News

Twenty million in grants are now available to Franklin County nonprofits, thanks to a joint effort by Franklin County and the City of Columbus officials to create a safety net for agencies that have helped so much, they are now in critical need themselves.

 

On Independence Day, we celebrate our nation’s freedom from tyranny and our own freedoms as Americans.  Even as our country sometimes feels very divided, we know that America is a beacon of hope around the world because of ideals like the freedoms of speech and religion, freedom of the press, and to assemble freely and to petition the government.  The commissioners salute all of the men and women serving around the world to preserve those ideals, and wish everyone a safe and happy Independence Day.
 
All county offices are closed today in observance of the holiday.
 

To reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Franklin County the Board of Commissioners convened an emergency meeting this evening and unanimously passed a resolution to uphold the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to wear cloth face coverings in public settings. 
 
By adopting this resolution, the Board of Commissioners support cities, townships and villages within Franklin County to pass local ordinances and emergency declarations, as allowable by law, to require residents in those communities to wear face coverings while visiting indoor settings like retail stores, restaurants and work settings.   
 

Beginning with June 19^th, 2021, the commissioners will be making Juneteenth an official paid county holiday for employees to replace the recognition of Columbus Day.     
                                                                 
June 19^th celebrates the abolition of slavery in America, and the recognition that African Americans are entitled to equal rights in this country they helped to build.  Yet 155 years later, their descendants and other people of color are faced with unequal opportunity in pursuit of the American Dream.  On this Juneteenth, we recognize the struggle that so many have endured and are still enduring to help us realize the dream of a more perfect union, and we stand with our residents in the ongoing fight for racial equity.

The pandemic may be limiting where youth can go this summer, but a new public-private partnership between COSI and the Franklin County Commissioners will ensure that youth still have plenty to do. The Franklin County Commissioners and the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) have teamed up to create free educational and entertaining activities rooted in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) that will be catered to students in kindergarteners through high school.
 

The pandemic may be limiting where youth can go this summer, but a new public-private partnership between COSI and the Franklin County Commissioners will ensure that youth still have plenty to do. The Franklin County Commissioners and the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) have teamed up to create free educational and entertaining activities rooted in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) that will be catered to students in kindergarteners through high school. These new activities and videos will be available on the COSI Connects webpage starting later this month and will be posted daily into the fall.

The Franklin County Commissioners this morning voted to pass a series of three resolutions that will provide more than $2 million in grants and loans to small businesses in Franklin County that are struggling in the depressed economy.  The money is available immediately and administered by partner agencies such as Rev-1, ECDI, and KIVA-Columbus.  The funding is provided from among several sources, the federal CARES Act, Community Development Block Grant funding, and through a generous contribution from JPMorgan Chase.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners today announced the appointment of Orvell Johns as the new director to oversee the Office on Aging.  Mr. Johns will take over the position, which pays $99,840 annually, beginning Monday, June 8^th. 

The Franklin County Commissioners this afternoon joined with other local leaders in expressing their support for a statement and list of action steps put forth by a coalition of local African American leadership addressing racism, bias, and the future of our community.  The statement follows several days of widespread protests in Columbus, and many years of strained relations between the police and the African American community in Central Ohio and across the nation.
 

Franklin County Administrator, Kenneth N. Wilson this morning announced that some Franklin County agencies would begin bringing staff back into their usual work stations and some offices would be renewing access to the public, but with significant restrictions.