Marty Turner was a no-show Tuesday in what would have been his last official meeting as a Columbus City councilman.
When the new council meets for the first time next month, Fredrick Jackson will occupy the seat held by Turner for the past four years as the Ward 4 councilman, the only new face on the six-member council.
There have been few one-term councilmen who have achieved the sort of notoriety as Tuner, much of it harmful and much of it harmful to himself.
Turner often spoke in the heat of the moment when his emotions overcame good judgment. His social media outbursts were embarrassing and counter-productive. Sometimes, good intentions were undermined by poor decisions or poor choice of words.
While we have often been sharply critical of Turner’s behavior during his tumultuous four years on the council, we nevertheless believe he displayed some characteristics that his fellow council members as well as Jackson, also a newcomer to politics, would do well to emulate.
There was never any doubt that Turner cared about what was happening in the city and in Ward 4, particularly. He was always willing to listen to residents’ complaints and help where he could, if he could. He was consistently approachable to residents and accessible to media.
Turner proved himself to be an independent voice on a council that has been known to fall into predictable voting blocs. Turner simply didn’t play that game. We admire that sense of independence.
While his conduct was often regrettable, his instincts were often quite good. His was the first — and for a time — the only voice to be heard in city government in the wake of the Ricky Ball shooting when residents looked to their elected officials for reassurance.
Time and again, Turner spoke out — forcefully, if not always effectively — on important matters.
While not denying his shortcomings, it is only right to acknowledge his contributions. In some respects, the only thing that prevented Turner from being a truly outstanding councilman was Turner himself.
If Jackson can display the same level of passion, independence and accessibility that Turner demonstrated in his four years on the council, the city will benefit.
So we tip our hat to that part of Marty Turner and wish Jackson well as he steps into his position on the council.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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