2021

The Franklin County Commissioners released their annual State of the County report yesterday, which can be found online at report.franklincountyohio.gov.  The report details the ways that the Board of Commissioners serves county residents every day and includes highlights from the commissioners’ 14 agencies and some county and community partners.  This year, the report focuses heavily on the many ways that the commissioners worked to help their residents weather the storm of COVID-19.  It declares the state of Franklin County to be strong, and looks forward to a future beyond the pandemic.
 

Today’s verdict in Minnesota is a hopeful sign that times may be changing.  It is definitely a sign that Americans are no longer satisfied with the old system in which the police can often not be held accountable regardless of the circumstances of the case.

We believe that there is a way to write laws and police contracts so that law enforcement have the tools they need to do their important jobs while still being accountable to the public they serve.  We will fight for those changes in every place that we can, and we applaud the hard work and sacrifice of the many who have long fought to change this system for the better.
 

This summer, the Franklin County Commissioners are once again supporting Franklin County young people who are working summer jobs or need a little help finishing all of their high school credits with a $4.5 million investment through their Job and Family Services department.  The funding comes from part of the county’s allocation from the American Rescue Plan and will support as many as 1,700 local youth as part of two separate programs.
 

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners issue a statement in response to preliminary findings of an independent investigation released by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. 
 

The Franklin County Board of Commissioners and the Franklin County Administrator are being recognized as a leader of diversity and inclusion with two diversity awards announced today.  The awards recognize the commissioners' many efforts in this area, which include tackling the racial issues which cause disparate outcomes in wages, health care, infant mortality and so much more.

The Franklin County Commissioners continue to be concerned with the recent allegations involving the now-former executives of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The Board of Commissioners is committed to pressing for transparency and looks forward to the release of the results of the Zoo Board’s thorough investigation.  In addition, the Board of Commissioners supports conducting a forensic audit of all zoo funds, including the more than $19 million in levy funds the zoo receives annually from Franklin County taxpayers.  The commissioners have asked for the Zoo Board to immediately enhance financial safeguards, including the strict segregation of all levy funds from other zoo funds going forward. The commissioners have also requested an examination of the governance structure of the Zoo Board to determine if it continues to provide the highest level of oversight, transparency, and accountability to the public.
 

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is not only a world-class attraction for our community, but also a community investment.  It requires world-class leadership, appropriate community oversight, transparency, and that there be no hint of any impropriety in the management of the county taxpayers’ funds.

The recent accusations are distressing, and we immediately called for them to be investigated.  It is important that that investigation continue to its conclusion regardless of yesterday’s resignations in order to ensure the community’s continued trust in the organization.  Additionally, we believe that this process must also include a review of the current governance structure of the zoo.  

In the meantime, we look forward to an intensive, nationwide search for new leadership for the nation’s finest Zoo.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners welcomed yesterday’s announcement that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has extended the moratorium on residential evictions through June.  Keeping the eviction halt in place was one of the commissioners’ policy priorities during this month’s National Association of Counties (NACo) Virtual Legislative Conference.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners today unanimously passed a resolution expressing their support for the more than 70,000 Asian-American and Pacific Islander residents of Franklin County, and condemning racism and discrimination in all its forms.  The move is in response to the recent series of attacks against Asian-Americans and residents of Pacific Islander descent, including the horrific murder last week of eight people in Atlanta, including six Asian-American women.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners this week bolstered their continued support for Future Ready Columbus with a new $400,000 grant for its Future Ready by 5 initiative.  The funding will help implement the program community-wide, including with a public awareness campaign, and aligns with the commissioners’ county-wide fatherhood initiatives.