Cincinnati City Council voted Monday to give initial approval to the next city budget, including $2 million for the Farmer Music Center project. A final vote is expected Wednesday.
Council made several changes and additions to the budget proposed by City Manager Sheryl Long and amended by Mayor Aftab Pureval. You can follow this link to learn more about Long's budget draft and Pureval's amendments.
"We knew that this budget was going to be very tough," said Budget Chair Jeff Cramerding. "We began with a $30 million deficit ... we asked the manager to focus on basic city services and not eliminate services that the citizens would see, and I think that the manager's budget did that."
Cramerding says Council's adjustments are the result of difficult choices, and the votes on various motions Monday show the lack of unanimous support for these changes.
Farmer Music Center
Council was split on whether to give any financial support to the Farmer Music Center venue, currently under construction near Riverbend Music Center.
In March, City Council voted 5-4 on a resolution promising $8 million to the project. A financial analysis from the city later concluded the project would move forward regardless of any city support.
The city manager's budget draft recommended $6.5 million for the Farmer Music Center. Mayor Aftab Pureval reduced that to just $2 million. Even that is too much for some council members.
Five of nine council members voted Monday on two different motions that would have delayed or redirected the money for Farmer — but neither motion got the majority support needed to pass.
Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney wanted to delay decisions on any spending from the capital source account where the $2 million for Farmer would come from.
Lemon Kearney says the money might be needed for a housing project in Avondale. Council approved a motion earlier this year expressing support for the Burnet Quarter project; that motion committed Council to "working with the [city] administration to find the needed resources left by the unexpected gap in the capital stack."
A city official told WVXU Monday the administration is actively working with the Burnet Quarter project team to identify the financial need and potential sources for city support.
Lemon Kearney wanted to amend the ordinance that included Mayor Pureval's budget adjustments, which included the $2 million allocation for Farmer. Since the committee had already put that ordinance on for passage, it required a motion to reconsider the ordinance. Lemon Kearney's motion to reconsider failed, with support only from Scotty Johnson and Ryan James.
Separately, Council member Mark Jeffreys' motion would have directed that $2 million away from the Farmer Music Center and put it toward road repaving instead.
"I think if we choose to invest taxpayer money in this project when it's not needed, we actually undermine public trust," Jeffreys said. "Frankly, the public at large is fed up with giving money to projects across the board that don't need the money, whether it's data centers, stadiums in Cleveland that are using untapped [unclaimed] funds, or other measures, and this is really no different."
Jeffreys' motion got support from just one other council member, Jeff Cramerding.
As it stands, $2 million for the Farmer Music Center is set for a final vote on Wednesday, and it's unlikely that will change at this point.
Other budget changes
Council voted 7-2 to add about $2.7 million in operating spending, and about $3.5 million in capital spending. You can see the full list of changes here.
Operating budget changes include:
- Additional funding to organizations focused on economic development, including CincyTech, Cintrifuse, and MORTAR.
- $65,000 for Invest in Neighborhoods, an organization that supports neighborhood community councils.
- Boosted funding for two community grant programs: Safe and Clean, and Boots on the Ground.
- $450,000 to support free Cincinnati Recreation Commission summer camp admission for about 200 children in summer 2027. This is separate from financial assistance offered by the Cincy Recreation Foundation.
Capital budget changes include:
- Housing repair services: $500,000
- Covedale Center for Performing Arts: $500,000
- Union Baptist Cemetery (roof repairs for mausoleum): $100,000
- Stormwater runoff prevention through Groundwork Ohio River Valley: $500,000
- Westwood streetscape and safety improvements: $600,000
Lemon Kearney and Johnson opposed the measure. They previously supported an alternative budget motion, which included a Reparations Fund.
What happens next
Council approved changes to the budget via various motions; now, the city Law Department will draft ordinance versions of those changes.
City Council will hold a special meeting of the Budget, Finance and Governance Committee on Wednesday at 9 a.m. to vote on the ordinances.
A final vote on all budget measures is expected during City Council's regular meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
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