Council President Osili reinstates Dems as committee chairs

New Indianapolis City-County Council President Vop Osili on Friday put Democrats back in charge of key council committees—erasing the biggest legacy of former President Stephen Clay's short-lived presidency.

Clay resigned from the council presidency on Monday after being faced with removal from the position after he angered fellow Democrats by working with Republicans to oust former President Maggie Lewis from the role.

Osili was unanimously approved as president shortly after Clay's resignation.

During his tenure, Clay appointed three Republicans as leaders of key council committees, replacing members of his own party. Clay had appointed Minority Leader Mike McQuillen as chairman of the Ethics Committee, Scott Kreider as chairman of the Public Works Committee and Janice McHenry as chairwoman of the Rules Committee.

Osili replaced those chairs, installing LaKeisha Jackson to lead the Ethics Committee and Zach Adamson to lead the Public Works Committee. Osili will lead the Rules Committee.

Osili also made Leroy Robinson chairman of the Public Safety Committee, replacing Clay, and tapped Lewis to be chairwoman of the Metropolitan Development Committee.

McQuillen said he was pleased with Osili’s reshuffling, noting that Osili also balanced out the party representation on the committees.

Now, McQuillen said there are fewer Democratic “super-committees."

“The Republican voice today is much more fairly balanced,” McQuillen said. “It is much fairer."