Here's the timeline and process for Cincinnati’s next budget

Officials are already planning for the next Cincinnati budget, well ahead of the June 30 deadline.

The first three public hearings are scheduled for mid- to late-March:

• Tuesday, March 14 at 5:30 p.m. at the Evanston Recreation Center (3204 Woodburn Ave)
  
• Monday, March 20 at 5:30 p.m. at the Sayler Park Recreation Center (6720 Home City Ave)
  
• Wednesday, March 29 at 5:30 p.m. at the McKie Recreation Center (1655 Chase Ave)

That's much earlier than last year's first hearing in early April, and before 2022, hearings were always held May and June.

Council Member Reggie Harris, chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, says that's a response to what he found challenging about the budget process last year.

"Because as we were talking about priorities, we were also learning about new priorities," Harris said.

The Budget Policy Motion is what Council gives the City Manager's Office to broadly identify what Council wants the budget to look like. The city manager then prepares the first budget draft and sends it to the mayor, who has the option to make changes before it goes to Council, which has the final vote.

A virtual "Budget Basics" meeting, aimed at helping residents understand how the budget works, was Feb. 28. A similar presentation will be part of the Neighborhood Summit on March 11.

Council will also hear public comment on what the budget should include during Budget and Finance Committee meetings starting on March 13.

Presentations from each city department will happen throughout April.

Harris anticipates passing the Budget Policy Motion on April 19. He says this Council will likely prioritize core services.

"What's happening with our sanitation department, street cleaning, public safety or police officers in our recruits, fire department," Harris said. "Core services is really the essential function of a city."

Aside from that, Harris wants to focus on housing initiatives and human services.

More public comment will be available at regularly scheduled Budget and Finance Committee meetings in late May and early June, plus an additional public hearing in the community June 5.

The final deadline for budget passage is June 30, but Council will likely pass the budget June 21.

See the full budget schedule below: