Latest news with #FranklinCountyBoardofCommissioners
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Columbus passes funding bump for homeless shelters; what is Franklin County's share?
The city of Columbus is allocating $10.4 million for homeless shelters and programs to help residents at risk of ending up on the streets. The Columbus City Council voted on April 28 to authorize the grant to the Community Shelter Board, which distributes public funds to Columbus' homeless shelters and other nonprofits addressing homelessness. This comes a few months after Community Shelter Board leadership lobbied the city and Franklin County for a large bump in funding, raising the alarm that homelessness is rising locally and federal COVID-19 pandemic cash that had been used to help address the problem is dwindling. The city is giving the board slightly less than it asked for to maintain beds and programs, and millions less than its leadership asked for to improve the local shelter system. The $10.4 million represents less than the city gave to the board in 2024 ($14.9 million), using $9.4 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, but more than the city previously allocated directly ($5.5 million in 2024). Adam Rowan, chief compliance and operations officer at the Community Shelter Board, testified to the city council that this money will sustain and expand critical programs. The Franklin County Board of Commissioners has not yet voted on how much money to give to the Shelter Board this year. In December, when the shelters made their pitch to the county for increased funding, Franklin County Commissioner Kevin Boyce said they made a good case, but it was a significant ask. More local government news: Inside Columbus' new surveillance network: Public-private partnership embraces camera system Government and Politics Reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@ Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus increases funds for homeless shelters after call for help
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
See the Columbus power brokers tasked with setting city and county spending priorities
Meet the local leaders who will weigh in on how Columbus and Franklin County governments fund a broad range of important things, including human services, the arts, and tourism. Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, City Council President Shannon G. Hardin and Franklin County Board of Commissioners President Erica C. Crawley announced the launch of the Funding Review Advisory Committee on Tuesday. According to the announcement, over the rest of this year, the committee will assess funding trends; evaluate current and potential tax revenue sources; assess revenue utilization; recommend sustainability strategies; and identify opportunities for improvement. More: Columbus' new titans: The 10 people making a difference in central Ohio Ginther appointed 15 individuals to the new committee in collaboration with Hardin and Crawley. According to the announcement from the mayor's office, the committee "is composed of a balanced and diverse group of community leaders who have a deep understanding of the local human services, cultural arts and travel and tourism sectors." The committee will hold its first meeting on Thursday at 3 p.m. at 141 N. Front St. Members of the public may attend public portions of the committee's meetings. The committee members are: Sandy Doyle-Ahern, President of EMH&T (Committee Chair) Trudy Bartley, Associate Vice President for Local and Community Relations at The Ohio State University Office of Government Affairs Barbara Benham, Executive Vice President and Chief Public Affairs Officer at Huntington National Bank Darnita Bradley, Senior Manager of Local Government Affairs & Engagement at JobsOhio Tanny Crane, President & CEO of Crane Group Janelle Coleman, Vice President of Corporate Philanthropy and Community Engagement at American Electric Power and President of the American Electric Power Foundation Luke Fedlam, Partner at Amundsen Davis Jason Hall, CEO of the Columbus Partnership Traci Martinez, Managing Partner at Squire Patton Boggs Karen Morrison, Senior Vice President at OhioHealth and President of the OhioHealth Foundation Matt Scantland, CEO of AndHealth Jamie Shumaker, Executive Director of the Central Ohio Labor Council, AFL-CIO Janica Pierce Tucker, Partner-In-Charge of Taft Columbus Doug Ulman, Board Vice Chair at Pelotonia Michael Young, Lead Pastor of City of Grace Church More city hall news: Apartments for homeless residents planned at former Camp Shameless in Columbus This is the second time the city and county have convened a committee like this. The last time was in 2011. 'As Columbus continues to grow and evolve, it is essential that our funding strategies keep pace with the changing needs of our community, especially in a post-COVID economy,' said Doyle-Ahern, committee chair, in the press announcement. 'This Committee is dedicated to fostering innovation, collaboration and thoughtful solutions to ensure that essential community services are supported sustainably and equitably. We look forward to working together to develop recommendations that will serve our community's diverse and dynamic needs.' Government and Politics Reporter Jordan Laird can be reached at jlaird@ Follow her on X, Instagram and Bluesky at @LairdWrites. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus taps committee of power brokers to advise on public spending
