MANSFIELD — A knock on Darrell Banks door has led to questions regarding the signature collection process for a local petition.
Banks, a Richland County commissioner, said he was approached on Aug. 11 by a circulator who asked him to sign a petition to put the issue of large wind and solar power facilities on the May ballot.
“He started with, ‘The three commissioners voted to ban solar and wind power in the entire county,'” Banks said. “That got my attention right away.
“I said, ‘Well that’s a lie.’ He said that’s what he was told to say,” the commissioner said.
The Richland County Citizens for Property Rights and Job Development — a local coalition of residents and organizations — delivered the petition to county commissioners Monday morning, according to Richland County administrator Andrew Keller.
More than 4,300 signatures were collected, according to organizers.
To file the petition, 3,392 signatures from registered county voters were necessary within 30 days of commissioners’ adoption of a resolution, which put a ban on “economically significant wind farms, large wind farms and large solar facilities” in the unincorporated areas of 11 of the county’s 18 townships.
The same “untruths” were also shared outside of the Richland County Democratic Party headquarters in downtown Mansfield, Banks said he was told. These situations Banks have led him to have questions for the Richland County Board of Elections, he said.
“I would ask them (Board of Elections), if a person was told an untruth when they were asked to sign the petition, can they withdraw their name from that petition?” Banks said.
“Or do we allow untruths to be told when circulating a petition?” he said.
Commissioners ultimately approved forwarding the petition to the Board of Elections during their meeting Tuesday.
It was expected that Richland County Board of Elections Director Matt Finfgeld and Deputy Director Jane Zimmermann will pick up the petition Tuesday morning and begin reviewing the validity of the signatures — at which time Banks said he plans to speak with the duo.
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The coalition delivered the petition — with more than 4,300 signatures — to county commissioners Monday morning.
‘Banned in most of Richland County’
Christina O’Millian, who co-chairs the Richland County Citizens for Property Rights and Job Development with Brian McPeek, attended Tuesday’s meeting but made no statements to the board.
During an interview with Richland Source on Tuesday afternoon, she said nearly 100 circulators helped with the process of collecting signatures.
“We have flyers and documentation to show what our messaging is,” O’Millian said. “The issue is countywide. I understand the commissioners keep focusing on 11 of 18 townships (where large wind and solar power facilities are currently banned), but we consider it a countywide issue.”
The organization’s messaging stated that these facilities have been banned “in most of Richland County,” she said. It also included a large focus on property owners’ rights.
Language from the resolution, passed by commissioners on July 17, was included on the petitions, along with a map identifying the unincorporated areas in the 11 townships where a ban is currently in place.
“Our messaging is that it’s (large wind and solar power facilities) banned in most of Richland County,” O’Millian said. “We were quoting both. Eleven of 18 townships, but also most of Richland County was also our messaging.”
(Below is language on petitions seeking to put a wind/solar power referendum on the ballot in Richland County for the May 2026 primary.)
Public feedback
Commissioner Tony Vero said he was also contacted by two people sharing similar sentiments to Banks’ situation with the petition circulator.
One of the people who contacted Vero actually signed the petition, he said.
“I actually observed one night this person was a little more crafty in how he circulated the petition, but I personally heard how he phrased it to encourage people to sign,” Vero said.
“The feedback we are getting from people is that there seems to be some inaccurate information with respect to asking individuals to sign the petition.”
Commissioner Cliff Mears questioned if the petition was circulated under false pretenses. Vero said that’s for the Board of Elections to decide.
Background on the county’s wind/solar issue
In July, the Board of Commissioners voted to ban “economically significant wind farms, large wind farms and large solar facilities” in the unincorporated areas of 11 of Richland County’s 18 townships.
Those townships are: Bloominggrove, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Mifflin, Monroe, Perry, Plymouth, Sharon, Troy and Weller.
Unincorporated areas where large wind and solar power facilities remain unrestricted are Cass, Butler, Sandusky, Springfield, Madison, Washington and Worthington townships.
County restrictions do not apply to incorporated areas, including Plymouth, Shiloh, Shelby, Crestline, Galion, Ontario, Mansfield, Lucas, Lexington, Bellville and Butler.
