Columbus City Council Seeks 10-Year Overtime Data as Public Safety Deficit Hits $23 Million
Council members seek historical overtime data before making decisions on the city's 2027 operating budget as police and fire costs rise.
Columbus police and fire overtime spending is projected to exceed budget limits by at least $23 million this year, as public safety staffing shortages persist 10TV, WSYX. Monday night, Columbus City Council unanimously passed legislation to ensure councilmembers and the public receive information about police and fire overtime costs before making decisions about the city's 2027 operating budget WSYX.
Columbus City Council members are asking the city auditor to pull 10 years' worth of data on police and fire overtime spending WCMH. Under the measure, the city auditor will assess overtime expenses in both divisions, including how much was budgeted and how much has actually been spent Yahoo News. Council members said the issue must be addressed to help keep the city's finances stable Yahoo News.
The city's finance director reported that Columbus police and fire are each running nearly $8 million over their overtime budgets for the year Yahoo News. Along with being overbudget this year, Council President Shannon Hardin noted that the shortfall follows prior gaps, stating that the mayoral administration underbudgeted overtime by $15.6 million last year.
"This is just about accountability," Hardin said, noting that being upfront as the city makes budgets enables better planning. "We know that we don't have enough officers, police, and fire, to bring down those numbers right now," Hardin said, adding that "we do know that we have been under budgeting for that for a long time" WSYX.
Competing Views on Budgets and Recruits
Mayor Andrew Ginther defended the administration's budget priorities, asserting that public safety remains the city's top priority.
Mayor Ginther echoed Hardin and said overtime has been an issue for years for firefighters and police officers, acknowledging of the 2026 budget: "I think that we had, you know, some very aggressive goals, and you know, we are learning from those" WSYX. Ginther pointed out that the city previously expanded academy cohorts when resources allowed: "We made historic investments for several years when we had the resources available — three police classes and two fire classes a year. First time in the city's history we did that. We want to get back to that. Obviously times are tighter," Ginther said Yahoo News.
Another piece of the puzzle, Hardin explained, is that the city needs more officers and firefighters to alleviate operational strain. "This year, we're only bringing on one fire class, and that fire class doesn't even start till next month, and so we're not actually doing the things to reduce overtime, but we're also not even budgeting for the overtime that we know that we're gonna have," Hardin said WSYX. That lone fire recruit class is scheduled to begin training in November 2026.
Union Staffing Warnings and Operational Strain
Earlier this year, the presidents of both department unions raised concerns about staffing shortages and the reliance on overtime Yahoo News. The Fraternal Order of Police says Columbus is short about 200 officers, while the firefighters union reports a shortage of 120 firefighters Yahoo News. Both unions have warned that cutting overtime without addressing staffing shortages could put the public at risk Yahoo News.
"We work for the citizens of Columbus. They are driving the demand for these services, and they rightfully expect trained professionals to not only show up, but show up quickly and in a timely manner," said Steve Stein, president of Columbus Firefighters Union Local 67 Yahoo News.
Police Chief Elaine Bryant stressed the division's personnel challenges and internal management efforts. "When we look at the data, we try to work smarter, not harder," Chief Bryant said, explaining that supervisors are held accountable and personnel are deployed where they matter most WSYX.
Implications for the 2027 Municipal Budget
The recurring overtime deficit highlights a structural challenge confronting Columbus leaders ahead of the 2027 budget cycle. Because emergency services require constant staffing, frontline vacancies must be covered through overtime shifts to maintain public safety response times.
The 10-year audit will provide an empirical benchmark as City Council and Mayor Ginther's administration finalize the 2027 municipal operating budget. With only one fire recruit class beginning in November 2026, city officials will need to decide whether to invest in expanded academy classes, adjust baseline overtime appropriations to reflect actual spending, or reallocate resources across municipal agencies.
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Columbus faces $23 million deficit in police, fire overtime as staffing shortages persist
Supporting evidence (1)
Columbus police and fire overtime spending is projected to exceed budget limits by at least $23 million this year, as public safety staffing shortages persist 10TV, WSYX.
Read supporting passage
Columbus faces $23 million deficit in police, fire overtime as staffing shortages persist
Supporting evidence (6)
Columbus police and fire overtime spending is projected to exceed budget limits by at least $23 million this year, as public safety staffing shortages persist 10TV, WSYX.
Read supporting passage
Columbus police and fire overtime expenses are projected to be over budget by at least $23 million this year.Monday night, Columbus City Council unanimously passed legislation to ensure councilmembers and the public receive information about police and fire overtime costs before making decisions about the city's 2027 operating budget.
