COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus City Council approved $2.5 million Monday, Oct. 5, for storm-damage mitigation at Recreation and Parks Department facilities, while a council member accused Mayor Andrew Ginther of using the closed Barack Community Center to pressure lawmakers over his proposed capital budget. The allocation covers repairs to facilities damaged by the Aug. 11 tornado and other strong storms. Most of the money is intended to begin work at the Barack Community Center in southeast Columbus, where the roof and floor were deemed total losses. The center remains closed. The council legislation follows emergency action by Ginther that made $2.5 million available for repairs within weeks of the tornado. The mayor’s office said the measure approved Monday establishes the fiscal steps needed to account for that spending, rather than initiating the city’s response. Columbus Recreation and Parks spokesperson Kerry Francis said the city has hired a contractor and is ordering materials. Although progress may not be obvious at the site, the department is continuing to assess the damage, Francis said. Councilmember Nancy Day-Achauer said the legislation was placed on the agenda after it entered the city’s approval process. She objected to Ginther’s recent visit to the community center, where he urged council members to pass his proposed 2026 capital budget. Day-Achauer called the mayor’s approach politically motivated and said council should hold a public hearing and conduct its due diligence before approving the budget. The $2.5 million storm-repair measure is separate from that proposed capital budget. Ginther’s deputy chief of staff, Randy Borntrager, disputed her characterization. He said the mayor’s capital budget includes money to complete repairs at Barack Community Center and urged council to pass it so the facility can reopen and other planned investments can proceed. The dispute comes as Council President Shannon Hardin is preparing to challenge Ginther for mayor next year. Asked whether Hardin would handle the situation better, Day-Achauer said she believed he would. For residents who rely on the Barack center and other recreation facilities, the immediate question is when damaged spaces can reopen. The city says repair work is moving forward, but the center’s roof and floor losses mean the community is still waiting for a timeline for its return.