Cincinnati’s investment fund resulting from the sale of the city-owned railway has grown by nearly $100 million over the past 11 months.
The 6.87% growth is ahead of the Board’s goal to grow the fund by an average 5.5% annually.
"We're very pleased with what the fund has done, especially in the very volatile market that we're living in, where the market goes up and down," said Paul Muething, president of the Cincinnati Southern Railway Trust Board of Trustees.
The board’s investment managers say market volatility is increasing right now amid President Trump’s international tariffs.
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The total value of the fund as of Feb. 10 is $1,699,785,574.
The Board has already promised to send $56 million to the city for the fiscal year 2026 budget, more than double the amount the city was receiving in annual lease payments from Norfolk Southern before the voter-approved sale.
The money is required by state law to be spent only on maintaining existing city-owned infrastructure like roads, parks, recreation centers, and police and fire stations. City Manager Sheryl Long has broadly outlined how the administration would like to spend the additional revenue; all budget decisions are ultimately up to City Council.
The rest of the investment income will remain in the fund to grow the principal.
A redesign of the Board's website is underway and expected to go live sometime in March. Board members say it will better present information about the Cincinnati Southern Railway's history, sale, and management of the trust fund.
"It's so much money and it's so important to the citizens who voted for this transaction," Muething told WVXU. "We want to make sure that it's very easy for them to follow what we're doing, to follow what's available, and to follow how it's being spent."
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The new website will have interactive information about projects approved for city spending with trust fund income. The City Manager's Office has published a "Cincy on Track" dashboard for that purpose; not much is included yet, since the first proceeds from the sale will be available for spending starting in July.
The next quarterly meeting of the Cincinnati Southern Railway Trust Board of Trustees is scheduled for May 20.
