In Richland County, it all started with a phone call… or four… to connect Ohio Citizen Action with the local group pushing back against commissioners making a huge decision for the county without listening to residents. We had already seen the Richland County Commissioners take the opportunity to pass a ban on solar siting in 11 of 18 of Richland County’s townships. But that didn’t sit well with a group of local residents.

The Richland County Citizens for Property Rights and Job Development was created by a group of local folks who didn’t think this ban was right for their county. Well, Ohio Citizen Action agrees. 

When a ban like this is passed by the county commissioners, there is an opportunity to get it on the ballot for citizens to decide. Richland County locals did just that. With an extremely short timeline of 30 days to collect 3,320 signatures, they got to work. Our field canvass staff got to work too. It was all hands on deck with over 100 local volunteers, OCA canvassers, and non-canvass staff hitting the pavement to knock on doors of registered voters across the county, attend events like the county fair, and talk to folks passing through busy coffee shops.

The first of its kind to make it on the ballot in the country, after verifying that signatures were registered voters in Richland County, we had 60 signatures more than the requirement. In just 30 days, we did what I’d like to think the legislators who wrote SB 52 thought was impossible. We met all of the requirements and are taking the power back to the people at the polls.

The work in Richland County is a little different than what we have been doing the last few years. Typically, we work to support local folks who have a proposed solar project in their area to give them the resources and organization that helps them fight for the project to be approved. Richland County however, doesn’t even have a proposed project. This is about protecting property rights of the farmers who want to lease land to solar development for a steady and passive income. This is about protecting future opportunities for Richland County citizens. This is about not closing the door before anybody is knocking.

I, and a few others who are fighting to repeal the commissioner’s solar ban, recently spoke with Kathiann Kowalski, a freelance reporter with Canary Media. When I spoke with Kathiann Kowalski, it was clear she had really thought about this issue from every angle. I appreciated how deeply she engaged with the concerns of landowners, job-creators, and clean energy advocates. At the same time, it was surprising to hear Commissioner Vero describe the ban as a “good compromise.” From my perspective as an organizer, calling a ban a “compromise” is misleading and doesn’t reflect what so many residents in Richland County are working toward. This ban, passed by Richland Commissioners, shuts the door on farmers’ property rights and local jobs development before the community even gets to weigh in. To me, a true compromise is a transparent, community-driven process where folks can decide what’s right for their own land, not a blanket prohibition that removes that choice in 11 of 18 townships. 

What stands out to me even more, though, is the passion and determination of the grassroots group here in Richland County. These are neighbors who genuinely care about protecting property rights, strengthening their local economy, and making sure their community has a real voice in its own future. Their work isn’t just about supporting clean energy, it’s about ensuring people get to choose what’s right for their land and their livelihoods, through a fair and transparent process shaped by the community itself.

Getting on the ballot was only the beginning. In a game of hurry up and wait, we still have to figure out what the ballot language will be for this referendum on the May 5th Primary ballot.  Even though the last election was only a couple weeks ago, we are already gearing up to share information in town halls, talk to residents across the county, and support the Richland County Citizens for Property Rights and Job Development as they build a coalition of folks across the county who believe that while the state law may allow a ban like this, the commissioners passing one in Richland County was overstepping and not right for the county.

Be a part of this historic campaign and support our efforts with a donation. Every bit goes a long way. When we fight back against those in power, it takes each person doing what they can because it all adds up. As the saying goes, there is power in numbers!