Mayor Andrew Ginther - Democratic Mayors

In his State of the City Address, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther highlighted the city’s progress and shared how his Administration is driving change across the community’s top priorities of housing, safety, mobility, and prosperity for all residents.

Mayor Ginther highlighted a 14% increase in residential construction permits compared to 2023, noting this expansion is expected to create more than 6,000 new units. The city’s Zone In initiative has helped expedite the rezoning and building processes, while affordable housing bonds approved in 2019 and 2022 have funded more than 4,000 new income-qualified rental units. He announced that he will place a $500 million housing bond on the November ballot to further expand the city’s housing stock and infrastructure investments without raising taxes.

The Mayor celebrated a significant drop in violent crime, including a 17% decrease in homicides and a 25% drop in felonious assaults in 2024. These reductions have continued into 2025. Through the Comprehensive Neighborhood Safety Strategy and the Clean and Safe Corridor Initiative, Columbus is blending prevention, intervention, and enforcement efforts to create safer neighborhoods. Mayor Ginther also acknowledged growing concerns around domestic violence and committed to addressing the crisis through expanded partnerships and an upcoming plan from the Office of Violence Prevention.

He spotlighted the city’s Economic Mobility Accelerator Program, which provides $500 monthly stipends to residents undergoing job training, helping empower families with resources while preparing them for long-term career growth. Mayor Ginther shared about the upcoming opening of the Franklin County Mental Health and Addiction Crisis Center, a 24/7 facility that will provide walk-in and inpatient services for up to 34,000 people annually. The Mayor also reaffirmed the city’s commitment to youth, announcing efforts to make Columbus the nation’s capital for women’s sports and expanding career pipelines through education and city workforce partnerships.

Watch the Mayor’s full remarks here.

More State of the City Addresses

Las Vegas, Nevada

Mayor Shelley Berkley

Mayor Shelley Berkley delivered her State of the City Address, looking to the future and outlining how Las Vegas will continue to be a leading city that assists those in need, creates new opportunities, and provides safe and beautiful neighborhoods and amenities. She emphasized the city’s continued focus on helping vulnerable residents through expanded services, including the MORE Team pilot program, which connects individuals experiencing homelessness with mental health professionals, health workers, and street medicine, as well as the new Community Court that prioritizes structure, monitoring, and resources over punitive approaches.

Nashville, Tennessee

Mayor Freddie O’Connell

In his State of the Metro Address, Mayor Freddie O’Connell described his vision for a Nashville that is affordable, safe, healthy, welcoming, and prosperous, a city for everyone, and emphasized that progress will be purposeful, even when it is not always loud or linear. He outlined steps his administration will take to make Nashville more affordable, including proposals to cut the grocery tax, expand access to childcare, support small businesses, create jobs, build more housing, and invest in children from birth.

Knoxville, Tennessee

Mayor Indya Kincannon

In her seventh State of the City Address, Mayor Indya Kincannon proposed a lean budget that continues to prioritize public safety, affordable housing, parks, and high-quality people-focused services. She also emphasized the importance of being good stewards of taxpayer dollars, noting that her budget proposal covers essential services without raising taxes, even as the city navigates inflation, rising costs, and broader economic uncertainty.