Columbus’ police union says it has no confidence in Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, City Council President Zach Klein and Public Safety Director Ned Pettus as the city and union prepare for negotiations over a new contract and spar over the firing of an officer caught on video stomping a handcuffed suspect.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 9 approved the no-confidence vote unanimously in a closed meeting Thursday night, said Jason Pappas, the union president.

“We want to send the message that we’ve lost faith,” Pappas said in an interview. “It demonstrates to those individuals that we no longer have confidence in their ability to lead. Unless they make significant changes by funding us and staffing us and supporting our officers who are out there day in and day out, that we will not have confidence in their ability to lead us or this city.”

The union represented 1,865 sworn Columbus officers as of July, but Pappas refused to disclose how many were present for Thursday's vote. He did say it was the “second-largest meeting I’ve seen in my life.”

The vote comes after the firing of Officer Zachary Rosen, who was caught on video stomping once with his left foot on a handcuffed suspect who was lying on the ground in April. The male suspect’s head struck the pavement.

Klein suggested that the Rosen firing and "political posturing" drove the union's vote. Both Klein and Ginther said they will continue to support strengthening the police division and safety initiatives. Pettus could not be reached for comment.

The mayor and council made public statements denouncing Rosen's actions within days of the incident. Pappas said that showed they had drawn their conclusions before an internal investigation could be completed.

Police Chief Kim Jacobs recommended a 24-work-hour suspension, but Pettus fired him. The union has appealed the firing.

Pappas said the no-confidence vote was about more than Rosen’s firing. He said the police department hasn’t been funded adequately amid growing responsibilities for officers, a climbing homicide rate and an opioid-addiction epidemic.

“Our staffing has not increased with the population or the crime,” he said.

Pappas said at a news conference Friday that at least 100 additional officers are needed.

Klein said he has delivered on "everything that Jason Pappas and the chief of police have come to me on that make our police officers' lives better and safer and to protect the community."

“It’s hard not to see this as just frustration of what happened with discipline that was recently taken and political posturing," Klein said. “This by no means, as frustrated as (the) FOP may be, is going to change my relationship and goal of keeping them and the community safe.”

Public safety is the biggest share of the city’s budget, but Pappas said it has declined as a percentage of the general fund since the city started collecting higher income taxes in 2010. That's true: Spending on safety, including police and fire, was about 72 percent of the general fund spending in 2011, but will be about 66 percent under the 2017 budget.

Ginther’s spokeswoman, Robin Davis, pointed out that police spending has gone up since Ginther became mayor in 2016. That’s also true: In 2015, the city spent $299.2 million on police, but its 2017 police budget is $318.6 million. Other areas of the budget grew faster, however.

“Public safety is and has always been my number one priority, and it is the single largest investment the city makes every year,” Ginther said in a statement. “I remain committed to strengthening the best division of police in the country, to hiring new officers, and continuing to develop strategies to improve community-police relations.”

Pettus, in a statement released through a spokeswoman, said the goal of his Department of Public Safety "is to make sure every resident in every neighborhood and every first responder feels safe. We will strive to continue to build legitimacy and trust between our communities and law enforcement. We are focused on getting violent crimes and illegal guns off the streets.”

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As growth in police funding fails to keep pace with other areas of the budget, officers are asked to do more, Pappas said. The city started outfitting officers with body cameras at the end of 2016, and the city is expanding a pilot program where officers carry Narcan to revive those who overdose.

“We’re not opposed to doing the Narcan necessarily, but we’re doing so many of them that we’re taking our ability to do law enforcement activities away from us,” he said.

Pappas said at the news conference that he has discussed problems in the department with Ginther’s staff, but not the mayor.

“These are the mayor’s responsibilities," he said. "I’d be happy to take his phone call.”

All of the city’s union contracts, including the FOP's, expired this year. Negotiations are expected to start in September.

The police union also voted Thursday to endorse all of the Republicans running in city races. It endorsed Kieran Cartharn, one of six candidates running for three city council seats, Don Kline for city attorney, and Bob Mealy for city auditor.

Pappas said the union rescinded offers to council incumbents and Klein, who is running for city attorney, to screen for its endorsement.

“Frankly, I don’t care if you are an R or a D if you’re going to keep your community safe,” he said.

rrouan@dispatch.com

@RickRouan