Remember, Your Dog Needs To Be Vaccinated for Rabies To Be Licensed
from Auditor and Public Health
January is the month to get your dog licensed without penalty of late fees. Dog owners should remember that their dog needs to be vaccinated against rabies in order to be licensed. The Franklin County Public Health Agency can help. Public Health is offering low-cost rabies vaccinations for county residents.
For dog licensing information, go to the Franklin County Auditor's web site.
For information on rabies vaccinations, go to the Franklin County Public Health web site.
Voter Registration Deadline in February 6th
from Board of Elections
All voters must be registered by February 6, 2012 to be eligible to vote in the March 6th Primary Election.
Early Voting has begun
from Board of Elections
You may vote Absentee in person for the March 6, 2012 Primary Election at Memorial Hall, 280 E Broad St Columbus, OH 43215
| Monday through Friday | 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
| (Starting Tuesday, Jan 31, 2012 and ending on Friday, Mar 2, 2012) | |
| Monday, Feb 6 | 8:00AM - 9:00PM |
| (Last day to register to vote) | |
| Monday, Feb 20 | 8:00AM - 5:00PM |
| (President's Day) | |
| Saturday, Feb 25 | 8:00AM - Noon |
| Friday, Mar 2 | 8:00AM - 6:00PM |
Upcoming Events
1/31: Dog License Due
2/04: EITC Super Saturday Event
2/05: Mingle With Our Mutts
2/06: Last Day to Register to Vote for the March 6, 2012 Primary Election
2/20: President's Day - County Offices will be closed.
There's always something going on at Veterans Memorial. Check out their upcoming events! All the Space You Need!
More from Franklin County
- 2012 Budget
- Become a Mentor
- Charitable Pharmacy of Central Ohio to Open
- Children Services Resource Guide
- Choose Your Partner Carefully
- Clerk of Courts Location, Hours and Phone Numbers
- County Engineer's Construction Projects
- Court of Appeals Docket
- Farmers Eligible for Assistance
- Foreclosure Assistance
- Guidelines for Reporting Child Abuse
- Ohio Benefit Bank Online
- Safe Havens for Infants
- Senior Options Program
- Social Networking Links
from Children Services
Child abuse related deaths are reaching near epidemic proportions. Franklin County Children Services, in conjunction with The Center for Child and Family Advocacy at Nationwide Children's Hospital, has launched a campaign urging single parents to consider carefully who they allow to care for and be with their child. For full information, go the Franklin County Children Services web site.
from Public Health
Cold and flu season is upon us once again, but you don't have to fall victim to the virus if you follow a few easy suggestions. Franklin County Public Health has posted tips and suggestions on its web site.
from Metro Parks
Registration is now open for volunteer training at Inniswood Metro Gardens. Registration will be open until March 1st, 2012. Volunteers will participate in all aspects of the park, including maintenance, education, and special events. Details are available at the Metro Parks web site.
from Board of Elections
The Franklin County Board of Elections voted today to print 94,950 paper ballots for the March 6, 2012 primary election- a number that exceeds a recent directive from the secretary of state by not only printing enough paper ballots to match 10 percent of a precinct's turnout from the 2008 primary, but also enough to cover each provisional ballot cast in a precinct during the primary four years ago.
The Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC), in association with the 200Columbus: The Bicentennial organization, has announced that a second round of grants is available to non-profit organizations to commemorate Columbus' Bicentennial year and the role of neighborhoods in the shaping of Columbus' past, present and future. Applications for the second round of grants are due on Wednesday, February 15, and must be sent electronically.
A five month study by an internationally recognized real estate advisory firm shows that a "strong market opportunity for a robust development program" exists and can generate new investment opportunities that will create jobs and revitalize the West Broad Street Corridor.
The study creates a roadmap for county and private sector cooperation within the community.
Central Ohio families are seeking shelter in alarming numbers. Franklin County's emergency shelters are overflowing. Many people can no longer meet their basic needs for food and shelter.
With your help, everyone will have a place to call home this winter.
from Children Services
You can make the difference in the life of an abused or neglected child. Franklin County Children Services gives you the opportunity to mentor a youth in need. January is National Mentoring Month and FCCS makes it possible for you to help, just go to the FCCS web site for full details.
