About Councilmember Paley
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Councilmember Eileen Paley has been an advocate for safe neighborhoods, strong public infrastructure, and the arts community since she began her Council service in 2009.
An attorney with over two decades’ experience in private practice, Councilmember Paley, chair of the Administration, Judiciary & Court Administration, and Veterans' Affairs Committees, brings to her public service a thorough understanding of the law, and firsthand experience with the challenges facing small business owners.
Shortly after beginning her service on Council, Councilmember Paley helped lead the city’s partnership with the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the Common Pleas and Municipal Courts, the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, the Franklin County Sherriff’s office, and ADAMH to establish two specialty dockets in the Municipal Court: the Solicitation Program and the Addiction Program. The dockets provide fair and adequate treatment responses to non-violent defendants who exhibit histories of alcohol, chemical dependence, or solicitation.
During her tenure as chair of the Public Service & Transportation Committee and the Public Utilities Committee, Councilmember Paley introduced legislation to provide citywide curbside recycling; resurface or rehabilitate bridges, streets, and alleys across the city; increase bike route and shared path mileage in Columbus and Franklin County; and upgrade water treatment processes to ensure the continued delivery of safe and clean water to residents.
Prior to assuming office, Councilmember Paley served as a commissioner for the Columbus Civil Service Commission. She has served on numerous boards of directors and held leadership positions with many organizations, including the Greater Columbus Arts Council; the Neighborhood House; the National Council of Jewish Women; Dynamic Leadership, Inc.; the Columbus Area Labor Management Committee; and the Legal Task Force of the Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence.
Councilmember Paley is a proud graduate of Walnut Ridge High School. She holds a Juris Doctorate from Capital University Law School and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from The Ohio State University. She lives on the Far East Side of Columbus with her husband, Brian. In her free time, Councilmember Paley enjoys spending time with her large immediate and extended families.