New Rome, Ohio

Last updated

New Rome, Ohio
Unincorporated community
Broad Street in New Rome.jpg
Broad Street businesses
USA Ohio location map.svg
Red pog.svg
New Rome, Ohio
Location within the state of Ohio
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
New Rome, Ohio
New Rome, Ohio (the United States)
Coordinates: 39°57′06″N83°08′32″W / 39.95167°N 83.14222°W / 39.95167; -83.14222
Country United States
State Ohio
County Franklin
Township Prairie
Area
 • Total0.02 sq mi (0.044 km2)
 • Land0.02 sq mi (0.044 km2)
 • Water0 sq mi (0 km2)  0%
Elevation
[1]
925 ft (282 m)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total60
 • Density3,000/sq mi (1,363/km2)
  [2]
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
FIPS code 39-55426 [2]
GNIS feature ID1049010 [1]

New Rome is an unincorporated community in eastern Prairie Township, Franklin County, Ohio, United States, located on the west side of the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area. It was originally incorporated as a village in 1947, and was dissolved in 2004. It encompassed an area roughly defined by Lawrence Ave., Norton Rd., Green St., and an unnamed alley paralleling Broad St. to the north. The population was 60 at the 2000 census.

Contents

New Rome achieved infamy due to its traffic court and speed trap, which received national media attention, and the internal corruption of its local government. In 2004, the village was ordered legally dissolved by a Franklin County Court of Common Pleas judge, and its residents, land and assets were made part of Prairie Township.

History

New Rome speed trap

New Rome police had systematically taken advantage of the village's sudden drop from 45 to 35 mph (72 to 56 km/h) in the posted speed limit along the busy thoroughfare of West Broad Street (US 40) to pull over thousands of motorists, raising nearly $400,000 gross annually mainly from speeding tickets. These were supplemented by vehicle citations, including trivial offenses such as dusty taillights and improperly tinted windows. Nearly all of this money was funneled back into the police force, which almost exclusively dealt with traffic violations and so essentially existed to fund itself. The 60-resident village had as many as 15 policemen (all part-time), with the Village Council wanting more. [3]

Many local business owners complained that customers were being driven away by the village's reputation, and there were many reports of arbitrary and even abusive conduct at the hands of the New Rome police, [4] who even ventured into surrounding jurisdictions to arrest people over unpaid traffic tickets. According to Reason magazine, "Anger toward the tiny village and its police force led to a dedicated website for haters (newromesucks.com); an unflattering 2003 Car and Driver profile ('a chickenshit town, a little police state'); and frequent protests outside the double-wide trailer that functioned as the village hall, court, and police station." [5]

The Ohio Department of Transportation eventually decided that New Rome's lower speed limit was inconsistent with state law guidelines. The New Rome police force was suspended by the village in 2003 when its chief resigned, shortly after the village's mayor's court was abolished by the state, and so the speed trap came to an end. [6]

Theft and misuse of funds and equipment

New Rome also had longstanding problems with internal corruption. Several past New Rome officials, including a past clerk, were caught stealing thousands of dollars in public funds; others, including a past mayor, resigned after misuse of village credit cards came to light. Approximately $120,000 was stolen from New Rome over the course of a decade, according to the Ohio State Auditor, who also concluded that the village's poor accounting practices made continuing theft likely. Mayor's court records were also reported to have been destroyed and falsified. A federal grant to the village in 1996 to fight purportedly rising burglaries, vandalism, and gang activity was instead used for traffic enforcement. In 2003, the New Rome police had their access to a State Highway Patrol driver identification database revoked because of misuse against the political rival of a council member.

Election misconduct

New Rome last held elections for the village council in 1979, and did not hold elections for mayor from 1995 to 2002. During that period, the incumbents simply reappointed themselves, taking the line that with so few residents, there were not enough people interested in running.

In 2002, after the state-certified election of a new reformist mayor, Jamie Mueller, the council refused to recognize him and claimed that the old mayor (to whom most of the Council were related) was still in office. The controversy soon broadened into a question of who was even legally on the Council, as none of the council appointments had been registered with the state as required by law. The Franklin County prosecutor eventually invalidated the appointments of all but one member, because they were not legally appointed, but village positions continued to be claimed by those without the legal right to do so.

Dissolution

After further investigation of New Rome's history of misconduct, Attorney General Jim Petro, on the recommendation of State Auditor Betty Montgomery, concluded that it should be dissolved, though its residents had voted against dissolution in 2003. At the Attorney General's urging, the Ohio General Assembly passed a law later that year primarily targeted at New Rome. It allowed the state to seek dissolution of a village that had fewer than 150 people if the State Auditor found it provided few or no public services and had a pattern of wrongdoing or incompetence. On December 1, 2003, Petro filed suit for New Rome's dissolution in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. The complaint cited New Rome for violating state election requirements 23 times since 1988, failing to file a tax budget and failing to provide at least two municipal services.

