Bonds
Fire Station 36
Police and fire stations, fire trucks, municipal court
Glenwood Pool
Community centers, parks, pools, street trees
Hilltop Police Substation
Police and fire stations, fire trucks, municipal court
Kilbourne Run Sports Park
Community centers, parks, pools, street trees
Mulby Place Apartments
Income-qualified affordable rental housing and affordable home ownership opportunities
2025 Voted Bond Package
Voter-approved bonds enable the City of Columbus to build affordable housing, parks, pools, police and fire stations, sidewalks and other community facilities – without raising taxes. Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and Columbus City Council are placing a bond package on this November’s ballot that will help build the facilities and infrastructure for our growing city:
Neighborhood Development/Affordable Housing $500 million
Income-qualified affordable rental housing and affordable home ownership opportunities
Public Utilities $500 million
Water lines, sewer improvements, power infrastructure
Public Service $400 million
Sidewalks, street resurfacing, bridge repairs, trash and recycling equipment
Recreation & Parks $250 million
Community centers, parks, pools, street trees
Safety, Health & Infrastructure $250 million
Police and fire stations, fire trucks, municipal court
Your Bond Dollars at Work
+ What is a general obligation bond?
Bonds enable the city to invest in infrastructure today, without raising taxes.
Just like a homebuyer can borrow money to purchase a house, the City of Columbus can borrow money to pay for physical improvements in our city. Instead of taking out a loan, however, the city sells investors a bond, with the promise to repay it on a term that ranges from five to 17 years. The city invests the money made from the bond sale to build affordable housing, parks, pools, police and fire stations, sidewalks, sewer lines, street lights and more.
Much like how a homebuyer taking out a mortgage will benefit from having good credit, the City of Columbus benefits from our “triple A” bond rating. This means that investors know that Columbus has some of the most secure debt in the nation; and in return, the city gets a very low cost of borrowing. This strategy has saved the city tens of millions of dollars in recent years.
+ How does the city pay the bonds?
The city places $0.25 of every $1 of income taxes collected, and a portion of utility bill income, in a special fund that is used to repay the bonds. Voter-approved bonds are backed by the fact that a property tax could be levied if ever the city was ever unable to repay its bonds. However, since 1956, the city has always met its obligations and has never had to use other sources of funding to repay the bonds.
+ Why does the city use bonds?
Voter-approved debt saves the city money. Investors purchasing city bonds have more confidence they will be repaid if voters have approved their issuance, and therefore, they generally demand a lower rate of return on their investment. This cheaper repayment of debt allows the city to stretch our dollars farther and invest in additional projects than if we used other sources of funds.
+ How does the city choose how bond funds are spent?
Public input is important to informing how voter-approved bond funds are spent. City representatives will attend Area Commissions and hold other sessions to hear from residents before November.