CINCINNATI — Cincinnati City Council passed a motion on Wednesday to create a more transparent process when deciding how $1.5 billion from the Cincinnati Southern Railway (CSR) will be spent.
“We need to protect those funds so that they can be used in perpetuity, so we’re getting the proceeds every year just like we did with the railroad,” council member Jeff Cramerdering said.
Voters decided to sell the railway last year.
RELATED | Issue 22: Cincinnati votes to sell the Cincinnati Southern Railway
Cramerding and council member Meeka Owens introduced Wednesday's motion calling for a draft report that will address the advantages, disadvantages, feasibility and benefits to transparency of the guardrails for the CSR Trust and the implementation of the Cincy on Track Plan.
One of the things it would do is provide an annual estimate of the city’s amount of deferred maintenance.
“We’re also creating a top 10 list by neighborhood and by department so the parks will have a list, the recreation department will have a list just so the citizens will know what’s been done and what’s next on the list,” Cramerding said.
It would also create a “hard floor” for the Capital Improvement Program that will annually increase with inflation to ensure increases from the railway trust will contribute to increases in the Capital Improvement Program.
“It’s going to take five, 10, 15 years for the full effect to really kick in,” Cramerding said. “In the interim, this motion is going to provide a roadmap so people can know specifically where we are at with our infrastructure and what the need is.”
However, not everyone is confident the money from the sale will go to the neighborhoods that need the most help.
“I don’t trust that they’re going to use the money in the same neighborhoods that they’ve been neglecting for so many years,” said Brian Garry, executive director of Neighborhoods United.
Garry said this money has the power to change people’s lives. He said that’s why it’s so important it goes to certain neighborhoods.
“The most neglected neighborhoods need the money the most,” Garry said. “If we look at history, city hall has invested money in neighborhoods that don’t even need investment. They redid Oakley Square, they redid Hyde Park, you know, where’s the money for the poor neighborhoods. Where is the money for the Westside?”
Garry said he thinks the people of Cincinnati should decide how that money is spent.
Cramerding said the draft report should be completed in the next three months.
“The administration is going to bring back the report and an ordinance about how we’re going to implement this, so they’re going to go back and talk about the details. There’s still time for public input as we get all the details correct,” said Cramerding.
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