COLUMBUS – “Neighborhoods, neighborhoods, neighborhoods.”
Those are the three top priorities in Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther’s $965 million 2020 operating budget proposal, at least in the mayor’s own words.
The spending blueprint, which is 5.6 percent larger than in 2019, address specific issues that plague the city’s neighborhoods: gun violence, the opioid crisis, streets, housing and health care.
Two-thirds of the budget is set aside for safety services, including nearly $5 million to maintain police and fire staffing and $1 million to fund new fire and police cadet classes.
While also earmarking $10.9 million across a variety of city agencies to continue the Comprehensive Neighborhood Safety Strategy, Safe Streets bike patrol and ShotSpotter gunfire detection system, the new plan calls for additional spending for new intervention programs to be administered through the departments of Health and Recreation and Parks.
“Gun violence is not simply a safety issue,” Ginther said. “It’s a public health crisis.”
The spending plan also sets aside $1.48 million to continue to address opioid addiction and addresses something Ginther calls the region’s “top priority”: affordable housing. Voters approved a bond issue in May that included $50 million to combat a severe housing shortage.
Even then, a regional housing study by the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission was underway, involving dozens of communities in Franklin and the surrounding counties.
“We know that affordable housing isn’t just the city’s responsibility or the county’s responsibility. It is a charge to the entire region,” Ginther said.
He also cited efforts underway to leverage private-sector loans, promote mixed-use neighborhoods and streamline the process of navigating the maze of regulations governing residential development.
“In order for us to maintain and keep our competitive advantage around affordability, it is critically important to future economic growth and job creation. This must be our top priority,” Ginther said.
The budget also would double the number of crews assigned to fighting illegal dumping and increase staffing for neighborhood infrastructure projects like street resurfacing.
Ginther’s plan also calls for a $1 million contribution to the city’s “Rainy Day Fund,” bringing it to $84.6 million. Ginther vowed to have $80 million in the fund by this year and reached the goal a year ahead of schedule; he is now setting a new goal of $90 million in savings by the end of 2024.
Also in 2020, his budget plan calls for a $5.6 million deposit to the Basic City Services Fund, bringing its total to $20.4 million to be used to keep essential services operating during unexpected financial downturns.
City Council will begin holding hearings on the budget later this month and is expected to approve a version of it early next year.