Joe Mallory, president of the Cincinnati chapter of the NAACP, told CityBeat the organization’s stance on Issue 22 is still an unwavering “No.” Photo: Aidan Mahoney

On Oct. 26, Black Cincinnati leaders gathered to rally “Yes” votes for Issue 22, but a key group was absent from the endorsement.

Standing outside an outdated fire station in Madisonville, Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Kearney spoke alongside former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, Council President Pro Tem Victoria Parks, Council Member Meeka Owens and others to convince voters that selling the Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern will benefit “traditionally underserved areas.”

“Infrastructure improvements and other investments in this city have overlooked communities of color for too long,” said Vice Mayor Kearney. “A sustainable and robust source of funding for infrastructure projects, that is not vulnerable to year-to-year city budget debates, is the best way to ensure communities of color in Cincinnati enjoy well-maintained infrastructure well into the future.”

Gwen McFarlin, Chair of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, said, “This money will be allocated to help [historically underserved] neighborhoods,” but the sale agreement does not earmark funds for some neighborhoods over others.

Owens expanded on the allocation of funds, saying $1.6 billion from Norfolk Southern would allow the city to catch up on projects that have been long overlooked.

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“I want to see us transform communities by investing in parks and green spaces, rec centers, improving street conditions, and making sure that basic services are delivered to every single resident without an obstacle,” Owens said. “The equitable distribution of resources is a top priority for all of us, and I am committed, along with my colleagues and the mayor, to ensuring this is a reality. But let’s not be mistaken; it is Issue 22 that can help us deliver on that promise.”

Cincinnati’s NAACP chapter came out against Issue 22 earlier this month, saying, if there was ever a conversation about benefitting disenfranchised communities in the sale, they were never a part of them.

Joe Mallory, president of the Cincinnati NAACP, told CityBeat the outreach effort is too late; early voting is already underway.

“They can call as many press conferences of supporters as they wish, they still can’t overcome their lack of transparency and community engagement,” he said. “The first public facing event in Evanston on October 21 came 10 days after early voting had started. Thousands of Cincinnati voters had already voted and all they had [was] the benefit of […] TV commercials claiming the sky was falling, the city is crumbling and the water isn’t clean. There had been no real plans shared regarding racial equity.”

There are two more city-sponsored public information and feedback sessions on Issue 22 before Election Day:

  • Thursday, Oct. 26 – 6-8 p.m.
    Hirsch Recreation Center
    3630 Reading Road
  • Wednesday, Nov. 1 – 6-8 p.m.
    Winton Hills Recreation Center
    5170 Winneste Ave.

Joe Mallory said the NAACP’s stance is still an unwavering “No” vote on Issue 22, despite the comments made during today’s address in Madisonville.

“Our position is still ‘No!’ We believe voters should make informed decisions and not acquiesce to fear messaging with half-truths,” he told CityBeat. “Transparency and real engagement has been lacking and it is a hurdle that they stumbled on.”

Issue 22 in a nutshell

This November, Cincinnati voters will decide whether or not to sell the CSR to Norfolk Southern in exchange for a $1.6 billion trust fund to shore up basic services for the city. The city estimates it would have an annual return on the investment ranging from $50 million to $75 million, up to three times what the city earns from owning the railroad now. Legally, earnings from the sale could only be spent on maintaining existing city facilities like roads, rec centers and fire stations, which city leaders say is crucial given the city’s $300 million deficit.

But the proposed sale of the CSR comes at a time of heightened public awareness of the sins of its buyer, Norfolk Southern. A train belonging to a the rail behemoth derailed in East Palestine, a small Eastern Ohio village near the Pennsylvania border, on Feb. 3. The derailment ignited a chain of events that ended in a controlled burn of the train’s toxic load of chemicals. More than half of the small town is afraid to drink its own tap water to this day.

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Cincinnati voters will decide on Issue 22 on Nov. 7.

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This article appears in Oct 18-31, 2023.