Columbus cut checks for well over $5 million in legal settlements last year, and taxpayers picked up every penny.
City Council signed off on a series of payouts in 2025 that together added up to roughly $5 million for alleged police misconduct, workplace discrimination and a fatal crash involving a city fire engine. City officials say writing those checks is often cheaper than slugging it out in court for years, but the steady stream of settlements is drawing sharper questions from council members and residents about accountability and how the city spends its money.
According to NBC4, a review of settlement ordinances and city records found council-approved payouts of about $3.6 million in 2023, just under $1 million in 2024 and nearly $5 million in 2025. NBC4 reported that the largest 2023 award was roughly $1.1 million in a case alleging a paramedic failed to treat and transport a patient, and that 2024’s largest payout was about $300,000 in an excessive-force claim.
The single biggest 2025 payment was a $1.8 million settlement to a former federal agent who said Columbus police detained and tased him while he was on duty, as reported by WOSU. The Columbus Dispatch counted 16 council-approved settlements in 2025 that together totaled about $5,439,791, including awards tied to the 2023 fire-engine crash and several payouts stemming from policing at 2020 protests.
How settlements are authorized and paid
Most of those payouts did not come from an outside insurance company. Instead, they were covered by the city’s general fund and internal insurance reserves.
The city’s financial reporting notes that the City Attorney can settle claims up to $20,000 without City Council approval, and anything above that threshold requires a council vote, according to the City of Columbus financial report.
In mid-2025, a council committee recommended codifying expanded internal settlement authority that could allow the city manager and City Attorney to approve higher routine settlements from the self-insurance fund, a change supporters said would streamline low-level resolutions, according to reporting by Citizen Portal.
Why the payouts matter
The 2025 totals did not come out of nowhere. An Axios review found Columbus paid more than $21.5 million between 2018 and 2023 to settle complaints against the Division of Police, a reminder that single-year figures can stack up over time.
Council President Shannon Hardin told NBC4 that council members generally are not in the room for settlement negotiations. Instead, they get a yes-or-no vote on agreements brought forward by the administration and the City Attorney’s office.
Community advocates and some council members argue that settlements are a blunt tool that can quietly paper over deeper problems. Councilmember Nick Bankston called a $1 million settlement over a 2023 wrongful child-removal case “extremely frustrating” and said the city needs stronger internal policies, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
What to watch next
Residents who want to keep tabs on new settlement proposals do not have to guess what is happening behind closed doors. Upcoming legislation and vote results are posted on the city’s online system, and settlement ordinances typically include memos explaining the basics of each case. Those documents are available on the city’s Legistar docket.
City officials have told local reporters they weigh fiscal exposure, legal risk and the likelihood of higher costs at trial when they negotiate settlements. Council members say they will keep pressing for transparency on large payouts as budget hearings continue, and those discussions show up in council files and local coverage alongside the settlement votes themselves.
As Columbus finalizes budgets and debates priorities this year, legal claims are set to remain a very visible line item. Expect more council votes on individual settlements, and more pressure to show whether all this money is preventing future liability or simply shifting the long-term costs onto taxpayers.
