Columbus Government, Universities, and Schooling
Columbus is home to nearly 900,000 people and the state capital continues to be one of the fastest growing communities in Ohio. As a bustling town with opportunities for old and young professionals, a great university system, and continued investment by the government for city improvements, it’s no wonder that the city is among the top in in the US. Let’s take a look at some of the public officials and universities that are helping build Columbus and remember, if you need pest control services in Columbus Ohio, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
The City of Columbus and Local Ohio Government
The City of Columbus employs nearly 8500 government employees, none more important than the Mayor, a City and County Auditor, Attorney, and there are seven city council members positions filled in Columbus. All elected member serve a four-year term throughout the city. As of 2022, the members of the City of Columbus government are as follows:
City of Columbus Mayor - Andrew Ginther
Initially elected in 2016, the head of the administrative arm of the Columbus government, the mayor designates administrative duties and appoints the majority of directors to the departments and divisions in charge of providing a range of public services. However, the City Charter stipulates that some directors are chosen by independent commissions. The Columbus Mayor’s office is located at 90 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
Columbus and Franklin County Auditor - Megan Kilgore
Elected in 2018, the auditor, who serves as the municipality’s top accounting official, is in charge of keeping track of all financial transactions, including revenues, payments, assets, and liabilities. This department of the government is also in charge of collecting the income taxes for the city. The Columbus Auditor’s office is located at 373 S High St 21st floor, Columbus, OH 43215
Columbus City Attorney - Zach Klein
Sworn in 2018, the Columbus attorney serves as the city’s legal counsel and advisor on issues pertaining to its elected leaders, officers, and departments. The City Attorney is the municipality’s top legal representative, oversees the legal division and represents the municipality in all legal proceedings. The Columbus Columbus City Attorney’s office is located at 375 S High St # 7, Columbus, OH 43215
City Council:
Shannon G. Hardin, Council President, Members: Elizabeth Brown, Nicholas J. Bankston, Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, Rob Dorans, Shayla Favor, Emmanuel V. Remy, Michael Brown
City Council members are elected staggered years so 3 seats are elected one year then 4 seats the next. Columbus City Council is responsible for the annual operating and capital budget, the enactment of the Columbus City Code, and city contracts in excess of $20,000 or $100,000 (if approved by a Universal Term Agreement) are within the scope of the legislative branch of city government. The city council establishes land use policy through its regional authorities in addition to financial and regulatory oversight. Columbus City Council meets at City Hall, 90 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215.
Department of Fire - Fire Chief Jeffrey Happ
The Fire Chief is an appointed position, with the new Chief taking office Feburary 9th, 2021. The mission of the Columbus Division of Fire is to protect the general public by providing information and preventing emergencies through inspection and public education. Providing effective and timely emergency medical care while reducing property damage, injury, and deaths from fire and other emergencies as well as natural disasters. There are 34 Fire Stations throughout the City of Columbus
Department Of Police - Police Chief Elaine Bryant
The Police Chief is an appointed position, with the new Chief being appointed June 2nd, 2021. The Columbus Division of Police was established in 1816 and currently employs more than 1,800 police officers and 300 civilian support personnel. The division serves approximately 800,000 individuals on twenty precincts around the greater Columbus metropolitan area.
The safety of people they serve is their top priority, and they treat the inhabitants with respect, dignity, and justice. The committed officers of the Columbus Division of Police work tirelessly to engage the local community and ensure that their department has the best-trained police force in the country. Columbus Police Departments has 20 precincts across the Columbus area and is headquartered at 120 Marconi Blvd Columbus, OH 43215.
Department of License
The License Section’s purpose is to manage and uphold all laws, rules, and ordinances pertaining to the licensing and permit requirements for different kinds of enterprises, charitable solicitations, and alarm system users.
The complete list of licenses to be issued by the license section is given below. Each division covers the following:
– A link to the relevant provision of the Columbus City Act;
– Any applications needed to apply for the license;
– Any rules and guidelines that might apply to the particular portion of the code.
The Ohio Statehouse
The Ohio Statehouse is one of the nation’s oldest continuously operating statehouses and the location of state government. Its magnificent construction is regarded as a noteworthy example of Greek Revival architecture, and it was constructed during the start of the American Civil War. There is a large collection of historical artifacts and paintings, including a marble statue of Abraham Lincoln. The Ohio Statehouse is famous among architecture fans for its foreboding manner of paving the streets. A dome from the 1860s that sticks out against the relatively recent skyline may be seen atop the Statehouse, which has columns that resemble the Parthenon in Athens. Ancient Greece was the birthplace of democracy, and was the inspiration for the Statehouse’s design.
Education in Columbus, Ohio
The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, founded in 1870, is the state’s biggest university and ranks in the Top 5 in the United States for student population, with nearly 60,000 in Columbus and campuses in Newark, Mansfield, Marion, Lima, , and the Agricultural campus in Wooster. The university is one of the largest providers of bachelor’s degrees in the nation with nearly twenty thousand graduates every year.
The main campus of Columbus is a comprehensive research university with land-grant status. It has about twenty schools and colleges, including schools of dentistry, law, medicine, veterinary medicine, and schools of food, agricultural, and environmental sciences, and engineering. The university offers several undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs, both at the main campus and other branch locations, although most 4-year students end up attending the main in Columbus.
Ohio State has two research facilities away from campus – the Ohio Agricultural R&D Center near Wooster ATI and the Gibraltar Island Stone Lab on Lake Erie, a freshwater laboratory research facility. The Byrd Polar Research Center and the Ohio Supercomputer Center are both on campus
Capital University
Located east of downtown in Bexley near the intersection of E Main St & College Ave, Capital University is a private, small college of only about 3,000 students. Capital has dozens of options when it comes to undergrad and post-grad degrees, with a focus in all types of professional studies and liberal arts, with majors and minors in Communication, Business, Sciences, Music, Arts, and graduate degrees in Law, Nursing, and more. To get into the school, an SAT of over 1,000 or ACT over 21 is typically required, although some students will be admitted with lower scores if they have other qualifications the University is looking for. If interested in athletics, Capital is a Division III school with football, basketball, baseball, golf and about 20 sports in total for both men’s and women’s programs.
Ohio Dominican University
Ohio Dominican University is another college inside the Columbus area, located at 1216 Sunbury Rd, Columbus, OH 43219, west of the John Glenn Columbus International Airport. ODU is a faith-based, private, Catholic institution with under 2000 students and 40 different majors. Because of the small size, the student/teacher ratio is much better so a student that is looking for more help from their professors, a small school like ODU could be a good option.
Columbus State Community College
Columbus State Community College is the City’s top community college, located at 550 E Spring St, Columbus, OH 43215, just west of I-71 and east of State Route 3. CSCC offers a top-notch career and technical program and was selected as one of the Top 30 Institutions by the American Association of Community Colleges. As a community college, Columbus state focuses on helping students jump right into the workforce and it costs about 40% less than going to a bigger university like those mentioned above.
Conclusion
There is no secret that success starts with education and leadership is important to keep progress moving forward. Columbus is a great city that is on the forefront of improvements and will continue to be a wonderful place to live and work for all. Hopefully this article helped you understand more about some of the government operations and the great universities that are just minutes from Downtown.