Monday night, Columbus City Council unanimously passed legislation to ensure councilmembers and the public receive information about police and fire overtime costs before making decisions about the city's 2027 operating budget WSYX.
Read supporting passage
Columbus police and fire overtime expenses are projected to be over budget by at least $23 million this year.Monday night, Columbus City Council unanimously passed legislation to ensure councilmembers and the public receive information about police and fire overtime costs before making decisions about the city's 2027 operating budget.
"We know that we don't have enough officers, police, and fire, to bring down those numbers right now," Hardin said, adding that "we do know that we have been under budgeting for that for a long time" WSYX.
Read supporting passage
"We know that we don't have enough officers, police, and fire, to bring down those numbers right now," said Hardin. "But we do know that we have been under budgeting for that for a long time."
Mayor Ginther echoed Hardin and said overtime has been an issue for years for firefighters and police officers, acknowledging of the 2026 budget: "I think that we had, you know, some very aggressive goals, and you know, we are learning from those" WSYX.
Read supporting passage
Mayor Ginther echoed Hardin and said overtime has been an issue for years for firefighters and police officers. When asked about his administration's 2026 budget, he said, "I think that we had, you know, some very aggressive goals. And you know, we are learning from those."
"This year, we're only bringing on one fire class, and that fire class doesn't even start till next month, and so we're not actually doing the things to reduce overtime, but we're also not even budgeting for the overtime that we know that we're gonna have," Hardin said WSYX.
Read supporting passage
"This year, we're only bringing on one fire class, and that fire class doesn't even start till next month, and so we're not actually doing the things to reduce overtime, but we're also not even budgeting for the overtime that we know that we're gonna have."
"When we look at the data, we try to work smarter, not harder," Chief Bryant said, explaining that supervisors are held accountable and personnel are deployed where they matter most WSYX.
Read supporting passage
"When we look at the data, we try to work smarter, not harder," said Chief Bryant. "We try to make sure that we're putting personnel in the places that it's going to matter. We're trying to make sure that the supervisors and the managers are being accountable. We're doing case reviews."
Columbus police, fire overtime spending exceeds budget by millions
Supporting evidence (1)
Columbus City Council members are asking the city auditor to pull 10 years' worth of data on police and fire overtime spending WCMH.
Read supporting passage
Now, Columbus City Council members are asking the city auditor to pull 10 years' worth of data on police and fire overtime spending.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/columbus-city-council-considers-review-101610407.html
Supporting evidence (8)
Under the measure, the city auditor will assess overtime expenses in both divisions, including how much was budgeted and how much has actually been spent Yahoo News.
Read supporting passage
The proposed legislation would direct the city auditor to assess overtime expenses in both divisions, including how much was budgeted and how much has actually been spent.
Council members said the issue must be addressed to help keep the city's finances stable Yahoo News.
Read supporting passage
Council members say the issue must be addressed to help keep the city's finances stable.
The city's finance director reported that Columbus police and fire are each running nearly $8 million over their overtime budgets for the year Yahoo News.
Read supporting passage
The city's finance director says Columbus police and fire are each nearly $8 million over their overtime budgets for the year.
Obviously times are tighter," Ginther said Yahoo News.
Read supporting passage
"We made historic investments for several years when we had the resources available — three police classes and two fire classes a year. First time in the city's history we did that. We want to get back to that. Obviously times are tighter," Ginther said.
Earlier this year, the presidents of both department unions raised concerns about staffing shortages and the reliance on overtime Yahoo News.
Read supporting passage
Earlier this year, the presidents of both department unions raised concerns about staffing shortages and the reliance on overtime.
The Fraternal Order of Police says Columbus is short about 200 officers, while the firefighters union reports a shortage of 120 firefighters Yahoo News.
Read supporting passage
The Fraternal Order of Police says Columbus is short about 200 officers, while the firefighters union reports a shortage of 120 firefighters.
Both unions have warned that cutting overtime without addressing staffing shortages could put the public at risk Yahoo News.
Read supporting passage
Both unions have warned that cutting overtime without addressing staffing shortages could put the public at risk.
They are driving the demand for these services, and they rightfully expect trained professionals to not only show up, but show up quickly and in a timely manner," said Steve Stein, president of Columbus Firefighters Union Local 67 Yahoo News.
Read supporting passage
"We work for the citizens of Columbus. They are driving the demand for these services, and they rightfully expect trained professionals to not only show up, but show up quickly and in a timely manner," said Steve Stein, president of Columbus Firefighters Union Local 67.