ADVERTISEMENT

    City Council Candidate Profile: Nick Bankston

    Nick Bankston has been a familiar face in local politics and government agencies. He’s worked under both Mayors Michael Coleman and Andrew Ginther, and in county government, including at the Franklin County domestic and juvenile courts.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    He’s also a frequent face on the boards of many Columbus organizations. While he is president and CEO of Gladden Community House, he also has served on boards with the Columbus Urban League, St. Stephen’s Community House, Reeb Avenue Center and the Neighborhood Design Center in Weinland Park.

    Bankston said he is experienced with navigating government, but this will be the first time he is on what could be considered the most influential side of local politics—the legislative side.

    “I believe government can work and it must work,” he said on why he is running for Columbus City Council. “It must provide the tools to its residents to feel empowered, but also to not simply survive by thrive.”

    Bankston was born and raised early on in the northeast Columbus neighborhood Somerset. He graduated from East High School, like many of his family members. And he also spent some time living in North Linden with his grandmother, after a predatory loan led to his parents filing for bankruptcy.

    Eventually, his parents found a program that helped people who had filed for bankruptcy and purchased a home on the East Side of Columbus. For him, the ordeal demonstrated the importance of housing.

    Bankston’s platform talks about making sure everybody is sharing in the city’s success, not just the well-connected, special interests, and corporations. He points to the city’s recent accolades—fasting growing Midwestern city, fastest-selling housing market, etc.—as contributing to the city’s success, but not everyone is benefiting from that prosperity.

    “Our residents are working two and three jobs and not sharing in that success,” he said.

    His priorities are safety, housing, and transportation, and Bankston suggests that each is pertinent to the success of the people of Columbus.

    For Bankston, that specifically looks like investments in affordable housing and opportunities for youth.

    Housing in particular is key to a number of other issues impacting residents, he said.

    “I know firsthand [from] the work I do here at Gladden what stability and housing can do for folks,” he said. “When you’re stable in your home you can keep a good paying job. When you’re stable in your home, your kids can get better, cohesive education because they’re not jumping from school to school. When you’re stable in your home you have a sense of security and safety.”

    Those priorities also include continuing to work with the community on police and public safety reform, and investing in alternative crisis response strategies.

    “Safety is not simply about just policing,” he said of council’s safety strategy. “What we see play out every single day are what I call crimes of opportunity. Because people feel desperate, they see the prosperity in our community but they can’t attain it.”

    Coming from a long line of Columbus residents, he said he’s grown up with the city as it has grown. But right now is a pivotal time in Columbus’ history, where the city needs “really bold solutions for the issues that we face.” He said that takes leadership with experience in government, but also a fresh lens.

    “I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and work with the community to do the hard work that’s necessary to move our city forward,” he said.

    Regardless of the outcome of November’s election, there will soon be at least two new voices on council. That could mean new perspectives, new visions, and new ideas, and he said he wants to provide space at the table for those who don’t always agree.

    Both Bankston and Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, a new council candidate whom he has campaigned with throughout the year, have used phrases like “bold” and the significance of bringing “new ideas” to the table. And both have signaled they are running values-based campaigns.

    Bankston points out both he and Barroso de Padilla come from backgrounds in direct service to their communities.

    “That’s going to be central to the work that we do and how our offices will run at City Hall,” he said. “(We) need bold and new ideas and solutions, and we don’t get to having bold solutions by just being in an echo chamber and doing things that we’ve always done.”

    For Bankston, being new to council also means being accountable to the people who vote and live in Columbus, and that it will be important that he remains accessible and builds trust with the community.

    “We have great stakeholders and great employers in this community that are the economic engine behind that,” he said. “But at the end of the day, every decision that I make, and every decision that we should be making at the council should center on the people of Columbus.”

    He wants to help restore trust in the government because, as he said, when city leaders speak we should be able to trust what they say. In his role, he wants to return government back to “true public service.”

    Bankston looks at being born and raised here as a point of pride. And now, with a young child at home, he thinks about the Columbus of his son’s generation.

    “For me, it’s about building a city that’s more equitable, that’s more sustainable, and is worthy of his generation,” he said. “Columbus is so much a part of my history, and it’s the places and the people that really helped shape the man I am today. And so for me, it is about giving back to the community that gave so much to me.”

    For more information visit bankstonforcolumbus.com.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Subscribe

    More to Explore:

    The Confluence Cast: Downtown with Michael Brown

    We're exploring the evolution of downtown with Michael Brown, who has been a cornerstone in the city's development planning and worked both in and outside city government to cheer on its growth. Columbus Underground editor Walker Evans and Mike delve into the city's challenges and triumphs, the synergy between projects, the balance between iconic and neighborhood-level public art investments, and the concerted efforts to address systemic issues like homelessness and affordable housing. Through anecdotes and insights, they highlight Columbus's young, creative energy and the dynamic urban policies that continue to drive its growth.

    Flavored Vapes & Menthol Cigarettes Could be Returning to Shelves in Columbus

    The Ohio Senate voted to override two of Gov. Mike DeWine’s vetoes Wednesday — one on a bill blocking gender-affirming care for trans youth and the other blocking cities from banning flavored tobacco sales. Both laws are now set to take effect at the end of April.

    The Confluence Cast: News in the New Year

    As we ease into 2024, we’re taking a quick look back into some happenings that you may have missed as the year turned over. Columbus Underground co-founder and editor Walker Evans discusses a myriad of stories, including the latest in transportation, climate change, local politics, and a dash of comedy here in the capital city.

    The Confluence Cast: Year in Review

    As 2023 draws to a close and we stand on the brink of a new year filled with its own stories and surprises, it’s a time for reflection. In our latest podcast episode, we delve into a retrospective journey, revisiting the moments that defined the year for us. Join Walker Evans, Susan Post, and myself as we engage in a lively discussion about the most impactful, intriguing, and talked-about local stories that have unfolded over the past 365 days.
    Taijuan Moorman
    Taijuan Moormanhttps://columbusunderground.com
    Taijuan Moorman is a former reporter and social media specialist for Columbus Underground and The Metropreneur who covered civics, arts, entertainment, lifestyle, and business news and features.
    ADVERTISEMENT