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Franklin County awards grants to LGBTQ+ Pride, Fashion Alliance despite DEI rollbacks
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Franklin County commissioners awarded three diversity, equity and inclusion-related grants this month, including funding for Columbus' LGBTQ+ Pride festival, as companies and institutions nationwide are rolling back DEI initiatives. All three members of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners voted on Feb. 18 to grant $276,000 to Stonewall Columbus for year-round programming and this June's Pride festival and march; $1.4 million to the Columbus Fashion Alliance for its 'Ready to Werk' workforce development program; and $25,000 to Besa Community for a volunteer program supporting small businesses. ODOT introduces $2B road improvement project for U.S. 23 north of Columbus Each grant was awarded through the board's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, charged with leading the DEI strategies and implementation for Franklin County. Last year, the office gave out about $10 million in grants, representing less than 1% of the county's $2 billion budget in 2024. The awards come as Columbus-based Nationwide Insurance has joined other U.S. corporations, like Target and Amazon, in altering its diversity program after President Donald Trump's January executive order to investigate private companies with DEI initiatives. The administration has also told American universities to eliminate diversity programs or risk losing federal funding. 'There are those who believe that diversity, equity and inclusion is 'dead' or that we need to get rid of it … this could not be more timely,' said Commissioner Kevin Boyce during the meeting, referring to Stonewall's grant. 'Hopefully, this year's Pride festival is representative of the time. Meaning that, let's see who's with us, and who's a part of this conversation around inclusivity.' Learn more about Columbus Pride in the video player above. Stonewall's grant marked an increase for the LGBTQ+ organization, which was provided $50,000 from county commissioners last year. Along with helping to put on the festival and march, the grant aids in funding initiatives that 'address critical needs and enhance the life for LGBTQ+ residents,' like wellness and health programming, job training, parenting workshops and various counseling. Ohio Statehouse bill to ban LGBTQ+ discrimination loses Republican support Densil Porteous, Stonewall's executive director, noted during the meeting that the organization's festival and march costs about $600,000 to put on each year, given Columbus Pride is one of the largest in the country. Porteous said the grant is a testament to 'this county's commitment to every person, no matter who they are and who they love.' 'Pride is more than a festival, it's a powerful moment for visibility, resilience and connection for the LGBTQ community,' said Porteous. 'It's also a major economic driver for Franklin County, bringing visitors from across the country and the globe; generating local businesses revenue and reinforcing Columbus' representation, and Franklin County's, as a welcoming and vibrant community.' Columbus Fashion Alliance's grant aids in funding the organization's six-month 'Ready to Werk' program, designed to instruct 28 participants in retail and entrepreneurial readiness. The program is one of several initiatives the alliance puts on to support the growth of fashioned-based businesses within Franklin County. Yohannan Terrell, founder of the alliance, said during the meeting that Columbus is the third largest fashion 'ecosystem' in the nation, behind New York and Los Angeles. Terrell argued the program casts 'a wide net to a lot of underserved communities' by providing participants a pathway to working in Columbus retail for brands like Abercrombie and Fitch, DSW and Limited Too. Retro Delaware diner featured on 'America's Best Restaurants' now for sale 'For those who haven't had access into the fashion industry but have always had a dream of getting into the fashion industry, here's a program that we created in partnership with the county to help you learn about it, to help you learn all the skills that you need to be successful in it,' said Terrell. Besa Community's grant will aid in funding the organization's 'Besa Collective' program, which provides small businesses opportunities for their employees to take part in volunteer work. Each participating business is put into a 'collective' with up to four other local businesses, enabling owners to foster a work culture of giving back that is meant to strengthen employee retention. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
