Cincinnati Council is about a week away from finalizing the next city budget .
At Monday's Budget Committee meeting, Council members introduced their ideas for changes and additions to the City Manager's initial budget draft.
"You can see a lot of work was put into these efforts and these communications — a lot of passion, a lot of difficult decisions ahead," said Committee Chair Jeff Cramerding. "A lot of work remains in a very, very tight year."
You can read each Council member's budget communication:
- Scotty Johnson
- Anna Albi
- Mark Jeffreys
- Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
- Jeff Cramerding
- Evan Nolan
- Meeka Owens
- Seth Walsh
- Ryan James
There are a few areas of agreement, including adding more funding for specific community nonprofits as well as local businesses focused on job creation and other economic development work.
A few members have big ideas but it's not clear if they can garner enough support to push them forward.
A 'reparations' fund
Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney and President Pro Tem Scotty Johnson propose a new $500,000 "Reparations Fund" for emergency home repairs, available to low and moderate income homeowners in 15 neighborhoods.
"When we talk about reparations, we're talking about repairing the damage from the past so that we can move forward," Lemon Kearney said, citing previous government policies like redlining.
Lemon Kearney and Johnson have put forward what they call the "Rising 15" during various funding and policy discussions in the past. Lemon Kearney describes the list as being the neighborhoods with the lowest median household income.
As WVXU previously reported, the list does not include three neighborhoods that rank in the bottom 15 for median income. It also lists Lower Price Hill and Queensgate as separate neighborhoods, each with median household income of $15,987 — that data comes from the city's Office of Performance and Data Analytics, which combines Lower Price Hill and Queensgate because of the small area and low population.
Farmer Music Center
One item with a lot of public interest is whether the city offers funding to help build the Farmer Music Center, and if so, how much.
In March, City Council voted 5-4 on a resolution promising $8 million to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and MEMI for a new venue currently under construction near Riverbend Music Center.
The resolution included a clause that the funding is contingent upon a financial analysis from city administration; that analysis concluded the project doesn't need city funding to move forward.
The city manager's budget draft recommended $6.5 million for the Farmer Music Center — and Mayor Aftab Pureval reduced that to just $2 million, with another couple million set aside to purchase property nearby for eventual development.
At least one Council member thinks the city shouldn't give the project any money. Mark Jeffreys suggests using an extra $4.5 million for street repaving instead.
"We're elected to make these tough decisions," Jeffreys said.
What happens next?
Council is expected to vote on Monday, June 15 on an "omnibus" motion — it will include whatever changes at least five members can agree on.
The city Law Department will then have a couple days to incorporate changes into the ordinances that legally appropriate funding. Those ordinances are expected to be up for a final vote on Wednesday, June 17.
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