By Rick Rouan, The Columbus Dispatch
COLUMBUS – Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther rolled out a spending plan Tuesday that includes money to hire more firefighters, change police tactics and help people who are addicted to opiates in 2018.
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The $890.6 million general fund budget proposal is about 3.7 percent more than the city expects to spend this year.
Ginther’s second budget as mayor is largely a continuation of last year’s. Income-tax collections, the city’s largest revenue source, are projected to end the year up about 3.2 percent, and Auditor Hugh J. Dorrian expects that growth to slow next year.
That left little room for expansion in the 2018 budget, which still requires approval by the Columbus City Council. The council will consider amendments and vote on the budget early next year.
“Our values and our priorities are neighborhoods, public safety, opportunity in neighborhoods in particular, the health and well-being and quality of life in our neighborhoods,” Ginther said. “I’m proud of this budget. I’m proud of the investments we made in some new initiatives.”
Public Safety still consumes the largest portion of the city’s budget, but it also is where Ginther highlighted the most changes. The $601.7 million in Ginther’s budget for police, fire and other parts of the Department of Public Safety make up about two-thirds of the general fund. That’s about $20 million more — or 3.5 percent higher — than what the city will spend on Public Safety in 2017.
That includes money for two classes of firefighter and police officer recruits. The city plans to hire 70 police officers next year, but that will only keep up with expected retirements in 2018. By the end of 2018, the Columbus Police Division will have 1,918 staff members, the same as this year.
Ginther has also called for funding for additional foot and bike patrols to replace a controversial anti-crime initiative.
The budget also includes $1 million that the city would set aside to deal with opiate addiction with an emphasis on prevention and education and expanding treatment, Ginther said.
The spending blueprint also calls for $820,000 for the Parks and Recreation Department to operate youth job programs, $4.5 million for early childhood education, $1.3 million for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and $7 million for various neighborhood programs.