Cincinnati’s elected officials were sworn in last week for another term — Mayor Aftab Pureval for his second four-year term, and nine City Council members for a two-year term, most of them having served at least one term already.
These 10 people, along with City Manager Sheryl Long, will make key policy and legislative decisions for the city of nearly 315,000 people.
Here are some of the major topics they’ll tackle in the first few months of 2026:
1. Proposed income tax increase
Mayor Pureval says it’s time to raise the income tax. The effort comes nearly two years after the Futures Commission recommended an earnings tax increase to address future budget deficits.
Pureval says the city needs more revenue to adequately address public safety, especially gun violence. He says new revenue should also go toward "disrupting poverty," building affordable housing, and supporting minority-owned small businesses.
"It's never easy, and it's never simple, to bring new taxes to our residents," Pureval said. "But this is something I believe we must do, and this Council has the credibility to make difficult decisions to secure the financial future of our city."
Voters must approve any tax increase. The mayor’s office is expected to lead some form of community engagement before releasing a proposed ballot measure, which would outline exactly how much the tax would increase and prescribe (in general terms) how the revenue could be spent.
City Council would have to vote to put the measure on the ballot; a simple majority (five members) would need to vote in favor.
Council's newest member, Ryan James, told Cincinnati Edition he was "blindsided" by the mayor's announcement at the swearing-in ceremony.
"I would have to have a really explicit proposal to understand how an increase in taxes is going to lower crime or increase poverty alleviation in the region," James said. "These are paramount needs and I wouldn't advocate against that at any point, but I need to see how these dollars are going to create that change before I would support anything that would cost-burden our residents."
Budget Committee Chair Jeff Cramerding told WVXU he has been discussing the possibility with the mayor's office, and says the city budget is "perilous."
The measure could be on the May ballot, but that would require Council to act by Feb. 4 to meet deadlines laid out in state law. Or, they could wait until the November election.
2. City Manager performance review
The city charter requires an annual performance and salary review for the city manager. City Council did not conduct a performance review for City Manager Sheryl Long in 2025, but Council member Mark Jeffreys is leading the process for a review in early 2026.
The review will likely include evaluation of public safety; fiscal stability; service delivery; management and leadership; government efficiency; relationship with the Council and Mayor; and communication skills.
Council’s Budget, Finance and Governance Committee will conduct the review. All nine members of Council are assigned to that committee. They will likely meet in executive session at least once to discuss Long’s performance.
Long is the city’s highest-paid employee with a current salary of $329,241. She presented a “year-end review” to a Council committee in early December, but not all Council members are assigned to that committee.
Jeffreys’ office says the timeline for a performance review is still under consideration.
3. Police chief investigation
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge is still on paid administrative leave during an investigation into the effectiveness of her leadership.
The city hired law firm Frost Brown Todd to conduct that investigation; the contract initially went through Dec. 31, 2025, but has been extended to Feb. 28.
City Council heard an update on the investigation during an executive session at their meeting Jan. 7, but Council members declined to share any details with WVXU.
Assistant Police Chief Adam Hennie has been serving as interim police chief since Oct. 20, when City Manager Long first placed Theetge on paid leave.
4. Public safety and gun violence
Public safety was arguably the defining issue of 2025, and it will likely continue to shape nearly every other discussion at City Hall in the first part of the year.
Pureval outlined public safety actions in his swearing-in address.
“We will be permanently implementing walking patrols and building on our increased bike patrols. We will invest in technologies like license plate readers and expand our drone program, and we will enforce our Downtown curfew on an ongoing basis,” Pureval said. “And we will meet the urgency of the moment by taking a hard look at our entire system, even beyond the city's direct role, by working with judges and leaders in our justice system to drive more transparency into the process.
Pureval also announced plans to extend an agreement with the Ohio State Highway Patrol for public safety support. The first memorandum of understanding expired on Dec. 31; Pureval says the goal is to reach a new MOU for the same services.
“The details aren't codified yet, but once it's signed, my expectation is that it will be a year, an annual commitment, and that all of the resources available to us from the state will be deployed in the city under the chief's command,” the mayor told reporters.
The Public Safety and Quality of Life Committee meets every other week and all but one Council member (Seth Walsh) is on the committee for this term, compared to four members on the committee last year.
Council member Anna Albi says the city will keep fighting gun violence, but denounced outside factors that limit what city officials can do.
