The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department took over a profitable fundraiser that charges Ohio State Buckeye football fans to park their vehicles at a city park near Ohio Stadium.
Friends of Tuttle Park volunteers who have organized the fundraiser to raise money to improve the park's infrastructure are crying foul over the acquisition. Former mayoral candidate Joe Motil, who is the president of the volunteer group, is among those who say the city is wrongly acquiring their fundraiser.
Motil is alleging the city is retaliating against him for running against Mayor Andrew Ginther and being a vocal critic of the mayor. Mayor Ginther's office calls this accusation "groundless."
"This is the kind of thing that they do all the time. The mayor does. And, you know, they go after people that are outspoken about their policies and things like that. And it's no secret," Motil said.
Motil pointed out that the city at first worked with Friends of Tuttle Park and didn't take away the fundraiser entirely the last few years. Motil said a few years ago the nonprofit first asked for 35% of the funds from the parking fundraiser to be given to the city. This year, however, the city announced it would take wholesale control over the fundraiser and its profits.
It wasn't until after Motil lost an election to Ginther that the city decided to take this away.
"I do think that somebody that's been involved with this process and who has undertaken this definitely has the ear of the mayor and is doing it for revenge, as a vengeful act," Motil said.
Motil lost the 2023 Columbus mayoral election to Ginther by 28%. Since then, Motil has continued criticizing the mayor and the city for the recent cyberattack and the mayor's phone call to a Franklin County judge while the city sued the operators of the Greyhound bus station.
The Columbus Recreation and Parks Department said in a statement that it began acquiring all fundraisers operated through the city's 28 community centers starting back in 2018 and putting the fundraisers under the umbrella of the department's 501(c)3 nonprofit.
"Since then, the Foundation has been building an infrastructure that supports consistent fundraising activities across the department and prevents unregulated fundraising and cash handling practices. This includes creating a centralized fundraising model that leverages the expertise of the Foundation’s professional staff to equitably raise funds to ensure that all 28 community centers have what they need to provide a vital service to the community," the statement said.
The city declined to take additional questions or offer a specific example of another fundraiser it acquired in this way.
Motil said allowing the Friends of Tuttle Park to operate the park this way frees up other funds from the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department to go to other city parks.
Motil also said with the help of this funding, Tuttle Park's Community Recreation Council has been able to offset the costs of things like:
- The construction of the Tuttle Park entrance from Neil Avenue into the park.
- A new roof over the rec center's multipurpose room that leaked considerably.
- $10,000 towards new playground equipment.
- $25,000 towards the construction of the original outdoor hockey rink.
- $20,000 plus for the construction and upkeep of the Memorial Garden.
- Tens of thousands of dollars for outdoor picnic tables, murals, restorations, outdoor trash receptacles, water fountains, park benches and more.
This weekend, before the start of the Buckeyes game against Akron, a private parking vendor began operating the parking lots at Tuttle Park, offering spaces for $30.
Motil said back in 1994, the volunteer group offered the spaces for $10, but that increased to $25 over the years until last year.
He estimated the fundraiser has brought in almost $500,000 over the last 30 years.
Motil said he has no ill will towards Columbus Recreation and Parks Department Director Bernita Reese, after she apologized to Motil's group for their lack of proper communication about their decision.
He added that another issue is that the nonprofit still holds $40,000 from the groups' previous funds and is not releasing any funds to the volunteer group.
Motil also said about $3,500 was requested to replace 20 bronze plaques at the park's Memorial Garden in May, but the city has not yet released the funds. Motil said in previous years a request to use the group's funds would only take three weeks.
"I think what they just want is completely out of Tuttle Park, and they don't want volunteers at Tuttle Park. They don't want the community to work and better their neighborhood park systems like we have done for the last 32 years," Motil said.
