Columbus lands at number 20 on a new national ranking of the most efficiently managed cities in America.
🏆 Why It Matters: Your tax dollars are working harder here than in most places across the country. The ranking shows Columbus delivers quality city services without breaking the bank.
📊 What’s Happening: WalletHub analyzed 148 of the largest cities nationwide to see which ones run most efficiently. The study looked at 36 different measures of city performance across six major service areas. Researchers then compared those service quality scores against each city’s spending per resident.
🔍 Between the Lines: Columbus outperformed much larger cities to crack the top 20. The ranking puts Columbus ahead of major metropolitan areas that spend significantly more per person on city operations.
Only 19 cities nationwide scored higher for getting the most bang for their buck.
🌟 The Big Picture: Western cities dominated the top spots, with Provo Utah taking first place. Southern cities like Columbus prove you don’t need massive budgets to deliver quality services.
The study comes as local governments nationwide face pressure from inflation and other economic challenges while residents demand efficient use of tax dollars.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
