By Mayor Andrew J. Ginther has announced $1.3 billion City of Columbus operating budget for 2027 that will prioritize safe neighborhoods, family and housing stability, and reliable city services.
“My 2027 budget represents disciplined spending to stretch every city dollar without compromising what keeps Columbus residents safe, stable and thriving,” said Mayor Ginther.
“Responsible financial management is more important than ever as local governments, and the residents we serve, face rising costs, national economic uncertainty and unpredictable federal policies.”
Mayor Ginther’s 2027 investment of $895 million in public safety strengthens emergency response by funding two police recruit classes to add up to 120 new officers to the Division of Police, and three firefighter classes for up to 135 new firefighters for the Division of Fire.
Other safety investments include funding for anti-violence initiatives that combine enforcement, prevention and intervention:
- $6.1 million for Alternative Crisis Response programs teaming police, fire, mental health and social service professionals to connect residents in crisis with the right help.
- $6.8 million for Project Moonlight and Safe Streets collaborative policing programs.
- $5.7 million for the Office of Violence Prevention to help fight the increase in domestic violence fatalities, and $3.2 million for other violence prevention programming.
Budget investments will support family housing stability and programs that keep young people safe, engaged and active, such as:
- $5M for the second year of the city’s Resilient Housing initiative to help families avoid homelessness through services such as access to legal counsel to prevent evictions and emergency rental assistance for low-income households.
- $10 million in human services grants for organizations that assist vulnerable residents and neighborhoods.
- $28 million for year-round youth programming that includes $15.5 million for summer youth programming; $7.5 million of the summer youth programming funds are granted to community partners providing summer programs.
Budget investments for operations of basic city services that residents rely on include:
- $66 million for trash collection including $21.4 million for recycling and yard waste and $16.5 million in landfill tipping fees.
- $84.2 million to support operations of the city’s community centers, pools, parks and amenities.
- $48 million to maintain streets, sidewalks and bikeways, plow snow, and install roadway improvements.
The full budget proposal can be viewed online at columbus.gov/2027budget.
Meanwhile, Columbus City Council President Shannon G. Hardin, in response to the release of Mayor Andrew Ginther’s 2027 operating budget said, they (Hardin and City Council) have consistently advocated for responsible, transparent budgeting that responds to residents’ concerns and addresses the City’s very real financial challenges.
“Passing a fair and equitable operating budget is Council’s greatest responsibility. The people deserve a budget that not only ensures everyday services continue, but also plans for a better future for all. This has to be done fiscally responsibly, not through accounting tricks that steal from our future to fund our city in the short term,” said Hardin.
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“We have been concerned all year that the city lacks a true plan to rein in overall spending and to fund our priorities. Council will soon hold hearings to study this budget. Like last year, when Council amended the budget for stronger funding for homeless shelters, community health centers, and the Columbus Promise free college program, we will work to balance necessary fiscal restraint with forward-thinking investments.”
When Council receives the budget, it will begin to analyze some of these priority areas first:
- Realistic assumptions. Columbus faces a deficit this year because last year’s budget was built on gimmicks to appear balanced. This year, for example, we will assess whether police and fire overtime is budgeted accurately based on what they are likely to incur. This year we are set to spend at least $46 million, so budgeting much less than that is impractical. We’ll also look at how much is budgeted for wage increases for employees in collective bargaining negotiations happening now, and if we’re likely to end up overshooting those.
- Public safety staffing. At the heart of our overtime crisis is insufficient police and fire classes. The 2026 budget reduced those classes from 180 recruits to 120 in police, with the only fire academy class not even starting until December, so functionally not happening this year.
- Shared priorities. Previous mayoral budgets have cut funding for the Community Shelter Board, warming centers, human services grants, federally qualified health centers, youth programming, Recreation & Parks, the municipal courts, and the Columbus Promise. Those are the first places we’ll assess. We also will want to see funding for the Issue 5 voter-approved alternative crisis response infrastructure coming online. We will also want to see funding for a holistic approach to housing, including resources for affordable housing production, enforcement of tenant protections that Council has passed, and support for vulnerable renters.
- Sound financial principles and planning. Council will want to know if the budget properly deposits into our reserves, like the 27th Pay Period Fund or the Rainy Day Fund, which Council had to step in and require in the past. Finally, the Administration tells us it’s been engaged in a three-year “strategic roadmap” to transform the way it budgets. We’ll be asking what that initiative has materially produced.
Council has advocated for collaborative problem-solving and a collective recognition of the financial pressures Columbus faces. In the months ahead, Council will begin holding public hearings on the Mayor’s budget.
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