative process in place.’ Gahanna's city code and charter ‘vests the responsibility in the boards and commissions,’ comprised of residents, she said. ‘But I don't have a voice or a vote in this.’” https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/2023/03/14/gahanna-residents-rail-against-proposed-sheetz/70004369007/
Finally, on March 31, the incumbent flip-flopped into having both a voice and a vote: "In consultation with the New Albany Company and Gahanna Mayor Laurie Jadwin, Sheetz has decided to suspend its plans to develop a new store at the intersection of Morse Road and East Johnstown Road in Gahanna….” https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/sheetz-suspends-proposed-gahanna-location-morse-road-us-62-complaints-east-johnstown-road-neighbors While the Sheetz project is presently “suspended,” the affected neighborhoods have received no guarantee that this project has not simply been shelved until after the November 7th election.
SECOND, the Academy Ridge mess: The incumbent (again) showed the community that transparency is not a priority for her administration. In early April, residents of Gahanna’s Academy Ridge neighborhood awoke to trees being aggressively removed from a parcel at the intersection of Hamilton and Beecher Roads. According to residents, their inquiries went unanswered or wrongly answered. Finally, they were advised that, despite the project being rejected by the Gahanna Board of Zoning Appeals, the developer threatened to sue the city; hence, a settlement was negotiated. That settlement permitted the development of the parcel in question. Affected residents are angry with (1) the lack of transparency, (2) the manner in which the dispute was handled and (3) the fact that the settlement was unilaterally signed by the current city attorney, not the city’s chief executive. As a result, the residents of the Academy Ridge Community Association, who insist the matter was handled surreptitiously, filed a lawsuit (case number 23 CV 002273) against the City of Gahanna and Academy Development LP in Franklin County Common Pleas Court on April 3, 2023.
