Gahanna's Finance Committee on Aug. 3 began the work of turning the city's 10-year Strategic Plan into actual budget dollars for 2027, with Creekside walkability, trail connections and drinking water independence among the priorities on the table.

The committee's sole agenda item was Communication 2026-0155, titled "Our Gahanna Strategic Plan Priorities for 2027." It marked the first formal budget-planning session since a July 20 council workshop where consultants and elected officials hashed out which goals should come first.

That workshop, facilitated by planningNEXT consultants Sarah Bongiorno, Bailey Morlan and Julie Colley, produced a clear frontrunner. "Creekside appeared in five of the six responses and housing and neighborhoods also appeared consistently throughout the discussions," Bongiorno told council members July 20.

Creekside's dominance wasn't abstract. Council President Trenton I. Weaver pointed to residents along Clark State Road who can see the Creekside district but lack sidewalks or trails to reach it, noting that schoolchildren walk along drainage ditches. Councilmember Padova described pushing a stroller along Granville Street and said traffic conditions discouraged walking. Councilmember Merisa K. Bowers called for planning that connects the entire Creekside district rather than focusing only on the plaza.

Beyond Creekside, the July 20 workshop identified near-term priorities including regional identity and placemaking, strengthening neighborhoods and trail connections, the Comprehensive Transportation and Mobility Plan, economic development and housing. Long-term goals include drinking water independence, a recreation center and aquatics facility, and positioning Gahanna as a regional gateway tied to the new airport terminal.

The administration identified flood mitigation, the Creekside plaza and private redevelopment as immediate capital project priorities for the next one to five years.

Senior Director of Administrative Services Miranda Vollmer explained at the committee's June 1 meeting why summer is the critical window: budget appropriations must be set before the fiscal year begins, making this the time to lock in which Strategic Plan goals get funded. Starting in 2027, the city plans to issue annual Strategic Plan progress reports, and budget documents will follow a new format connecting each department's activities directly to plan goals.

The Finance Committee is chaired by Councilmember Stephen A. Renner, with Finance Director Joann Bury and Vollmer leading staff work on the budget.

Minutes from the Aug. 3 discussion have not yet been published. Residents can weigh in on budget priorities at the next regular Gahanna City Council meeting during public comment.