"It is a heartbreaking reality of this country that kids aren't safe playing outside their homes because gun violence is everywhere," Albi said after her own swearing-in. "This is not a uniquely Cincinnati problem. This is an American problem, but is one made far worse by the fact that we are suffering at the hands of an extremist state government that continues to pass some of the most dangerous gun laws in the nation, while literally making it impossible and illegal for us to pass gun regulations of any kind at the local level."
Cincinnati Police data shows shooting incidents in 2025 (through Dec. 20) were down 18.6% compared to the year before, and down 23% compared to the three-year average. But city officials are also addressing the shooting death of an 11-year-old girl at a playground in the West End on Jan. 1.
How to keep up with City Council this year
City Council is made up of nine members, all elected at-large rather than representing specific areas of the city. The mayor presides over Council — that means he sets the agenda for the meeting and leads discussions, but does not vote on ordinances, motions or resolutions. City Council meets weekly on Wednesdays in Council chambers at City Hall.
The meeting officially begins at 2 p.m., but the public comment portion starts at 1:30 p.m. and can continue past the 2 p.m. meeting start (at the discretion of the mayor). City Council also meets in six separate committees, outlined below.
All meetings are broadcast and live streamed on CitiCable; most are also live streamed on YouTube and Facebook.
Citizens can speak during public comment in person by filling out a speaker registration card. You can also provide public comment virtually via Zoom, but you have to register in advance on the city website by 2 p.m. on the day before the meeting, or by 9 a.m. the day of the meeting if your comments are related to a public hearing item.
You can find meeting agendas and copies of proposed ordinances online: cincinnatioh.legistar.com.
Budget, Finance and Governance Committee
Meets weekly on Mondays at 1 p.m. starting Jan. 12.
Chair: Jeff Cramerding
Vice Chair: Evan Nolan
Members: All other Council members
Jurisdiction: Budget and appropriations; human resources and pension; federal and state grants; tax policies; bonds and financial reporting; municipal sewer district; Greater Cincinnati Water Works and stormwater; city manager review; Council rules, procedures and committee membership; Office of Good Governance; city charter review; economic inclusion policies; and equity in city government.
Climate, City Service and Infrastructure Committee
Meets every other week on Tuesdays at 10 a.m., starting Jan. 21 (delayed one day the first week because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
Chair: Meeka Owens
Vice Chair: Ryan James
Members: Mark Jeffreys, Seth Walsh
Jurisdiction: Environmental sustainability; bike and pedestrian and recreation infrastructure; Vision Zero implementation and oversight; transportation and infrastructure; road maintenance and repair; Ohio Department of Transportation; OKI and County Transportation Improvement District; snow removal and sanitation; SORTA; parks and recreation; parking; public services and fleet; utility planning; and litter and dumping.
Economic and Cultural Opportunity Committee
Meets every other week on Mondays at 10 a.m. starting Jan. 12.
Chair: Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
Vice Chair: Seth Walsh
Members: Scotty Johnson, Anna Albi
Jurisdiction: Labor and workforce development; arts and cultural institutions; small business growth; marketing and special events; tourism; racial equity task force; Office of Opportunity; Cincinnati Visitors Bureau; sports commission.
Housing and Growth Committee
Meets every other week on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. starting Jan. 21 (delayed one day the first week because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
Chair: Mark Jeffreys
Vice Chair: Anna Albi
Members: Jeff Cramerding, Ryan James, Evan Nolan, Meeka Owens, Seth Walsh
Jurisdiction: Residential and commercial incentives and policies; innovation ecosystem; public-private partnerships; zoning and Planning Commission; community councils; Invest in Neighborhoods neighborhood enhancement program, neighborhood business districts and community development corporations; development agreements; sale and lease of property; and neighborhood development.
Youth and Human Services Committee
Meets every other week on Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. starting Jan. 13.
Chair: Anna Albi
Vice Chair: Evan Nolan
Members: Ryan James, Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
Jurisdiction: Health and human services; youth issues and employment; Children and Families Cabinet; aging and accessibility issues; homelessness, racial, gender and LGBTQIA inclusion and issues; collaboration with Cincinnati Public Schools, Preschool Promise, universities and higher education institutions; regional collaboration; tenants’ rights, homeownership; federal and state issues.
Public Safety and Quality of Life Committee
Meets every other week on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. starting Jan. 13.
Chair: Scotty Johnson
Vice Chair: Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
Members: Anna Albi, Jeff Cramerding, Ryan James, Mark Jeffreys, Evan Nolan, Meeka Owens
Jurisdiction: Police, fire and safety policies; Citizen Complaint Authority; liquor licenses; animal treatment and practices; violence reduction; Cincy on Track; quality of life.
Read more:
