哥伦布市议长推动预算立法 要求审计官介入市长预算流程
哥伦布市议会议长香农·哈定（Shannon Hardin）正推动一项立法，要求市审计官在市长编制预算的过程中发挥更大作用，与市长安德鲁·金瑟（Andrew Ginther）围绕市财政的争执进一步升级。据《哥伦布快报》（The Columbus Dispatch）报道，哈定起草的法案将指示市审计官杰奎琳·刘易斯（Jacquelin Lewis）测算2027年警察与消防部门的加班费支出，为市长的运营预算提案提供依据。
报道指出，哥伦布警察与消防部门2026年的加班费预计将超支至少2300万美元。金瑟市长2026年预算提案曾要求将安全部门的加班费大砍45%，但人手不足的警察与消防部门实际加班量与去年基本持平。哈定对《快报》表示，他正在起草的法案10月5日晚还来不及提交市议会审议，但他指责金瑟存在“预算失职”，挪用资本预算来填补运营预算中的工资缺口，并提议缩减资本预算规模。金瑟则坚称市财政依然稳健，政府正在运用符合财政规范的手段重新平衡运营预算。
这份草案法案曾在网上短暂发布后被撤下。值得注意的是，哈定已宣布将在2027年市长选举中挑战金瑟，两人近几个月已在运营预算与资本预算问题上多次交锋。在同一次10月5日的市议会会议上，市议会还全票通过拨款250万美元，追认市政府8月底签署的紧急命令开支，用于修复8月龙卷风中受损的巴拉克娱乐中心（Barack Recreation Center）等四处娱乐与公园设施。
Columbus Council President Pushes Budget Bill to Insert Auditor Into Mayor's Budget Process
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin is pushing legislation that would give the city auditor a bigger role in the mayor's budgeting process, escalating his clash with Mayor Andrew Ginther over city finances. According to The Columbus Dispatch, Hardin's draft bill would direct City Auditor Jacquelin Lewis to estimate 2027 police and fire overtime expenses to inform the mayor's operating budget proposal.
Columbus police and fire are on track to overspend on overtime in 2026 by at least $23 million, the report said. Mayor Ginther's 2026 budget proposal called for an aggressive 45% cut in safety overtime, but the understaffed police and fire divisions have continued to use overtime at about the same rate as last year. Hardin told the Dispatch on Oct. 5 that the legislation he is drafting was not ready to present that night, while accusing Ginther of "budgeting malpractice" and of robbing the capital budget to cover payroll in the operating budget. Ginther maintains that the city remains on strong financial footing and that his administration is using fiscally sound tools to rebalance the operating budget.
The draft legislation was posted online and then removed. Notably, Hardin is challenging Ginther for mayor in 2027, and the two have clashed in recent months over the operating and capital budgets. At the same Oct. 5 council meeting, the council also voted unanimously to approve $2.5 million to retroactively cover an emergency order signed in late August for repairs to four recreation and parks facilities damaged in August tornadoes, including the Barack Recreation Center.
图片来源：配图：哥伦布市政厅。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，作者 Tysto，公共领域。
