Standing Committees & Commissions

Committee assignments and reporting departments, divisions and agencies. Ordinances, resolutions and initiatives are typically assigned to a standing committee in accordance with the following:

Rules & Policy Committee

Council President Shannon G. Hardin, Chair
Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, Vice Chair

The Rules & Policy Committee considers matters of the legislative process, executive appointments, and Columbus City Code.

  • Approval and placement of legislation on the agenda
  • Columbus City Code amendments
  • Mayoral appointment

Finance & Governance Committee

Councilmember Nicholas J. Bankston, Chair
Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, Vice Chair

The Finance & Governance Committee considers matters of city administration and operations, including the operating and capital budgets, procurement, facilities, assets, supplier diversity, and technology.

  • City Auditor, including division of income tax; bond and note sales.
  • City Treasurer, including banking, lockbox contracts, etc.
  • Department of Finance and Management, including Director’s office; Asset Management, including the Divisions of Facilities Management, Construction Management, Fleet Management, and the Real Estate Management Office; Financial Management Division, including Purchasing, Budget, Performance Management; authorized strength ordinances; grants and capital improvements.
  • Department of Technology, including Director’s office; citywide technology infrastructure, Columbus government television, information services, web, telephone, and mail services, and telecommunications advancements.
  • Office of Diversity and Inclusion: Supplier diversity; workforce diversity; and citywide equity initiatives.

Zoning Committee

Council President Pro Tem Rob Dorans, Chair
Council President Shannon G. Hardin, Vice Chair

The Zoning Committee considers changes to land use in the city, including rezonings and variances.

  • Rezonings and variances; land use.

Workforce, Education, & Labor Committee

Councilmember Rob Dorans, Chair
Council President Shannon G. Hardin, Vice Chair

The Workforce, Education, & Labor Committee considers matters of the city’s workforce, including labor relations, compensation and benefits, and employee development, as well as the workforce at large, including childcare, pre-kindergarten, youth, education, training, and partnerships with schools, postsecondary institutions, employers, and service providers.

  • Civil Service Commission
  • Department of Human Resources: Divisions of Labor Relations, including Drug Free Workplace, Occupational Health & Safety, Citywide Training & Employee Development, Employee Resources, and Employee Benefits & Risk Management; employee compensation, salary ordinances and collective bargaining agreements for non-safety related city personnel; Employee Assistance Program.
  • Office of Education
  • Liaison to Columbus City Schools and other school districts, OhioMeansJobs, Future Ready Five, Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio, and institutions of higher education.

Economic Development & Small and Minority Business Committee

Councilmember Nicholas J. Bankston, Chair
Councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, Vice Chair

The Economic Development & Small and Minority Business Committee considers matters of job creation and retention, tax incentive and economic development agreements, small and/or minority-owned businesses, business incubation and entrepreneurship, tourism, downtown, and intergovernmental or regional services or agreements.

  • Department of Development: Legislation and initiatives related to the Director’s Office and Economic Development division, job creation, downtown and regional economic development; commercial overlays; economic development incentives (tax abatements, Enterprise Zone Agreements, TIFs); economic development agreements (EDAs); Tax Incentive Review Council (TIRC); New Community Authorities; Commercial Community Reinvestment Areas (i.e. non-residential); regionalization and shared services, intergovernmental cooperative agreements; annexations, small and/or minority business development, entrepreneurship and technology development.
  • Special improvement districts (SIDs)
  • Liaison to tourism organizations like Experience Columbus and Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority.
  • Liaison to downtown organizations like the Downtown Commission, Capital Crossroads / Discovery Special Improvement District, and Columbus Downtown Development Corporation (CDDC) and Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (Capitol South).
  • Liaison to economic development organizations like Columbus Chamber of Commerce, Columbus-Franklin County Finance Authority, Ohio Small Business Development Center (SBDC), OneColumbus, and Rev1 Ventures

Housing, Homelessness, & Building Committee

Councilmember Shayla Favor, Chair
Councilmember Melissa Green, Vice Chair

The Housing, Homelessness, & Building Committee considers matters of residential housing development and construction, homelessness and unsheltered residents, code enforcement, and building standards and processes.

  • Department of Development: Divisions of Housing, Land Redevelopment, and Planning; land bank parcel conveyances; Residential Community Reinvestment Areas (CRAs); demolition assessments; Historic Preservation Office; Housing Services; homelessness; fair housing; residential and neighborhood development issues, area plans, neighborhood and land use/management plans.
  • Department of Building and Zoning Services, including permitting, plan and site review, building codes, and code enforcement.
  • Liaison to housing organizations like the Affordable Housing Trust for Columbus and Franklin County, Central Ohio Land Trust, Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Columbus & Franklin County Land Bank, and Community Shelter Board.

Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee

Councilmember Emmanuel V. Remy, Chair
Councilmember Shayla Favor, Vice Chair

The Public Safety & Criminal Justice Committee considers matters of violence prevention, law enforcement, crime prevention, administration of justice, crisis response, fire prevention and response, community-oriented approaches to public safety, legal settlements, and criminal justice reform efforts.

  • City Attorney
  • Department of Public Safety, including Divisions of Police and Fire.
  • Municipal Court Judges
  • Municipal Court Clerk
  • Office of the Inspector General
  • Office of Violence Prevention

Public Service & Transportation Committee

Councilmember Lourdes Barroso de Padilla, Chair
Councilmember Nancy Day-Achauer, Vice Chair

The Public Service & Transportation Committee considers matters of public works infrastructure, including roads, bridges, crosswalks, sidewalks, parking, traffic, right of way, snow removal, and broader issues of mobility, transportation, walkability, and biking.

  • Department of Public Service: Director's Office, Traffic Management, Design and Construction, Infrastructure Management, Mobility and Parking Services
  • Liaison to transportation and planning organizations like Central Ohio Transit Authority, Columbus Regional Airport Authority, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and Urban Land Institute-Columbus.

Public Utilities & Sustainability Committee

Councilmember Christopher L. Wyche, Chair
Councilmember Emmanuel Remy, Vice Chair

This Public Utilities & Sustainability Committee considers matters of water, power, lighting, wastewater, stormwater, and sanitary sewer services; environmental initiatives, conservation, energy, climate change, and natural resource management; and refuse collection, recycling, and neighborhood beautification and cleanliness.

  • Department of Public Service: Division of Refuse Collection, RecyColumbus, and Keep Columbus Beautiful.
  • Department of Public Utilities, including Sustainable Columbus
  • Liaison to sustainability organizations like Columbus Region Green Fund and Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio.

Health, Human Services, and Equity Committee

Councilmember Melissa Green, Chair
Councilmember Shayla Favor, Vice Chair

The Health, Human Services, and Equity Committee considers matters of public health and social services that address individual and community well-being. It includes efforts to address social determinants of health and unique needs experienced by underserved communities and constituencies, including seniors, people living with disabilities, veterans, communities of color, women, the LGBTQ+ population, immigrants, migrants, and refugees, and others.

  • CelebrateOne
  • Columbus Public Health, including Office of the Health Commissioner, Sexual Health Promotion, Clinical Health, Family Health, Population Health, Addiction Services, Environmental Health, Center for Public Health Innovation, and Neighborhood Social Services
  • Department of Development: Veterans’ housing, grants management, Emergency Human Services fund, social service contracts (with the exception of homelessness-related issues that do not fall in this committee).
  • Department of Human Resources: Office of Veterans’ Affairs
  • Department of Neighborhoods: Rise Up CBUS, Community Relations Commission, My Brother’s Keeper initiative, Commission on Black Girls, and Immigrant, Refugee, and Migrant Engagement.
  • Columbus Recreation and Parks Department: Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging
  • Liaison to health and human services organizations like Age Friendly Columbus; Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health Board of Franklin County; Central Ohio Hospital Council; Federally Qualified Health Centers; and Human Service Chamber of Franklin County.

Neighborhoods, Recreation, and Parks Committee

Councilmember Nancy Day-Achauer, Chair
Councilmember Christopher L. Wyche, Vice Chair

The Neighborhoods, Recreation, and Parks Committee considers matters of community recreation, neighborhood advocacy, civic involvement, resident quality of life, special events, conservation and care of public spaces, amenities, public art, and culture.

  • Department of Neighborhoods: Director’s Office, 311 Call Center, Area Commissions, Neighborhood Pride Centers & Liaisons, community planning (e.g., One Linden, Envision Hilltop, Eastland Community Plan)
  • Columbus Recreation and Parks Department: Director’s Office, Design & Construction, Capital & Strategic Planning, Community Centers, Community Relations, Parks & Facilities, Recreation Services, Youth Development
  • Liaison to arts, cultural, recreation, conservation, and enrichment organizations like the Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus Zoo, COSI: Center of Science and Industry, Franklin Park Conservatory, and Greater Columbus Metropolitan Arts Council
Back to top