The village officials did not contest these allegations, but instead challenged the dissolution statute as contrary to the home rule provisions of the Ohio Constitution. Judge David Cain upheld the constitutionality of the statute and granted summary judgment to the State of Ohio on July 30, 2004. In his decision, Cain held that as a result of town officials' malfeasance and nonfeasance, New Rome had effectively dissolved itself. "When the electorate allows key offices to go vacant for unreasonable amounts of time and allows other conditions ... to cause ruin and decay," Cain wrote, "it can easily be inferred that this small group of local citizens has abandoned any right it had to operate a local government unit. The corporate powers have already been surrendered. The body is already dead. The statute merely provides for a decent burial." Judge Cain granted the order to formally dissolve New Rome on August 9, 2004, and also ordered the clearing of all unpaid traffic tickets and all drivers licenses suspended by the village. No appeal was filed by the September 9 deadline, and on that date New Rome was irrevocably absorbed into Prairie Township.

The town's dissolution became the subject of a 2018 short film, The Fall of New Rome.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village had a total area of 0.0 mi2 (0.01 km2), all land.

Demographics

As of the census [2] of 2000, there were 60 people, 27 households, and 14 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,993.4/mi2 (772.2/km2). There were 27 housing units at an average density of 897.0/mi2 (347.5/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 98.33% White, and 1.67% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.00% of the population.

There were 27 households, out of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.6% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.1% were non-families. 40.7% of all households were made up of individuals, none of which had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the village the population was spread out, with 30.0% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 38.3% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $19,583, and the median income for a family was $17,500. Males had a median income of $27,917 versus $11,500 for females. The per capita income for the village was $12,983. About 18.8% of families and 18.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.1% of those under the age of 18 and none of those ages 65 and older.

Education

The area is in the South-Western City School District. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus, Ohio</span> Capital and largest city of Ohio, United States

Columbus is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest after Chicago, and the third-most populous U.S. state capital after Phoenix, Arizona and Austin, Texas. Columbus is the seat of government of Franklin County; it also extends into Delaware and Fairfield counties. It is the core city of the Columbus metropolitan area, which encompasses ten counties in central Ohio. It had a population of 2,138,926 in 2020, making it the largest metropolitan area entirely in Ohio and 32nd-largest metro area in the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bexley, Ohio</span> City in Ohio, United States

Bexley is a suburban city in Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 13,928 at the 2020 census. Founded as a village, the city of Bexley is a suburb of Columbus, the Ohio state capital, situated on the banks of Alum Creek next to Driving Park and Wolfe Park, just east of the Franklin Park Conservatory. It is horizontally bisected by the National Road, serving as a reminder of Bexley's origins as a merger between the prestigious Bullitt Park neighborhood to the north, and the Lutheran college community of Pleasant Ridge to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arlington Heights, Ohio</span> Village in Ohio, United States

Arlington Heights is a village in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. It is a northeastern suburb of Cincinnati. The population was 823 at the 2020 census. The village is almost completely contained within the wide median of the Mill Creek Expressway, one of the few urban splits of freeway lanes in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashville, Ohio</span> Village in Ohio, United States

Ashville is a village in Pickaway County, Ohio, United States. The population was 4,621 at the 2020 census. Ashville is located 17 miles south of Columbus and 8 miles north of Circleville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael B. Coleman</span> American politician

Michael B. Coleman is an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 52nd mayor of Columbus, Ohio. He was the first African-American to serve as the mayor of Ohio's capital city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Brunner</span> American politician and judge (born 1957)

Jennifer Lee Brunner is an American attorney, politician and judge. She is currently an associate justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, a position to which she was elected after serving as a judge on Ohio's Tenth District Court of Appeals. On June 8, 2021, Brunner announced her candidacy for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court in the November 8, 2022, general election. Brunner is a member of the Democratic Party who served as the Ohio Secretary of State; Brunner was the first woman to serve in this capacity. She took office after sixteen years of Republican control, which included two four-year terms by her predecessor J. Kenneth Blackwell, who oversaw the 2000 and 2004 state elections. Brunner served only a single term as Secretary of State. When it came time for re-election in 2010, she instead made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate. Prior to being elected Secretary of State, Brunner worked in the Ohio Secretary of State's Office and served as a County Judge in Franklin County, Ohio. She also owned her own private practice; during her private practice career, she focused on election law and campaign finance law. She represented a broad range of candidates, businesses, political parties and committees before the Ohio Elections Commission on quasi-criminal matters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Boyce</span> American politician

