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Andrew J. Ginther joined Columbus City Council in January 2007, and as chair of
the Public Safety Committee, his first priority is to ensure that Columbus Police
and Fire forces have the resources they need to serve and protect our city. Ginther
believes the best measure of our quality of life in Columbus is the safety of our
residents. That is why more than 70 percent of the city’s annual budget is devoted
to police, fire, and support agencies, and why Ginther will continue to fight to
adequately fund our safety forces.
Immediately upon joining Columbus City Council, Ginther delivered on his pledge to
protect Columbus families and businesses, championing budget amendments exceeding
$500,000 to preserve and expand critical crime prevention strategies, including
Community Crime Patrol (CCP), antiviolence programs, and Central Ohio Crime Stoppers.
Ginther has since sponsored legislation which provided funding for bulletproof vests,
police vehicles and laptop computers that will be used as part of the expanded Columbus
Police Summer Strike Force initiative, which will proactively address crime in Columbus
neighborhoods. Ginther also sponsored legislation to provide the Columbus Division of
Fire with additional life-saving tools, including turnout gear and a state-of-the-art
robot for the Division’s Bomb Squad. He is also working to support the building of new
fire stations to meet the demands of our growing city, including the new Fire Station
10 now under construction.
Because of his leadership of the Public Safety Committee, Ginther was also appointed chair
of the Public Utilities Committee, and is working to ensure essential city services are
being delivered effectively and efficiently. Additionally, Ginther serves on the Judiciary,
Recreation and Parks, and Zoning Committees.
Andrew Ginther has a long history of community service, believing it the key to stronger
neighborhoods. Prior to joining Columbus City Council, Ginther was elected to the Columbus
Board of Education in 2001 and re-elected in 2005. He is an honorary Board member of Kids
Voting, and has been actively involved with the American Cancer Society’s Grassroots
Mobilization Team and the central Ohio chapter of the NAACP. He is a former member of the
city of Columbus’ Department of Public Safety Advisory Board and the Ohio Tech Corps
Steering Committee.
Ginther studied peace and conflict resolution at the University of Ulster and Queen’s College
in Northern Ireland while teaching at public schools in Belfast and Derry. He served in
consecutive internships at the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where he
taught non-violence and dispute resolution to school children in the most violent parts of
the city.
Ginther is the Coordinator of Community Relations for Triumph Communications, Inc. and previously
served as a Legislative Aide in the Ohio Senate and as Coordinator of Violence Prevention for
Strategies Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE).
A proud graduate of Columbus Public Schools, Ginther holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political
science. He is a native of Columbus, and resides with his wife, Shannon, in Clintonville
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