On January 9th, Commissioner Paula Brooks was unanimously elected as Board President for 2012. Commissioner Brooks previously served as Board President in 2006 and 2009.
from Soil & Water
The Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District will begin taking pre-orders for trees in Mid-January. Customers will be able to pick up their plants in the spring. Please see the Soil and Water website for full details!
Central Ohio is home to some special people. These are the people who care about their neighbors and about people they may never meet. They're the people who go above and beyond to make their communities better. The Jefferson Awards recognize those super-volunteers who improve the quality of life in Central Ohio. If you know someone who provides outstanding volunteer service that makes Central Ohio a better place to live, nominate him or her for a 2012 Jefferson Award.
EcoSummit 2012 will bring together the world's most respected minds in ecological science to discuss restoring the planet's ecosystems. Visit the EcoSummit 2012 website for more information.
Since its emergence from a dense Ohio forestland in 1812, Columbus has become a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with a rich, proud heritage and an even brighter future. Celebrate all the things we love about Columbus now and all it promises to be during 200Columbus the Bicentennial, a year-long series of festivals, special events, music, arts and cultural exhibits, performances and more to mark the city's 200th birthday. For more information, go to 200Columbus.com.
from Auditor
The Franklin County Auditor provides a property tax reduction for seniors and disabled individuals through the Homestead Exemption. All homeowners who qualify for the Homestead Exemption will receive a flat $25,000 property tax ex-emption on the market value of their home. Eligibility for this program is not dependent on income. Enrollment period is the first Monday in January through the first Monday in June. Click the link below for details.
Do you qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit? Come to one of 19 FREE tax prep sites; you're eligible for free tax prep if your household income was up to $49,000 in 2011. You may qualify for a refund even if you think you don't owe any taxes. Households earning up to $49,078 in 2011 may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Tax prep is free, even if you don't qualify for the EITC. No fees or high interest loans! Call 2-1-1 today to schedule an appointment. Sites are open evenings and weekends from February through April.
from Children Services
The holiday season can be a hard time for families who cannot provide all that they would like for their children. This year, Franklin County Children Services made a merrier Christmas for more than 5,300 Central Ohio Children while raising more than $200,000! The funds raised purchased gift cards for Teenagers and provided special holiday meals for families. See a video from Holiday Wish at http://youtu.be/k5Dka6BTK0s.
On December 14th, the new Franklin County Common Pleas Courthouse and The Scioto Mile were awarded the 2011 Harrison Smith Award. This award is given annually by the Downtown Commission to projects that positively impact the urban environment.
The Courthouse was recognized for its state of the art design and environmentally sustainable construction. The building stands out as an elegant new addition to the southern end of Downtown Columbus and represents quality in all aspects.
The Scioto Mile was also recognized for its world class water features and beautiful tree lined promenade as well as its performing arts stage located in Downtown Columbus. Funded through a historic public-private partnership, The Scioto Mile is an investment that will last for generations to come. In 2008, Franklin County committed $5,000,000 with multi-year payment schedule. The County's last payment was made in 2011.
More information can be found at the Commissioners web site.
from Metro Parks
Winter hikes are back! Metro Parks will open the 39th winter hiking season on January 7th at Blacklick Woods and will visit 13 different parks through February 25th. Hikers who complete seven different hikes will receive a decorative patch. For details please visit the Metro Parks web site!
from Soil & Water
Leaves. They aren't beautiful fall color when they are smothering your lawn and clogging your roof gutters. Try not to think of them as a nuisance but as a resource. Leaf compost is an excellent soil amendment, adding nutrients, creating soil structure and pore space in sticky clay soils, aiding infiltration of rain into the soil during wet weather and holding moisture for plant use during dry weather. Raking or blowing leaves into the street causes flooding from clogged storm drains and impairs streams with an excess of nutrients. If your community uses leaf-vacs for collection, keep the leaves on the tree lawn or in your yard and out of the street.
For free disposal of leaves, SWACO lists locations at http://swaco.org/YardWaste.aspx. For help with composting, call Franklin Soil and Water at (614) 486-9613.