MANSFIELD — Richland County Commissioner Darrell Banks said township residents were heard from Tuesday night in the defeat of a commercial wind/solar referendum issue.
The proposal — which would have overturned a July 2025 Board of Commissioners decision to ban such projects in 11 of the county’s 18 townships — was rejected by 52.9 percent of voters, according to final, unofficial totals from the Richland County Board of Elections.
There were 12,189 votes to keep the ban in place, versus 10,853 who voted to have it removed.
When the 5,601 early and absentee votes were reported by the local elections board just 11 minutes after the polls closed at 7:30 p.m., 54.25 percent were in favor of lifting the ban.
That total began to swing as the evening went on, a move Banks credited to township residents.
“Votes in the townships are usually the last to come in,” he said Tuesday night.
“I had people call me this morning and say it was a nice battle, but one we can’t win. I said wait until the township (votes) come in. When the township votes come in, we will win. They didn’t believe me,” Banks said.
“We were outspent 40 or 50 to 1, including a lot of outside money. This is an affirmation by the voters that township trustees and county commissioners are aligned with the best interests of their community,” Banks said.
“We appreciate the support of Richland County residents.”
The commissioner said he still believes the state law that placed the wind/solar zoning issue on county government needs to be changed, especially the section that allows non-township residents to cast votes that impact township residents.
“Absolutely,” he said. “Why should people in the city of Mansfield decide zoning issues in the townships?”
Brian McPeek, business manager for IBEW 688 in Mansfield, was one of the residents who pushed to get the issue on the ballot. He said Tuesday night he was proud of the effort.
“We live in a county that was plus-44 for (President Donald) Trump (in 2024) and we just barely lost. I am proud,” McPeek said.
“My message from the beginning is that you picked a fight with the IBEW and labor (unions) and we are not backing down from any fight.
“It didn’t go our way. But the community had its say and that’s what is important.”
Like Banks, McPeek said Senate Bill 52, which forces county commissioners into making zoning decisions, needs to be changed.
“I have been saying from the beginning that the commissioners were put in a tough spot. I still they they made the wrong decision, but they were trying to do the best they can with the hand they have been dealt,” McPeek said.
Morgan Carroll, leader with the No Ban on Property Rights Campaign that battled the issue, issued an email statement after the votes were counted Tuesday night.
“Tonight’s result is disappointing, but it does not diminish what this campaign has achieved,” Carroll said.
“As a group of your Richland County neighbors, we made a commitment to stand up to our elected officials and forced a countywide conversation about property rights and government overreach. We did it with integrity, with passion and with a deep love for our community. That’s not nothing. That is everything,” Carroll said.
“From the beginning, many in our community believed this ban was being driven by larger energy interests from the oil and gas side. This ban was never about what the residents of this county wanted or what was in our best interest. From day one, it was about a slap on the back and wink as they denied you the opportunity to use your land as you see fit.
“The question of who gets to decide what happens on private land in Richland County did not end tonight. We will continue to stand with farmers and landowners who believe that right belongs to them, not to their government and certainly not to the fossil fuel industry. We will not be silenced by those who chose to ignore our voices,” Carroll said.
