COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In approximately one week, Columbus residents will vote on Issue 1 and deciding whether or not to increase the income tax from 2 percent to 2.5 percent.
With that in mind, NBC 4 investigated how the city is spending tax dollars -- starting with city-owned property.
In these tough times, should the City of Columbus be leasing space in non-city owned buildings when it has other buildings sitting empty?
For example, a building on East Long houses police and fire internal affairs.
According to the contract, the city is paying $90,439.75 per year to use the space from King-Lincoln Gateway.
In addition, the city must pay for utilities, taxes and insurance, as well as janitorial, various improvements and attorney fees.
After the 15-year lease, the city will have spent more than $1.3 million for the space -- which it does not own.
Think of your own spending.
Is it better to rent what you want or need, or buy it?
To look at the difference, NBC 4's Mike Bowersock went to a rental center and an appliance store to look at the difference.
"For example, this LG 50-inch plasma TV -- we checked at the rental center. That was $46.99 per week to rent it in order to eventually it, but that was for 77 weeks. At the appliance store to buy it up front, $1,499.97," Bowersock said.
Is it like comparing apples to oranges? Somewhat.
After leasing the TV, you'll pay $3,618.23 -- and keep the TV. In the city lease, officials end up with nothing.
Columbus is leasing space in nine buildings.
In the meantime, the city has space it is not using -- like the 13 city-owned recreation centers that were closed due to budget cuts.
City leaders, however, said the situation is like comparing apples and oranges.
"That evidence is secure evidence. There are special coolers that are needed to keep the DNA evidence. It would all have to be relocated or placed in that center and it would need to be extremely secure at that center. There's also police evidence, money and all those things that they use in those types of investigations that are brought in and out of that facility that would not be applicable to a rec center," said Finance and Management Director Paul Rakosky.
Even if the city could move the offices, it can't. The reason? Contracts.
The building on Long Street is under a 15-year contract, which if half the time of a house mortgage.
The city said it is in the process of reducing leases and is down to only those nine leases.
Getting rid of all the leases could take years, officials said.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement