Bexley's mayor has announced that he will be resigning from his post to take a new job with the Columbus Partnership.
Ben Kessler, who has served as Bexley's mayor since 2012, said in a Sept. 9 Facebook post that he will be resigning to take a position as the executive director of the Regional Housing Coalition for the Columbus Partnership. Kessler's resignation would take effect on Sept. 30, according to his Facebook post.
The Columbus Partnership has been working with Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther on his proposal for a Regional Housing Coalition to get suburbs surrounding Columbus as well as neighboring counties, involved in building additional housing to handle continued population growth in the Columbus metropolitan area. The Dispatch reported
in April, a year after the idea was first pitched, that the effort was moving slowly. Hiring an executive director for the coalition through the partnership is likely expected to get things moving regionally and faster.
Kessler said he would explain his new role in the future. He said he was currently focused on a "solid transition that maintains continuity of top-notch services to our residents and honors the talented team we have at every level of our city government."
Kessler cited several accomplishments under his tenure as mayor, including building more parks and green space, expanding Jeffery Mansion, diversifying housing options for residents, securing millions of dollars in grant funding, and keeping taxes stable for Bexley's residents.
"Time after time, we've been a community that leads, innovates, and reimagines," Kessler said. "I'm incredibly proud of the work I've been blessed to do alongside you, and I will forever be steeped in gratitude for these amazing years."
Kessler's new role within the Columbus Partnership is the latest personnel shakeup at the organization.
The Dispatch reported in June that the organization's former CEO, Jason Hall, suddenly resigned. Former employees at the Columbus Partnership said hall created a culture of "intimidation" and "bullying." Insiders told The Dispatch that Hall was forced out by the Partnership's governing body over complaints of a hostile work environment.
This is a breaking news story. Check back at Dispatch.com for more updates.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@dispatch.com, at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Bexley mayor resigning to lead regional housing coalition with Columbus Partnership
