Columbus City Council to Vote on $872 Million Budget

The Columbus City Council is set to vote on a nearly $900 million budget for 2017 tonight. The budget first proposed by Mayor Andrew Ginther was a $869.5 million plan that would set aside money to improve neighborhoods, early-childhood development and to train more federal workers like police and firefighters.

The budget is now sitting at $872.7 million after the council added an additional $3.2 million from a carry over balance via 2016.

What the budget entails:

• Two new recruitment classes for police and fire divisions, with the goal of hiring 70 new police officers and 80 new firefighters.
• Rolling out police body cameras.
• Budget money for struggling neighborhoods
• Early child education programs.
• More money set aside for the city emergency fund.

Also part of the vote is a two out of three legislative pieces for the redevelopment of Easton. The Easton Town Center’s lead developer, Georgetown Co., will be receiving a tax abatement from the city of Columbus in exchange for their help in growing the Linden area build their own development.

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