Council approves multiple staffing additions, supplements and targeted one‑time purchases in budget add/delete session

The Columbus City Council on May 19 approved a package of add/delete items that adjusted staffing, supplements and one‑time expenditures while leaving certain pension and finance staffing requests for later review.

In an afternoon add/delete session the council approved funding adjustments that include: adding a contract public defender position ($116,021), local supplements for state court judges and certain elected clerks, reclassifications in the sheriff’s office and court clerks’ offices, four custodial positions and an administrative support specialist for facilities, conversion of a part‑time juvenile judge to a full‑time judgeship, and a $65,000 washer installation and related temporary laundry rental at Muscogee County Prison. Several items were identified as budget‑neutral (reclassifications offset by internal reductions) and some capital reallocations were proposed from SPLOST where appropriate.

Why it matters: The add/delete votes change staffing and service capacity across judicial, corrections and facilities operations for FY27 and shift about a third of the committee’s attention to operational readiness (courts, jail and building maintenance). Councillors emphasized both immediate public‑safety needs (corrections overtime and investigator staffing) and longer‑term capacity (preserving records and adding custodial staff as the new Judicial Center comes online).

What passed: On a roll call and show‑of‑hands the committee approved the items listed in its add/delete packet, including the sheriff overtime and reclassification requests, the municipal and superior court clerk reclassifications, the juvenile judge conversion to full time (estimated additional cost ~$58,131), custodial hires for facilities and implementation of a facilities work‑order system line item previously placed in IT’s budget. The council also approved the MCP laundry replacement and an investigator position request.

What was deferred: Two items tied to structural staffing and pension plan design — a financial planning manager request in finance and a proposed change to the post‑2012 pension employee contribution — were left on the record but deferred pending the external operational assessment from Malden & Jenkins and further analysis by the pension board and legal staff. Councilors said they wanted those recommendations to be finalized and presented before making a final vote.

Budget impact and next steps: Finance staff reported the city’s available reserve days and explained how supplemental appropriations would affect the reserve calculation; some items will be implemented immediately, while others were scheduled for mid‑year review or for implementation after procurement and IT coordination. Additional details and final allocations will appear at second reading and in subsequent council action.