Will Council Amend “Hickey Ordinance” Again to Benefit a Mayor?

When retired police officer Byron Hickey was appointed to the Columbus City Council in 2023, the city had to amend its pension rules just to seat him. Now, as Hickey campaigns for mayor, the question has resurfaced: Will councilors once again revisit the ordinance — this time to cover the mayor’s office?

The so-called “Hickey ordinance” stemmed from a conflict in city law. While the Columbus charter treats council members as part-time officials, the pension system classified them as full-time employees. That meant Hickey, already drawing a city pension, would have been forced to forfeit it when he joined council. To resolve the issue, the city’s pension board and council approved a change allowing elected or appointed councilors to continue receiving retirement benefits while serving.

But notably, the amendment applied only to council members — not the mayor. Under current rules, anyone elected mayor must choose between their city pension and the mayoral salary, which is substantially higher than a councilor’s $22,000 annual pay.

The pension board itself flagged the exclusion at the time. Member Dusty Wilson questioned why only councilors were covered, urging a broader fix for all public officials. Mayor Skip Henderson, who chairs the pension board, agreed the decision ultimately belonged in “the political arena.”

With Hickey now pursuing the city’s top job, the political arena has arrived. His candidacy may put fresh pressure on the council to revisit its own decision.

The looming question: will the council move to amend the ordinance once more, expanding the benefit to include the mayor? Advocates say the issue is about fairness and encouraging experienced retirees to serve. Critics warn it risks appearing like special treatment, tailored to individuals already in the political spotlight.

For now, the answer remains with the same body that created the original exception: Columbus Council.