News

This afternoon, the Franklin County Commissioners hosted a ribbon-cutting and open house at the newest iteration of their Rapid Resource Center concept at the new James A. Karnes Corrections Center on the county’s west side.  The Rapid Resource Center is designed to support inmates and their families as they leave incarceration and return to the community, and to help address the causes and challenges that brought them into contact with the criminal justice system in the first place. 

This morning, the Franklin County Commissioners approved their annual grant to the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC) to the tune of $4 million.  Last year was GCAC’s 50^th anniversary, and the commissioners have supported the organization and the artists with which it works for many years, including to provide access to the arts for people of all cultural backgrounds, economic status, sexual orientation, age, and physical ability.
 

Our thoughts are with the Goodson family today, and we thank the jurors for their service. The Franklin County Board of Commissioners is committed to working with our partners in local government and throughout the community as we work toward bringing our residents together in light of today's announcement. It is important that all voices are heard in a constructive and peaceful discourse.

The Franklin County Commissioners announced grants this morning totaling $1,683,000 to community partner organizations for the purpose of promoting equity in healthcare for Franklin County residents.  The nine grant recipients and their initiatives were chosen because of their focus on reducing disparities in health outcomes primarily for populations that have been historically underserved by high-quality healthcare and health services.
 

At their first meeting of the year yesterday, the Franklin County commissioners selected Commissioner Kevin L. Boyce to serve as board president for 2024.  Commissioner Boyce was first elected to the board in 2016, and has previously served as president of the board in 2018 and 2021.  Before being elected to county office, he served in the Ohio Legislature, as state treasurer, and on Columbus City Council, and he is also a cofounder of Ohio’s only Black-owned bank.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners voted last week to approve an additional $11.5 million to support the second year of the Franklin County RISE early learning initiative which helps to make high-quality childcare more affordable for working Franklin County families. The agreement between Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services and Future Ready Five brings the commissioners’ total commitment to this multi-year initiative north of $23 million.
 

This morning, at their last General Session meeting of the year, the Franklin County Commissioners approved the county’s more-than $2 billion annual budget for 2024.  As the administrative arm of county government, the commissioners oversee 15 county agencies directly and set the budget for all of the county’s elected officials, offices, and agencies.  County Administrator Kenneth N. Wilson presented his proposed budget for 2024 at the first of a series of budget hearings on November 16^th, and then the commissioners and their staff made slight adjustments before voting to approve the final budget this morning.
 

Hearings got underway this afternoon for the county’s $2.2 billion annual budget with a presentation of the recommended budget by County Administrator Kenneth N. Wilson.  As the administrative arm of county government, the commissioners are responsible for setting the budgets for all of its 35 agencies and elected officials, including the 15 county agencies that report directly to them.  The commissioners will hear from the leadership of a number of county agencies over the course of several more hearings later this month, and then vote to approve the final 2024 budget on December 12^th.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners this afternoon announced the appointment of Ruchelle Pride as the interim director of their Economic Development and Planning department (EDP) following the retirement last week of its long-time director.  Economic Development and Planning is responsible for providing funding and technical assistance to support community development, and also oversees planning, zoning, land-use, and code enforcement for the unincorporated areas of the county.  Ms. Pride first came to work for Franklin County in 2007, and also serves as director of the county’s Justice Policy and Programs agency.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners honor and thank the more than 20 million living veterans of America’s armed forces and the many thousands who call our community home.  Their service and sacrifice, and that of their families, has preserved our nation of high ideals and helped America to project a beacon of freedom around the world.