Editing Columbus, Ohio (section)

==Government==
{{main|Government of Columbus, Ohio}}

===Mayor and city council===
[[File:Columbus City Hall 13.jpg|thumb|[[Columbus City Hall (Ohio)|Columbus City Hall]]]]
The city is administered by a mayor and a nine-member unicameral council elected in two classes every two years to four-year terms at large. Columbus is the largest city in the United States that elects its city council at large as opposed to districts. The mayor appoints the director of safety and the director of public service. The people elect the [[auditor]], [[court clerk|municipal court clerk]], [[judge|municipal court judges]] and [[city attorney]]. A charter commission, elected in 1913, submitted a new charter in May 1914, offering a modified federal form, with a number of progressive features, such as nonpartisan ballot, [[Ranked voting|preferential voting]], recall of [[official|elected officials]], the referendum and a small council elected at large. The charter was adopted, effective January 1, 1916. [[Andrew Ginther]] has been the mayor of Columbus since 2016.<ref>{{cite book|title=New International Encyclopedia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8hwoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA637|edition=Second|volume=5|year=1914|publisher=Dodd and Mead|page=637|access-date=September 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106131620/https://books.google.com/books?id=8hwoAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA637|archive-date=January 6, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Government offices===
{{multiple image
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| image1            = Ohio Statehouse exterior.jpg
| caption1          = [[Ohio Statehouse]]
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| caption2          = [[Ohio Judicial Center]]
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As Ohio's capital and the county seat, Columbus hosts numerous federal, state, county and city government offices and courts.

Federal offices include the [[Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse]],<ref name="Fed">{{cite web|title=Ohio Federal Buildings|work=U.S. General Services Administration|url=https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/regions/welcome-to-the-great-lakes-region-5/buildings-and-facilities/ohio-federal-buildings|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-date=November 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117222900/https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/regions/welcome-to-the-great-lakes-region-5/buildings-and-facilities/ohio-federal-buildings|url-status=live}}</ref> one of several courts for the [[District Court for the Southern District of Ohio]], after moving from [[United States Post Office and Courthouse (Columbus, Ohio)|121 E. State St.]] in 1934. Another federal office, the [[John W. Bricker Federal Building]], has offices for U.S. Senator [[Sherrod Brown]], as well as for the [[Internal Revenue Service]], the [[Social Security Administration]] and the Departments of [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|Housing & Urban Development]] and [[United States Department of Agriculture|Agriculture]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/regions/welcome-to-the-great-lakes-region-5/buildings-and-facilities/ohio/john-w-bricker-federal-building|title=John W. Bricker Federal Building|website=www.gsa.gov|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-date=March 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322220100/https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/regions/welcome-to-the-great-lakes-region-5/buildings-and-facilities/ohio/john-w-bricker-federal-building|url-status=live}}</ref>

The State of Ohio's capitol building, the [[Ohio Statehouse]], is located in the center of downtown on [[Capitol Square]]. It houses the [[Ohio House of Representatives]] and [[Ohio Senate]].<ref name="Statehouse {{!}} Ohio Statehouse">{{cite web|url=http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/about/capitol-square/statehouse|title=Statehouse {{!}} Ohio Statehouse|website=www.ohiostatehouse.org|access-date=October 11, 2018|archive-date=October 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011162910/http://ohiostatehouse.org/about/capitol-square/statehouse|url-status=live}}</ref> It also contains the ceremonial offices of the [[List of Governors of Ohio|governor]],<ref name="Statehouse {{!}} Ohio Statehouse"/> [[Lieutenant Governor of Ohio|lieutenant governor]], state [[Ohio State Treasurer|treasurer]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tos.ohio.gov/history|title=Office of the Ohio Treasurer|website=www.tos.ohio.gov|access-date=October 11, 2018|archive-date=October 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011214508/http://www.tos.ohio.gov/history|url-status=live}}</ref> and state [[Ohio State Auditor|auditor]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/location-of-offices-for-governor-and-otherofficers.aspx|title=Location of Offices for Governor and Other Constitutional Officers|last=Legislatures|first=National Conference of State|website=www.ncsl.org|language=en-US|access-date=October 11, 2018|archive-date=November 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123233925/http://www.ncsl.org/research/about-state-legislatures/location-of-offices-for-governor-and-otherofficers.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Supreme Court of Ohio|Supreme Court]], [[Ohio Court of Claims|Court of Claims]] and Judicial Conference are located in the [[Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center]] downtown by the Scioto River. The building, built in 1933 to house 10 state agencies along with the [[State Library of Ohio]], became the Supreme Court after extensive renovations from 2001 to 2004.<ref name="OJC">{{cite web|title=The Ohio Judicial Center|website=The Supreme Court of Ohio|publisher=The Supreme Court of Ohio Office of Public Information|url=http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/publications/OJC.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081231172224/http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/publications/OJC.pdf |archive-date=December 31, 2008 |url-status=live|date=November 2008|access-date=April 26, 2020}}</ref>

Franklin County operates the [[Franklin County Government Center]], a complex at the southern end of downtown Columbus. The center includes the county's municipal court, common pleas court, correctional center, juvenile detention center and sheriff's office.

