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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