Kevin L. Boyce is an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party who currently serves as President of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. Formerly, he was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 25th District from 2012 to 2016, a member of Columbus City Council, and was the 47th Ohio State Treasurer from 2009 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Yost</span> 51st Attorney General of Ohio

David Anthony Yost is an American politician and lawyer who currently serves as the 51st Attorney General of Ohio. A member of the Republican Party, Yost previously served as Ohio State Auditor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Columbus, Ohio mayoral election</span>

The Columbus mayoral election of 2011 was the 84th mayoral election in Columbus, Ohio. It was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011. Incumbent mayor Michael B. Coleman defeated challenger Earl W. Smith. The scheduled nonpartisan primary was canceled because only two candidates were able to make the ballot. While the election was formally nonpartisan, Coleman was affiliated with the Democratic party while Smith was affiliated with the Republican party. Coleman was re-elected to a fourth term and became the longest-serving mayor of Columbus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Stinziano</span> American politician

Michael Stinziano Jr. is an American politician serving as the auditor of Franklin County, Ohio. He took office on March 11, 2019, after winning the election in November 2018. Stinziano previously a member of the Columbus City Council from 2016 to 2019 and the Ohio House of Representatives from 2013 to 2016.

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1975 Columbus, Ohio mayoral election</span>

The Columbus mayoral election of 1975 was the 75th mayoral election in Columbus, Ohio. It was held on Tuesday, November 4, 1975. Democratic party nominee John Rosemond was defeated by incumbent Republican mayor Tom Moody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Columbus, Ohio mayoral election</span>

The 2015 Columbus mayoral election took place on November 3, 2015, to elect the Mayor of Columbus, Ohio. The election was officially nonpartisan, with the top two candidates from the May 5 primary advancing to the general election, regardless of party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio</span>

The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Ohio were held on November 8, 2016, to elect the 16 U.S. representatives from the state of Ohio, one from each of the state's 16 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on March 15.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Columbus City Hall (Ohio)</span> City hall in Columbus, Ohio

Columbus City Hall is the city hall of Columbus, Ohio, in the city's downtown Civic Center. It contains the offices of the city's mayor, auditor, and treasurer, and the offices and chambers of Columbus City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Ohio gubernatorial election</span> Election for the governorship of the U.S. state of Ohio

The 2018 Ohio gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Ohio, concurrently with the election of Ohio's Class I U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various Ohio and local elections. Incumbent Republican Governor John Kasich was term-limited and could not seek re-election for a third consecutive term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Ohio elections</span>

The Ohio general elections, 2018, were held on November 6, 2018, throughout Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Ohio's 12th congressional district special election</span>

A special election for Ohio's 12th congressional district was held August 7, 2018, following the resignation of Republican U.S. Representative Pat Tiberi. The Republican Party nominated State Senator Troy Balderson for the seat while the Democratic Party nominated Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor. Balderson led O'Connor in preliminary results; however, the race was not officially called on election night. Counting of outstanding ballots began on August 18 and was completed on August 24. The outstanding ballots did not change the margin enough to trigger an automatic recount, so Balderson was declared the winner on August 24.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests in Columbus, Ohio</span> 2020 civil unrest in Columbus, Ohio after the murder of George Floyd

The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and civil disturbances that initially started in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area of Minnesota, United States, before spreading nationwide. In Columbus, Ohio, unrest began on May 28, 2020, two days after incidents began in Minneapolis. The events were a reaction to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes, asphyxiating him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Columbus, Ohio</span> City government

The government of Columbus, Ohio, headquartered at Columbus City Hall in Downtown Columbus, is organized into a mayor-council system. The mayor is responsible for the administration of city government. The Columbus City Council is a unicameral body consisting of seven members elected or appointed at-large. The city has numerous government agencies, responsible for public education, health, and safety; emergency services; recreational facilities; sanitation; water supply; and welfare services.

References

  1. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: New Rome, Ohio
  2. 1 2 3 "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ↑ Town Without Pity, April 2003
  4. ↑ Lyttle, Eric. "From the Archives : As New Rome Turns". ColumbusMonthly.com. Columbus Monthly . Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  5. ↑ CIARAMELLA, C.J. "11 Insanely Corrupt Speed-Trap Towns". reason.com. Reason. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
  6. ↑ Sullivan, Terri. "Driver gets 2 speeding tickets in less than a minute in Village of Brice". ABC6onYourSide.com. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
  7. ↑ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Franklin County, OH" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. p. 4 (PDF p. 5/10). Retrieved February 19, 2024. UNI 04480* - Compare with the village boundaries (2000 Census and 1990 Census)

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.