Franklin County Municipal Court Clerk Lori Tyack is at odds with Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther over his proposed 2026 operating budget, which could cut her office's funds by 6% compared to 2025.
Tyack spoke last week at a budget hearing before Columbus City Council, blasting Ginther's budget as "the most fiscally irresponsible budget I have experienced in my 20 years of service." She called the cuts to the clerk's office "unacceptable" and warned of repercussions to public safety, crime and court operations.
The mayor's $1.26 billion operating budget allots $17.9 million for the clerk's office. Last year, the city budgeted more than $19 million.
Mayor Andrew Ginther and other city leaders have called 2026 a "tight" budget year.
Ginther defended the budget to reporters on Friday, saying he will work with the clerk to make sure the concerns are addressed.
"Significant increases have gone to the courts and to the clerk's office over the last several years. This is a tighter budget year and we're all having to make tough choices," Ginther said.
The city budgeted a little more than $15 million to the clerk's office in 2023, meaning its costs went up 24% between 2023 and 2025.
Tyack said the court's law enforcement partners are also against the cuts.
"Our justice partners agreed that the impact on public safety would be crippling, devastating and deadly. The progress that we've made in the past few years to reduce crime will quickly regress if law enforcement is unable to access real-time information to verify warrants, protection orders and no contact orders," Tyack said.
Tyack said law enforcement informed her office that if this occurs, they would not take the risk of processing warrantless arrests, which would leave the agency no other option than to accept custody.
"Additionally, no recent filed warrants, bench warrants or order in warrant verifications would be performed and no new criminal complaints would be processed until the next day's business day," Tyack said.
Tyack warned that the budget cuts could mean the court's criminal and traffic decisions will have to cease operating overnight and on weekends because of less funding for courthouse security and other staff. Her office is tasked with verifying warrants and protection orders while also processing paperwork so the Franklin County Jail can process and release detainees.
Tyack gave an example of what could happen if these operations aren't funded properly. She said during the winter storm last weekend, Columbus police were forced to keep detainees under guard, handcuffed to a concrete wall because court staff couldn't work the overnight shift.
Ginther said the overwhelming majority of his budget is allocated for police and fire, as it is most years.
"I hear the sheriff and I hear from other folks in law enforcement. And our hope is that we'll work with council to figure out how we can make sure she has what she needs," Ginther said.
Columbus City Council member Emmanuel Remy, who chairs the city's Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee, said in a statement he appreciates Tyack for speaking candidly about the effects the proposed budget could have on residents who rely on the municipal court system every day.
"City Council will continue to listen carefully to our courts, public safety partners and community stakeholders so we fully understand the consequences of the choices before us. Our goal remains passing a responsible budget that keeps residents safe, protects access to justice and reflects the seriousness of the moment we’re in," Remy said.
Columbus City Council will amend the budget and vote on its passage later this year.
