Cities with both wards, at-large council members can be successful

Opponents of changing the Columbus City Council to include a mix of wards and at-large seats, including Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, say it would make Columbus like Chicago or Cleveland, where there are many wards along with horse trading and division. Those backing Issue 1 on the Aug. 2 special-election ballot, however, point to booming cities such as Austin, Texas, and Seattle, which have moved recently from all at-large councils to councils that include both at-large and district representatives.