Tensions continue in Nelsonville surrounding Issue 23, as both the statutory and charter city councils continue to hold meetings, while only one has real governance.
Issue 23, a ballot initiative in Nelsonville, passed, intending to disband the Nelsonville City Charter and return to a statutory form of government, according to the proposal.
The initiative passed in November 2024 with about 70% of the vote and was set to take effect Jan. 1, according to a previous report from The Post. Nelsonville City Council, however, passed an ordinance with a 5-1 vote Aug. 11, 2025, which repealed the initiative on the basis that it lacked transitory language.
Nelsonville City Council President Cameron Peck initially voted for Issue 23 but decided the Council needed to repeal it after recognizing the problems.
“When the folks who were trying to pass it came down and told me face to face,” Peck said. “What I listened to, what they told me it was going to be and what I ended up reading were two separate things.”
Since the repeal, the decision has been contested in court, with a case rising in the Fourth District Court of Appeals, according to an Ohio Official Report.
According to Peck, the court agreed the municipality of Nelsonville maintained the right to repeal Issue 23 because there were potential future issues and the city was able to act on behalf of the people.
Charlene Pickett, a Nelsonville resident, voted for Issue 23 and commented on the charter council's reasoning for repealing the ballot initiative.
“To me, that's petty,” Pickett said. “What are they talking about? We didn't want them there. We voted them out. I don't care how it was worded. We made this decision as a community, we decided we wanted a mayor back, and people had different various reasons for that. I had my reasons. Some people agreed with me, some people had other reasons for it, but ultimately, that's what we did.”
The mayor, city auditor, city treasurer, city law director, seven councilmembers and Council president were all voted in last year.
Elected mayor, Jonathan Flowers, declined an interview with The Post but provided a short statement.
“Our city attorney, Mr. Garry Hunter, has advised the elected Council, Council president and me, the elected mayor, to let the courts settle this and mudslinging isn't doing any good for our case,” Flowers said in the statement.
Pickett said the current Council has been inadequate for the city, specifically mentioning difficulty maintaining code enforcement. Pickett said having a mayor would be beneficial, as they could hold the Council accountable.
“I've been here for 20 years, I've been buying my home for 20 years here,” Pickett said. “I've been paying land taxes and everything, and I have never really had a good experience with the City Council. They've always been, not very helpful, very rude, and then there's just a lot of fighting and drama, and I just felt like the city would be better off if we had a mayor.”
While the statutory government continues to host Council meetings at locations such as Hocking College, Peck said it has no real governing power.
“There is no other Council,” Peck said. “What they are is a group of people who formerly had positions under a statutory government that does not exist. Those are folks that have the freedom of speech and the freedom of association to meet wherever they want, whenever they want to say whatever they want while they're there, but there is no governing going on there.”
The Steering Committee in Nelsonville surveyed 110 people, and only one individual had questions about why Issue 23 was not being enacted, Peck said.
Peck advised all residents to share what they feel is the appropriate course of action. He said he is very open to shifting the government to a statutory form and electing a mayor, but wants to make sure the language is unimpeachable.
“It is so devastating to see where this town has gone, and I blame the Council for it … it’s just really devastating to some of us that live here, that've lived here all of our lives,” Pickett said. “I haven't lived here all my life; I've lived in Athens County all my life, but as I said, my late husband did … It really, really, makes my heart heavy knowing what is going on in my little town.”
Peck also intended to clear the air and clarify the issue is not as contentious as local media outlets have reported it to be.
“There's not any level of chaos going on,” Peck said. “There is a simple civil disagreement that is playing out in the courts. I just have to state that plainly, because it is the one thing about the coverage that I can honestly say I kind of took umbrage with.”
