Councilwoman Merisa Bowers

Councilwoman Merisa Bowers Dedicated to restoring trust. Driven to protect democracy. Ads paid for by Friends of Merisa Bowers. All views expressed are my own.

05/25/2026

We remember the brave who fought for rights, democracy, and liberation. May we honor their memories.

Perfect evening for Kayaking 101 session with at Hannah Park. We're ready for a great season ahead after refreshing our...
05/22/2026

Perfect evening for Kayaking 101 session with at Hannah Park. We're ready for a great season ahead after refreshing our paddling and water safety skills!

05/19/2026

Most people only meet EMS professionals on one of the worst days of their lives.

But paramedics and EMTs show up anyway — with compassion, professionalism, and calm in moments of fear and uncertainty.

This EMS Week, I’m especially thankful because I know this work personally through my husband’s career as a paramedic. I’ve seen the dedication, exhaustion, emotional burden, and humanity behind the uniform.

To every EMS professional serving our communities: thank you for the lives you save, the comfort you provide, and the sacrifices your families make alongside you.

You are appreciated far more than words can express.

05/17/2026

Just a few sprinkles on the northern half of the BWT through Ward 2 this morning! Lookin' good Academy and Woodside Green!

This week, during Professional Municipal Clerks Week, I want to recognize and sincerely thank three extraordinary public...
05/08/2026

This week, during Professional Municipal Clerks Week, I want to recognize and sincerely thank three extraordinary public servants at the City of Gahanna: Jeremy VanMeter, Sophia McGuire, and Jessica Hilts.
Municipal clerks are often among the most overlooked and misunderstood professionals in local government. Many people see only the visible pieces of the work: publishing agendas, or preparing minutes; but their responsibilities run far deeper. Clerks are central to transparency, accountability, continuity, and the stability of government itself.
Jeremy, Sophia, and Jessica each bring professionalism, integrity, precision, and care to work that is absolutely essential to the operation of our city. Their work touches policy research, public records management, communications, archiving, compliance, and the preservation of institutional knowledge that helps government function effectively and responsibly.
They give a great deal of themselves in service to this community, often behind the scenes and without recognition. I have tremendous respect and appreciation for the work they do every single day.
Thank you, Jeremy, Sophia, and Jessica, for your dedication to public service and for the professionalism and steadiness you bring to the City of Gahanna throughout the year.

05/07/2026

Last week, I had the privilege of moderating "Breaking the Silence," a powerful and deeply necessary community conversation hosted by Sophia Pierrelus and the New American Cultural Center on domestic and intimate partner violence.

Having spent years practicing domestic relations and criminal law, I have seen firsthand how violence, control, and dysfunction can quietly shape the lives of individuals and families long before they ever enter a courtroom. Too often, people think of domestic abuse only in its most visible physical forms — but abuse can also be emotional, psychological, financial, technological, verbal, coercive, and deeply isolating. Many survivors carry invisible wounds while trying to navigate family relationships, parenting, housing insecurity, immigration concerns, or legal systems that can feel overwhelming and impersonal.

That is why conversations like this matter so much.

Our panelists — Dr Lizzie Bronte, Dr. Tina D. Pierce, and Columbus Police Officer Kofi Owusu-Ansah — brought expertise, compassion, and honesty to discussions about stigma, intervention, public safety, justice system processes, prevention, and education for young people. The audience at the Tewahedo Social Services Center showed incredible engagement, vulnerability, and courage through thoughtful questions and shared dialogue. It was not just a panel discussion — it was a community willing to confront hard truths together.

I am especially grateful to Sophia Pierrelus for her vision and leadership in creating spaces where these conversations can happen openly and constructively. Thank you as well to Nationwide Children’s Hospital Center for Family Safety and Healing and the City of Columbus Department of Neighborhoods for supporting this important work, and to attorney Emmanuel Olawale for his meaningful closing remarks.

Importantly, this was only the beginning. This event is part of an ongoing series of conversations that will continue exploring the many dimensions and impacts of domestic abuse and violence.

If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out to CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence's confidential hotline at 614-224-HOME (4663).

Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 U.S. 1 (1948): Why This Case Still MattersToday marks the anniversary of Shelley v. Kraemer, a l...
05/03/2026

Shelley v. Kraemer, 334 U.S. 1 (1948): Why This Case Still Matters

Today marks the anniversary of Shelley v. Kraemer, a landmark Supreme Court decision that reshaped housing law and exposed how discrimination was embedded in our systems.

In Shelley, the Court addressed restrictive covenants—deed provisions that barred Black families and others from owning or occupying property. These covenants were widespread. The Court held that while private parties could create such agreements, courts could not enforce them. Judicial enforcement is state action, and enforcing discrimination violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

The case arose when a Black family purchased a home in St. Louis and faced a lawsuit seeking to remove them under one of these covenants. The Supreme Court reversed.

Importantly, these covenants were part of a broader system of exclusion—one that enforced both racial discrimination against Black families and religious discrimination rooted in antisemitism, restricting where people could live, build community, and practice their faith. That history is not abstract: records from communities in central Ohio reflect how these same patterns shaped access to housing here as well.

Shelley established a critical principle: the law cannot be used to enforce prejudice. That foundation still guides fair housing laws and enforcement today, even as disparities persist.

As a community, we must be clear: religious discrimination and racism has no place here. Everyone deserves the freedom to live and worship without hate, bias, or interference.

This case is a reminder of both how far we’ve come, and the responsibility we still carry to ensure fairness, equity, and inclusion in our communities.

04/30/2026

A great way to give back! Join us!

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month—and Gahanna’s future is in good hands.I was honored to recognize Aiden Combs, on b...
04/30/2026

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month—and Gahanna’s future is in good hands.

I was honored to recognize Aiden Combs, on behalf of Gahanna City Council, on earning his Eagle Scout rank and his incredible commitment to service.

I also loved welcoming Scouting America Pack 898 to City Hall to talk about leadership, local government, and what it means to serve your community.

This is what “being a villager” looks like—showing up, doing the work, and planting seeds for the future. 🌱

04/05/2026

Beautiful morning for a tour of Rose Run and Bryn Mawr!

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