The Columbus City Council voted 6-0 to reappoint Jason Spears to a five-year the Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees.
Spears, a financial adviser, earned his second term on the board. He was one of three candidates for the position, along with former CMSD official and education consultant Yvonne Cox and former Dispatch managing editor Garthia Halbert, who is also running as a Republican mayoral candidate in this year’s municipal election.
Ward 6 Councilman Bill Gavin, who has previously voiced his intent to support Spears’ reappointment, introduced the motion to appoint Spears. Gavin’s motion drew a second from Ward 4 Councilman Marty Turner, then unanimous support from the rest of the council.
Gavin, in an interview with The Dispatch after the meeting, said he was pleased to see Spears’ reappointment. He said Spears’ financial insight is valuable to the school district.
“I think the school board has to consider that they are part of the community,” Gavin said. “They are not separate by themselves. Just because they are entitled with providing quality education to the kids of Columbus does not necessarily mean they have to have a Cadillac on a Chevrolet budget.
“I think he brings that aspect to help them get off the clouds a little bit to come down to ground and realize that we’re all responsible to these voters out here,” Gavin added.
Spears’ current five-year term expires on March 1.
CVB board reappointments
The council also voted to reappoint Whirllie Byrd and Nadia Colom to the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau board.
Byrd drew unanimous support, but Mayor Robert Smith had to break a 3-3 tie in favor of Colom’s reappointment.
After the council voted to reappoint Byrd, Gavin motioned to appoint Jay Patel, a local business and hotel owner, to the CVB board. Turner seconded Gavin’s motion, but Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones introduced a substitute motion to reappoint Colom. Ward 1 Councilman Gene Taylor seconded that motion.
Jones, Taylor and Ward 3 Councilman Charlie Box voted in favor of Colom, while Gavin, Turner and Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens opposed.
Gavin said he supported Patel because he knows him, and he thought he might bring a fresh perspective to the CVB board. Colom is executive director for the Golden Triangle Boys and Girls Club.
“I’ve known Mr. Patel for quite a while,” he said. “He’s a business owner, which makes a difference. Nadia does a great job. I have nothing against Nadia. They’re both great people. You get put in those positions where you’ve got two really good people and you have a make a choice, and it comes down to something as simple as that.”
Jones said he supported Colom because he isn’t familiar with Patel.
“I didn’t know Jay Patel,” he said. “I did receive a call from Nadia and several other people. I didn’t have anything against Jay Patel, but I just don’t know a whole lot about him. I’ve heard good things about him, so maybe in the future I would support him to be on the board.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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