Columbus Council President Pushes Budget Bill to Insert Auditor Into Mayor's Budget Process
Columbus is a city in Franklin County, Ohio. Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin is pushing legislation that would give the city auditor a bigger role in the mayor's budgeting process, escalating his clash with Mayor Andrew Ginther over city finances. According to The Columbus Dispatch, Hardin's draft bill would direct City Auditor Jacquelin Lewis to estimate 2027 police and fire overtime expenses to inform the mayor's operating budget proposal.
Columbus police and fire are on track to overspend on overtime in 2026 by at least $23 million, the report said. Mayor Ginther's 2026 budget proposal called for an aggressive 45% cut in safety overtime, but the understaffed police and fire divisions have continued to use overtime at about the same rate as last year. Hardin told the Dispatch on Oct. 5 that the legislation he is drafting was not ready to present that night, while accusing Ginther of "budgeting malpractice" and of robbing the capital budget to cover payroll in the operating budget. Ginther maintains that the city remains on strong financial footing and that his administration is using fiscally sound tools to rebalance the operating budget.
The draft legislation was posted online and then removed. Notably, Hardin is challenging Ginther for mayor in 2027, and the two have clashed in recent months over the operating and capital budgets. At the same Oct. 5 council meeting, the council also voted unanimously to approve $2.5 million to retroactively cover an emergency order signed in late August for repairs to four recreation and parks facilities damaged in August tornadoes, including the Barack Recreation Center.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 配图：哥伦布市政厅。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，作者 Tysto，公共领域。
