Damon Sherry has resigned from Bowling Green City Council.
In a message sent this morning, Sherry said representing the First Ward has been one of the greatest honors of their life, and they were grateful for the trust and support shown during their time on council.
They resigned after Tuesday’s council meeting.
Sherry is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.
Their resignation is effective Friday.
Sherry took office Jan. 1.
They explained they have accepted a position with the Wood County Board of Elections as an elections administrator.
Sherry will help with voter registration, absentee ballots and other assigned duties, said elections board Director Terry Burton.
“I am eager to contribute to ensuring the integrity of our electoral process,” Sherry said in the press release.
Sherry stated later today that their understanding that there is a State of Ohio policy in which someone working for a county government cannot also hold an elected position, “and this was not a decision that I made lightly,” Sherry said, noting that they sought advice about the decision and it took them a while to come to their ultimate choice.
“And while I love my city, the capacity in which I serve my community is changing a little bit. And I’m excited to help keep the integrity of our electoral process going in Wood County,” they said.
Asked about their contributions on council, Sherry pointed first to their election to council as its first LGBTQ and Gen Z member.
“I feel like I’ve opened a lot of doors for people my age and people like me,” they said. Sherry also noted the passage of legislation creating a dog park on the Ridge Park property, as well as increasing funding for the city’s unions. Additionally, “we continue work to improve the infrastructure of our city and to make sure that wildlife here remains safe.”
As to projects that they wished they could have completed while on council, Sherry said “something I really wanted to work on but never got the change to was to work with the city and the organization that has Wooster Green in their name to create a community garden to relieve stress on food pantries and to give” families, displaced people and children a place to get healthy foods during the summer.
Sherry also said they had wanted to work on creating a designated shelter, potentially through a partnership, for residents of the mobile home parks in Bowling Green.
Council President Mark Hollenbaugh said Sherry was chair of the public lands, buildings and parks committee and advanced the issues of the dog park as well as introduced legislation about the extension of the country club lease.
“Bowling Green is more than just a place where I live – it is truly my home. Here, I have found friends, a chosen family, and a community that has welcomed me with open arms. Serving you and working alongside my fellow council members to advance our city’s interests has been a privilege, and I am proud of what we have achieved together,” Sherry said in the press release.
“While I have made the difficult decision to step down from my official role on the council, my commitment to Bowling Green remains as strong as ever. I plan to continue attending council meetings and participating in community discussions as much as possible. I am eager to find new ways to contribute to our city’s progress and to advocate for the issues that matter most to all of us,” Sherry said.
Sherry, a Democrat, graduated from Bowling Green State University with a degree in political science. While on campus, they served on a variety of executive boards, most recently as president of the College Democrats, vice president of the Queer-Trans Student Union, college chapter chair of the Wood County Young Democrats, and secretary for the College Democrats of Ohio. They were formerly the director of student engagement for BGSU’s Undergraduate Student Government and political director for College Democrats of Ohio.
According to Ohio Revised Code, the Wood County Democratic Central Committee has 45 days, acting for its members who reside in the First Ward, to appoint a replacement for Sherry’s remaining term in office, which expires in 2026.
