COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Franklin County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $500,000 grant to the Columbus Urban League for minority business assistance, but not before Commissioner John O’Grady questioned whether the funding duplicated previously supported programs.

The grant, approved 2-0-1 with Commissioner Kevin Boyce abstaining, will support the Minority Business Assistance Center and the Incubate Her entrepreneurship program. O’Grady pressed county Director Austin on potential overlap with the Women’s Business Accelerator program funded through McCarthy and the Build Grow platform supported through Freedom Equity.

Austin promised to research the programs and provide commissioners with a clear distinction between the initiatives.

The board also postponed indefinitely a $355,000 grant agreement with the Greater Columbus Sports Commission for sports tourism and economic development. Commissioners said they needed additional review to avoid duplication of county investments.

In other business, the board unanimously approved a $70,000 consultant contract with AJC Solutions LLC for tax incentive administration services. Auditor’s office staff said the contract would support oversight of tax incentives on real property across the county.

The board authorized a $125,000, six-month contract with Mapsis Inc. for support and maintenance of the Franklin County Treasurer System, known as FAX, which tracks all property tax transactions at the parcel level.

Commissioners approved a $191,891 grant contract between the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging and the Franklin County Office on Aging for the National Family Caregiver Support Program. Director Shonda Wingo told commissioners that an estimated 250,000 Franklin County residents serve as family caregivers, with many balancing employment and caregiving responsibilities.

The board adopted an $8,935.20 venue agreement with the OSU Fawcett Center for the World Elder Abuse Day Conference scheduled for June 15, 2026. Boyce abstained from that vote.

Commissioners approved $50,000 for Erase the Space to provide youth civic leadership and workforce readiness programming for 1,500 students, and $150,000 for Think Make Live Youth’s Workforce and Social Justice Alumni Fellowship Program serving youth ages 16-24.

The board authorized a $425,000 grant to the Columbus Chamber of Commerce for workforce development, small business growth and regional economic initiatives including a procurement portal and workforce solutions hub.

Two grants from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services were accepted: $37,532.34 for the Male Pathways program serving high-risk individuals with opioid use disorder recently released from correctional centers, and $187,467.66 for similar services including Female Pathways and transitional housing.

Commissioners approved a $30,000 juvenile justice subgrant to Clean Enterprises for the CLEAN program serving youth ages 12-17 in neighborhoods impacted by poverty and incarceration.

The board authorized a $152,664.50 loan application to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to connect six homes to sanitary sewer on Aina Avenue and Glattis Road in Prairie Township, and a $791,337 loan application for engineering design of a water main replacement project in the same township.

In a move affecting future development, commissioners unanimously approved the first increase in county water and sanitary sewer capacity fees since 2006, aligning with the city of Columbus’s April 1, 2026 increase.

The board approved 78 purchase orders totaling $2,635,631.41 for various county agencies, and five purchase orders totaling $535,568.58, with Boyce abstaining from the latter.

Commissioners approved an expedited annexation petition from Plain Township to Columbus for 1.888 acres at 5470 North Hamilton Road.

The board authorized the county administrator to approve and adopt the 2026 HUD Annual Action Plan and 2025 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report.

Reappointments included LRA Champong as member at large to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and Nancy Hunter and James Leiser as alternate members to the Franklin County Rural Zoning Commission, all through June 30, 2031.

Boyce abstained from three votes during the meeting without explanation.