Andrew Ginther

During Tuesday's State of the City address, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther touted the city's lower homicide rate and Alternative Crisis Response program to respond to people dealing with mental and behavioral health crises.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said the city will use $1 million in new funding to create a team of non-uniform experts who will respond to certain mental and behavioral health crises in place of the police.

The Wexners contributed more than half a million dollars to Republicans and Democrats from U.S. Senators down to a Columbus City Councilmember since 2016. Many of them now say they will donate those funds.

The money will go toward four priorities Columbus officials say will create more affordable housing for low and middle-income families.

The clerk's budget could be reduced from more than $19 million last year to $17.9 million this year. Three years ago, the clerks budget was $15 million.

Water main breaks from German Village to Clintonville to the Hilltop area on the west side have had city crews with heavy duty construction equipment removing several inches of ice from residential streets.

Beatty held a roundtable behind closed doors with Columbus police, elected officials, faith leaders and immigrant community leaders. Beatty criticized ICE, saying Noem should be removed from office.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther criticized Council President Shannon Hardin for "performative outrage" over the mayor's budget not including Columbus Promise funding. Ginther argued the city council has always added funding for the program through amendments to the proposed budget.

"Others can choose name calling, we are choosing to stay focused on the residents of Columbus," is what was written in a statement from Mayor Andrew Ginther's office on Monday, after Musk called Ginther "a traitor to America."

City officials stress that Columbus Police don't work with ICE and don't arrest people solely based on their citizenship status.