CINCINNATI — Nationally, there's been lots of debate over how your taxpayer dollars are being spent.

What You Need To Know

  • The Cincinnati City Council hosted a public hearing Monday night to allow residents a chance to weigh in on the budget drafting process

  • City leaders expect FY2026 budget to be tight as American Rescue Plan Act funds are no longer available

  • The city plans to host a third and final public hearing on March 12

It's officially budget season over in Cincinnati, which means for the next few months city leaders will be taking a closer look at which services and programs they’ll invest in. 

Dozens of community members attended the Cincinnati City Council’s public hearing on Monday night, letting their voices be heard as city leaders started the budget drafting process for the next fiscal year beginning on July 1. Long-term Price Hill resident Amber Kassem was one of them.

“Our community voted to ask for a refresh for our technology. The cameras don't pick up where things are going on so that we can have evidence to help not only catch crime after it happens, but deter crime,” Kassem said.  

Councilman Jeff Cramerding is the Chair of the Budget & Finance committee. He said they’re still in the beginning stages of the budget process and haven’t set priorities, but believes basic services like road improvements and investments in public safety will be part of the conversation moving forward. 

“Police and fire are 60% of our budget. It's a basic city service. It's expensive, but that's something that will continue,” he said.

The council’s approved budget for Fiscal Year 2025 was just over $571 million. Councilman Cramerding expects this next budget to be tighter with limited new spending as American Rescue Plan Act funds have now dried up. 

“I think if we do want new spending, it will have to be offset with cuts. If we had an economic downturn, that would change things, and we might be looking at a situation that's much worse,” Cramerding said. 

A solution could be on the horizon. Cramerding said one of the budget strategies for Fiscal Year 2026 is expanding the tax base. 

“The more people that live and work in the city, the more tax revenue we're bringing in. We can do more as far as providing basic services, economic development and other things,” he said.  

Kassem is also the president of the East Price Hill Community Council. She said her hope is that as the city moves forward in the budget process, they will make it a point to push more resources into the communities that are often an afterthought. “Thinking about equity and how much more the West Side needs, I hope that they will make the right investments.” 

The City Manager has until mid-May to submit the first draft of the budget and the council will have until June 30 to vote on the final budget.

The council plans to have a third and final public hearing on Wednesday, March 12, at the Evanston Recreation Center.