Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Mayor Ginther unveils $1.26 billion 2026 operating budget focused on housing, safety and crisis response
Summary
Mayor Ginther introduced a $1.26 billion operating budget for 2026 that directs new city dollars to a resilient housing initiative, public-safety programs and mental‑health crisis response while urging fiscal caution given federal uncertainty.
Mayor Ginther on Friday introduced the City of Columbus’s proposed $1,260,000,000 operating budget for 2026, saying the plan emphasizes “safety and stability” and prioritizes housing supports, public-safety investments and expanded mental‑health response.
The proposal, presented at an event hosted by Impact Community Action, includes $6,500,000 in city funds for a new resilient housing initiative that the mayor described as focused on homelessness prevention rather than emergency response. “For this first time, we’re gonna use City of Columbus dollars,” Ginther said, adding the initiative will pair $5,000,000 in flexible supports for rent, utilities or unexpected costs with $1,500,000 to fund Columbus Legal Aid and a social worker in municipal court to assist people facing eviction.
Ginther framed the…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
