Title
Notice/Advertisement Title: Public Hearing Operating Budget 2026: Public Safety and Criminal Justice
Contact Name: Ciera Adams
Contact Telephone Number: 614/645-3773
Contact Email Address: csadams@columbus.gov
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2026 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET: PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
HEARING MINUTES
Name of Hearing: Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee: 2026 Proposed Operating Budget
Tuesday January 27, 2026, 3:00 P.M. Virtual and Columbus City Hall, 90 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
Columbus City Council’s Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee held a public hearing to discuss the 2026 Operating Budget.
Present: Councilmember Emmanuel V. Remy, Councilmember Ross, Pedro Mejia, Council Member Nancy Day-Achauer, Crystal Ross, Judge Eileen Paley, Emily Shaw, Timothy Myers, Melanie Tobias, Christi Power, Trisha Wentzel, Richard Blunt, Tate Wooding, Judge Jessica Varga, Nicholas Konves, Joanne Lunceford, Nathaniel Ryan, Brian Shinn, Kate Pishotti, Clerk Lori Tyack, Finance Director Christopher Long, Christian Selch, Jacqueline Hendricks
CALL TO ORDER
3:11 P.M.
Agenda
• Welcome & Introductions
• Emmanuel V. Remy, Councilmember - Chair of Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee
§ [Chair Remy] I’m Council Member Remy, Chair of the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee. I’m excited to welcome my colleague and Vice-Chair of this committee, Councilmember Tiara N. Ross, to this hearing. Thank you everyone for joining us virtually, I hope that you all are out there staying safe and warm. Today we are going to review the 2026 proposed operating budget from the following departments and offices:
• The Department of Public Safety
• The Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk
• The Franklin County Municipal Court Judges
• The Office of the City Attorney
• The Office of the Inspector General
• The Office of Violence Prevention
§ [Chair Remy] I want to thank my colleague, Council Member Nancy Day-Achauer for joining us virtually. A reminder, this hearing is currently live on YouTube and FaceBook and is also live and being recorded for re-broadcast on CTV, Columbus’ government television channel 3. The rebroadcast schedule is available at www.columbus.gov.
§ Each year Columbus City Council hosts budget hearings in each committee to hear from the City Departments and the public on priorities, goals, and barriers before considering passage of an operating budget. The Operating Budget consists of annual funding to run the city - salaries, program costs, etc. In contrast, the Capital Budget is a long-term plan that includes tangible outcomes such as roads, buildings, etc. It is no secret that this year’s proposed budget is tight. In my eight years on council we have not faced the budgetary challenges that I’m seeing now. And unfortunately this is something that we are all too used to. Prices are rising for our residents and they are rising for the city as well. Although we face challenges, I strongly believe Columbus is well positioned to weather the storm. There will be uncomfortable conversations and decisions in the coming weeks as we work toward passing a balance budget. That’s why today’s hearing is critically important. We are here to make intentional discussion so that we can make informed decisions. I thank every city staff member here today for being a partner in weathering the storm. I’d also like to note that Director Chris Long, the director of finance is joining us today and will be available for questions and comments. And I may call on him at a point in time, but I know that he is in good hand with the department itself. I would like to ask my colleague, Vice Chair Ross if she would like to say anything.
• Tiara N. Ross, Councilmember - Vice-Chair of Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee
§ [Vice Chair Ross] Thank you Chair. First I want to start by saying I like what you did there, "Weathering the storm." That's good. I want to echo your sentiments on the important function of public hearings. This is not only an opportunity for us as council members as we prioritize what we can support, but more importantly, public hearings give the public the opportunity to hear the impact of our investments as a city. As vice chair of this committee, I certainly look forward to supporting what I anticipate will be a dynamic and comprehensive public safety agenda, even in the midst of austerity. I have no doubt that the safety of our residents is at the top of council's priority list, as, and our safety partners in this work. I hope to bring to this work continued and enhanced collaboration across city departments, county, state, and federal partners, so that we are looking at safety in the most comprehensive way possible. As we all know, or should know, safety is the responsibility of this entire community, not just one or two departments that happen to have safety in their names. It is a community effort, and it will take this entire community to yield the solutions we aim to in this work. Safety is about housing, it's about law enforcement, it's about partnership, jobs that provide dignity, resources for families. It's about community. And I hope that as we discuss this budget and the necessary resources needed to effectuate the goals of each department, that we use community as a lens to ground our work and ensure we're all marching toward the same drumbeat. Certainly my honor to serve alongside each one of you, and I look forward to this afternoon's discussion. Thank you.
• Department Operating Budget proposals and presentations and Council Questions/Feedback:
• Proposed 2026 Department of Public Safety Operating Budget
§ Deputy Director Trisha Wentzel
• Proposed 2026 Franklin County Municipal Clerk Operating Budget
§ Clerk Lori Tyack, Fiscal Director Crystal Ross, Public Relations Director Tate Wooding
• Proposed 2026 Franklin County Municipal Court Operating Budget
§ Judge Eileen Paley
• Proposed 2026 Office of the City Attorney Operating Budget
§ Deputy Chief of Staff Brian Shinn, Criminal Division Chief Melanie Tobias-Hunter
• Proposed 2026 Office of the Inspector General Operating Budget
§ Deputy Inspector General Richard Blunt and Management Analyst Nate Ryan
• Proposed 2026 Office of Violence Prevention Operating Budget
§ Pre-recorded comments from Director Rena Shak, Deputy Director Joanne Lunceford
• Public Testimony/Comment
• Closing Remarks
• [Chair Remy] I’d like to end this hearing by thanking our committee partners here tonight for joining and presenting. Despite our budget challenges, I continue to be proud of the work this city does for our residents. We will weather the storm together. I look forward to 2026 and the exciting plans that each of these committees have in store for our community. Thank you to my Council team - Pedro Mejia, Nancy Pryor-Sully, Evelyn Richards, and to Mark Carter and the CTV team for their assistance in preparing for this hearing today. Councilmember Ross and her team for making this hearing possible. This concludes today’s hearing.
ADJOURNMENT
5:44PM
Hearing Recording: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzYZsrhqn6w>