Mayor John Cranley yesterday released his suggestions for Cincinnati’s fiscal year 2019 budget, outlining about $1.6 million in adjustments to acting City Manager Patrick Duhaney’s operating budget suggestions and $5.25 million in tweaks to the capital side.
Among the changes: restorations of proposed cuts to the city’s United Way-managed human services fund, but no city money for a nonprofit that once received $1 million a year from the city under Cranley’s watch.
“This budget reflects my values. It shows that fiscal responsibility and compassion are not mutually exclusive,” Cranley told reporters at a news conference in Pleasant Ridge. “It shows that we can run a city that serves its residents and makes the most of the resources they give us despite challenges.”
Cranley’s suggestions for the operating budget restore the city manager’s cuts to human services funding, bringing spending back up to last year’s $3 million. The mayor’s budget would also give back funding cut from the African American Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Cincinnati Redevelopment Authority, REDI and other business groups and economic development groups — though tech-centered Cintrifuse and CincyTech are still on the chopping block with their funding zeroed out. Cranley would also would add 15 new litter clean-up jobs for Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, among other additions.
To make room for the extra spending in a budget wrangling with a $32 million city deficit, Cranley eliminated six vacant positions worth roughly $600,000. Those jobs included one in the city’s law office, positions in the community and economic development and finance departments and four administrative positions with the police department.
Cranley also zeroed out funding for The Center for Closing the Health Gap, the health and wellness nonprofit run by onetime Cranley ally and former Cincinnati mayor Dwight Tillery. Closing the Health Gap’s funding increased greatly under Cranley’s tenure, going from a $200,000 allocation the year before he took office to eventually getting $1 million a year from the city. But its funding has narrowed in recent years’ budgets, coinciding with controversy around its spending practices — and a major falling out between Cranley and Tillery.
At the news conference, Cranley said the Health Gap shouldn’t get a special allocation in the budget and should apply through the process overseen by United Way, just like other groups do.
Cranley also shuffled around priorities in the capital budget, adding $2.5 million to renovate a historic Masonic lodge in East Price Hill, $850,000 to redevelop property in Pleasant Ridge, $500,000 each for Inwood Park in Mount Auburn and Queen City and Boudinot Recreation Area and $450,000 each to the city’s parks department and recreation commission. He paid for those additions by eliminating funding for CiTiRama and money for improving neighborhood business districts. He also suggested cuts the city’s funding for bike programs from $350,000 to $200,000 and steeply cut or eliminated a number of street improvement and traffic calming programs.
Some of those moves could see opposition from Cincinnati City Council. Despite scrutiny into its spending practices from media and the city, the Health Gap still has support from community members and some on council.
Cincinnati City Council must approve a budget by June 30. The city will hold the following public input sessions on the budget:
• 6 p.m. June 11 at McKie Recreation Center, 1655 Chase Ave., Northside
• 6 p.m. June 12 at Madisonville Recreation Center, 5320 Stewart Ave., Madisonville
• 6 p.m. June 13 at College Hill Recreation Center, 5545 Belmont Ave., College Hill
This article appears in Jun 6-13, 2018.