COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther proposed a $1.74 billion Capital Budget to the Columbus City Council for review and approval. Some of the budget includes funding for public safety, neighborhood infrastructure, and affordable housing.
Columbus City Council held a meeting Tuesday night at the Scioto Southland Community Center for the public to learn more about how each department plans to allocate this funding, as well as comment on the critical needs they hope will be addressed in their community.
The mayor’s proposed budget includes $50 million for affordable housing, $37 million for street resurfacing, and $25 million for roadway and intersection improvements. It also outlines $23 million for a new Hilltop police station and Northside fire station, $10 million for fire apparatus, and $5 million in ATF funding to track illegal crime guns.
Becky Walcott, a Far South Columbus resident and the chair of the area commission, said there’s currently a lack of resources in that neighborhood that needs immediate attention.
"We are talking about safety, medical facilities, that we are having a conversation about lighting, sidewalks,” Walcott said.
Many of those issues will be addressed in the capital budget.
"Capital means roads, sidewalks, fire stations, police sub stations, the most critical infrastructure that we all use each and every day,” Shannon Hardin, Columbus City Council president, said.
Hardin said its important to the council to hear about what’s important to each community and they will take these comments into consideration before approving the final budget.
"I hear over and over again about affordable housing and more streets and sidewalks,” Hardin said.
Walcott said she always wants to see more public transportation options in her Far South community, as well as more sidewalks so people can safely get to bus stops.
"So that a mother or a father can get their child to day care and then themselves to work and then back home every day,” Walcott said.
Hardin said the challenge now is determining how to address all of the city’s growing needs with limited resources to do so.
"We have to make difficult decisions about how we can make the greatest impact with the resources that we have available,” Hardin said.
Hardin said the council hopes to pass the budget in early July.
Additional public hearings will be held 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Howard Community Center as well as a virtual meeting next Tuesday at 4 p.m.