News

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.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners this morning voted to approve four grants allocating $33,737,156 for rent and utility assistance for struggling Franklin County residents.  The grants are part of $50.6 million in reallocated Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funding that the county secured from the federal government in recent months, and will be divided among the Homeless Families Foundation, IMPACT Community Action, the Legal Aid Society of Columbus, and the commissioners’ own Job and Family Services agency.

The commissioners were one of the first local employers to celebrate Juneteenth with a day off for their employees to recognize the importance of this yearly symbol of the abolition of slavery in America.  We remain dedicated to our nation’s highest ideals and committed to helping it realize the dream of being a more perfect and equitable union for all its residents.
 
All county offices are closed today in observance of the holiday.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners are proud to support the annual Columbus Pride Festival and Parade, and to be part of such a smart, open, diverse, and welcoming community.  They are looking forward to leading a Franklin County delegation in the annual 2023 Pride parade this afternoon

On this Memorial Day, the Franklin County Commissioners honor the sacrifice of all those who have died in service to our nation.  Central Ohio has a long and proud tradition of military service, and some of the names of the local service men and women who have paid the ultimate price in service to our nation can be found enshrined at a display in their honor at Franklin County Memorial Hall at 280 W. Broad St. in Columbus and open to the public during normal county business hours.
 
All county offices are closed today in observance of the holiday.
 

Café Overlook in the Franklin County courthouse complex celebrates a successful first anniversary with a steady stream of regular and new customers daily. Still, the restaurant’s most significant accomplishments lie a little deeper.  Since the spring of 2022, the restaurant has doubled as a workforce development program, hiring employees who are social services clients. The employees earn a livable wage of at least $15 an hour and have benefits while learning job readiness skills. Once they graduate from the program, they also receive help finding a stable career in or outside the restaurant industry.

This morning, the Franklin County Commissioners announced that they had voted unanimously to provide a $400,000 grant to the YWCA of Columbus to support its Family Center which provides emergency shelter services for families without homes.
 

The Franklin County Commissioners last week voted to approved $4.25 million in funding for the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), including $250,000 to support the Public Art Master Plan project which will produce a public art plan for Central Ohio in order to ensure that there is more art on display for all of our residents.
 

This morning, the Franklin County Commissioners released their annual State of the County Report, and an interactive website that give the community valuable insight into how their Franklin County government is working for them.  The report is available at Report.FranklinCountyOhio.gov, and broken into sections based on the commissioners’ six core principles of good governance, Safety and Security, Economic Development, Health and Human Services, Environmental Sustainability, Fiscally Responsible Government, and Racial Equity.  This year’s report shows that the county has maintained its double Triple A bond rating throughout the pandemic, one of only about 3% of local governments with a credit score that high.  It notes that the county’s “rainy day” fund is $85 million, and details some of the ways that the commissioners have allocated more then $200 million in American Rescue Plan funds.
 

This morning, the Franklin County Commissioners unanimously approved a contract with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Healthy Homes program for $15.5 million to support the creation of more than 200 new units of affordable housing in the Linden neighborhood.  In addition to supporting the construction of 33 new houses, the funding will be leveraged to secure additional funding for hundreds of additional units that will be available for low-income families to rent.