Near City Hall, the [[Michael B. Coleman Government Center]] holds offices for the departments of building and zoning services, public service, development and public utilities. Also nearby is [[77 North Front Street]], which holds Columbus's city attorney office, income-tax division, public safety, human resources, civil service and purchasing departments. The structure, built in 1929, was the police headquarters until 1991, and was then dormant until it was given a $34 million renovation from 2011 to 2013.<ref name="77N">{{cite web|last=Clark|first=Ryan|title=City workers moving into renovated police headquarters|work=The Columbus Dispatch|url=https://www.dispatch.com/article/20130417/news/304179740|date=April 17, 2013|access-date=March 22, 2020|archive-date=March 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200322214318/https://www.dispatch.com/article/20130417/news/304179740|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Emergency services and homeland security===
[[File:Columbus municipal buildings 01.jpg|thumb|Municipal offices, including the [[Columbus Division of Police Headquarters]], in the city's [[Columbus Civic Center (Ohio)|Civic Center]]]]
[[Municipal police]] duties are performed by the [[Columbus Division of Police]],<ref>[http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2009/jul/17/columbus_police_defend_six-helicopter_unit-ar-15156/ NBC 4, Columbus Police Helicopters] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130120134953/http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2009/jul/17/columbus_police_defend_six-helicopter_unit-ar-15156/ |date=January 20, 2013 }} Retrieved July 3, 2012.</ref> while [[emergency medical services]] (EMS) and fire protection are through the [[Columbus Division of Fire]].

Ohio Homeland Security operates the Strategic Analysis and Information Center (SAIC) fusion center in Columbus's Hilltop neighborhood. The facility is the state's primary public intelligence hub and one of the few in the country that uses state, local, federal and private resources.<ref>[http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2010/09/28/ohio-center-fuses-intelligence-data.html "Ohio center fuses intelligence data"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224052410/http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2010/09/28/ohio-center-fuses-intelligence-data.html |date=February 24, 2017 }}, Jim Siegel. Columbus Dispatch. September 28, 2010. Retrieved February 24, 2017</ref><ref>[https://homelandsecurity.ohio.gov/saic.stm "Strategic Analysis and Information Center"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209065456/http://www.homelandsecurity.ohio.gov/saic.stm |date=February 9, 2017 }}, Ohio Homeland Security. Retrieved February 24, 2017</ref>

===Social services and homelessness===
{{main|Social services and homelessness in Columbus, Ohio}}
Columbus has a history of governmental and nonprofit support for low-income residents and the homeless. Nevertheless, the homelessness rate has steadily risen since at least 2007.<ref>{{cite web |author=Bill Bush |url=https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181217/central-ohios-homeless-rate-rising-despite-low-unemployment-rate |title=Central Ohio's homeless rate rising despite low unemployment rate - News - The Columbus Dispatch - Columbus, OH |publisher=Dispatch.com |date= |accessdate=February 25, 2021 |archive-date=November 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102232231/https://www.dispatch.com/news/20181217/central-ohios-homeless-rate-rising-despite-low-unemployment-rate |url-status=dead }}</ref> Poverty and differences in quality of life have grown, as well; Columbus was noted as the second-most economically segregated large metropolitan area in 2015, in a study by the University of Toronto.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rosenberg |first1=Gabe |title=Same City, Different Worlds |website=WOSU |publisher=PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/chasing-the-dream/stories/city-different-worlds/ |access-date=February 25, 2021 |date=November 6, 2017 |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125214259/https://www.pbs.org/wnet/chasing-the-dream/stories/city-different-worlds/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Chris Gaitten |url=https://www.columbusmonthly.com/lifestyle/20191231/defining-decade-segregated-city |title=The Defining Decade: The Segregated City - Lifestyle - Columbus Monthly - Columbus, OH |publisher=Columbus Monthly |date= |accessdate=February 25, 2021 |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101141231/https://www.columbusmonthly.com/lifestyle/20191231/defining-decade-segregated-city |url-status=dead }}</ref> It also ranked 45th of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in terms of [[social mobility]], according to a 2015 Harvard University study.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tcf.org/content/report/hearing-from-low-wage-working-mothers-how-a-housing-program-in-ohio-connects-children-to-better-schools/?agreed=1|title=Hearing from Low-Wage Working Mothers: How a Housing Program in Ohio Connects Children to Better Schools|date=August 4, 2020|access-date=October 30, 2020|archive-date=November 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103192428/https://tcf.org/content/report/hearing-from-low-wage-working-mothers-how-a-housing-program-in-ohio-connects-children-to-better-schools/?agreed=1|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{See also|Homelessness in Ohio}}