A Columbus City Council member accused Mayor Andrew Ginther on Monday of turning the tornado-damaged Barack Recreation Center into a “political prop” in a fight over city spending. Councilmember Nancy Day-Achauer leveled the charge during council’s Oct. 5 meeting.
The center was damaged during the August storms that spun off tornadoes across Ohio. Day-Achauer pointed to media interviews Ginther gave Sept. 30 outside Barack, where he pressed council to pass his 2026 capital budget proposal — which includes $5 million to renovate the center — as part of a tour of capital projects around the city.
“This could have been an example of good governance where elected officials came together to address the aftermath of a natural disaster,” Day-Achauer said. “Instead, the mayor has used it to attack council members and try to remake his image as a Rec and Parks hero.” She noted Ginther signed an emergency order in late August authorizing immediate repairs at Barack and other damaged recreation facilities — and that council was set to vote Monday on $2.5 million to retroactively cover that work, with possible reimbursement from insurance or FEMA. Franklin County is one of seven counties approved for federal disaster aid after 17 tornadoes statewide in August; Gov. Mike DeWine requested declarations for 23 counties total.
“One must wonder why he doesn’t want us to take a close look,” Day-Achauer said of the mayor. “Conflating tonight’s legislation on remediation and mitigation at several facilities with the 2026 capital budget makes no sense. … The mayor should do better than use a natural disaster to play political games.”
