November 28, 20231 yr Hamilton County will fall short again on stadium-related property tax break Hamilton County commissioners likely will cast a vote on Thursday, Dec. 30, again slashing how much property tax relief homeowners get as a result of the 1996 stadium sales tax increase, meaning the administration again has recommended providing less than what was promised to voters. Citing a need to bolster the stadium fund’s bottom line and reserves, County Administrator Jeff Aluotto recommended a $12.8 million rebate for 2024, about 12.4% of the $103 million in sales taxes the county collects for stadium-related expenses. That’s more than the 10.5% homeowners received in 2023 but far less than the 30% of stadium sales tax revenue that was supposed to go to property tax relief when voters approved the sales tax. For the owner of a $300,000 home, the rebate will provide about $131 in property tax relief. Commissioners Denise Driehaus and Stephanie Summerow Dumas indicated they back the rate, while Commissioner Alicia Reece wants the full rebate approved. “If we have to keep our promise to the NFL/Bengals team … we should keep the promise to the taxpayers,” Reece said. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/11/28/hamilton-county-property-tax-rebate.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
November 29, 20231 yr 15 hours ago, ColDayMan said: “If we have to keep our promise to the NFL/Bengals team … we should keep the promise to the taxpayers,” Reece said. I feel like Reece is constantly on the side that will generate the best headlines for her, despite how realistic it is. Of course they should keep that promise, but also, we can't cut services or put our county in a bad financial position because we want to give out a promised tax break. It would cause more long-term harm if the county mismanaged their budget or cut needed services.
November 29, 20231 yr 34 minutes ago, 10albersa said: I feel like Reece is constantly on the side that will generate the best headlines for her, despite how realistic it is. Of course they should keep that promise, but also, we can't cut services or put our county in a bad financial position because we want to give out a promised tax break. It would cause more long-term harm if the county mismanaged their budget or cut needed services. Reese is right on this. This is the issue that got Portune in office many years ago. It was making sure that the taxpayers received the benefit of their bargain. And yes, it sometimes may mean a cut in services in the short term. Memories are long, especially on the stadium issue. How many other sales tax levies have failed in the past because of animosity toward the stadium deal. To her point, if the county reneges on their deal with the taxpayers, it may bite them years down the line.
November 29, 20231 yr 9 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said: Reese is right on this. This is the issue that got Portune in office many years ago. It was making sure that the taxpayers received the benefit of their bargain. And yes, it sometimes may mean a cut in services in the short term. Memories are long, especially on the stadium issue. How many other sales tax levies have failed in the past because of animosity toward the stadium deal. To her point, if the county reneges on their deal with the taxpayers, it may bite them years down the line. I wasn't around when that promise was made and I don't really care if they keep it. What I hate about is that the county provides the services they have promised me. Reneging on a promise these commissions didn't even make will have zero political ramifications in an increasingly blue Hamco.
November 29, 20231 yr 5 minutes ago, DEPACincy said: I wasn't around when that promise was made and I don't really care if they keep it. What I hate about is that the county provides the services they have promised me. Reneging on a promise these commissions didn't even make will have zero political ramifications in an increasingly blue Hamco. I would not be so confident on that. Also, I do not necessarily mean that the politician who reneges on the promise would lose re-election to a Republican or even another Democrat who tries to primary them, however, you will see it on the referendum side. After the Stadium tax passed in the late 90s, there were numerous other sales tax issues that came up (mostly for the jail) that failed in the aftermath. It took until Union Terminal for the county voters to justify another sales tax increase. That is another issue that voters could have a memory of too. Remember, that .25 was supposed to be rescinded after the construction was complete, but from what I remember, the commissioners kept it in place to pay for other county services. Couple that with the stadium and the failure to live up to promises and it creates distrust in political leadership, no matter what the ideology may be of the voter. That was one of the issues with the railroad sale that opponents were making. It was the lack of trust of government officials to honor the promises of the voters, even from many years ago. As a voter, no matter your political leanings, do you ultimately trust the local representatives to be good stewards of your tax money? I think that is the bigger question that really has nothing to do with political affiliation. Todd Portune was proven to be a good steward of taxpayer money. I think Driehaus has shown that she has been responsible too. Reece, despite some of her cringeworthy moments, is also someone who takes that into consideration (also it is important to remember that she came of age in politics at the time of the whole stadium issue so she is sensitive toward that). I do not think taxpayers will care too much if the county trims around the edges, but they need to keep the tax rollback in place at least from a symbolic standpoint to the local taxpayers.
November 29, 20231 yr 51 minutes ago, Brutus_buckeye said: Remember, that .25 was supposed to be rescinded after the construction was complete, but from what I remember, the commissioners kept it in place to pay for other county services. It did expire. The commissioners just strategically waited to raised the sales tax that funds the GF until the minute the CUT tax ended, so that way the overall rate would stay the same, and tax payers would not get hit with an increase. They initially approved a .2% hike in the summer of 2018, for the 2019 budget, but rescinded it, making the necessary budget cuts to allow for the 18 month delay.
January 8, 20241 yr Dumas, Reece blast each other after Hamilton County commission presidency vote Hamilton Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas refused to vote to make Commissioner Alicia Reece president of the body Monday, Jan. 8, criticizing her behavior and igniting a political firestorm that resulted in Reece accusing Dumas of being a corporate "plant." Reece took umbrage at Dumas’ comments but, with Commissioner Denise Driehaus’ vote, was made president of the three-member commission. Dumas abstained from the vote on who would be president. All three commissioners are Democrats. There has been increasing tension over the past two years between Reece, who is in her first term, and Driehaus and Dumas, each of whom is in their second term. They’ve had some major policy differences, including over plans and financing for a rehabilitated Duke Energy Convention Center and the property tax rebate, which Reece believes should be funded at the full amount proposed in 1996, but her colleagues and the county administration believe is unaffordable. “After a yearlong experience on this board and after much prayer and reflection, this is the easiest decision that I’ve ever made all this year to abstain. I looked at what makes a great leader,” Dumas said, going on to describe what she believes makes a great leader. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/01/08/dumas-abstains-co-commission-president-appointment.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 7, 20241 yr Consultant cautions Hamilton County on building new youth sports facilities There may be room in the market for new youth sports facilities aimed at drawing out-of-town visitors, a consultant told Hamilton County commissioners, but Victus Advisors also warned that most such facilities often include significant public subsidies. ... It found that Hamilton County could draw from a population of 12 million within a 2.5-hour drive, that the region has sufficient hotel space, as well as other regional attractions in the form of professional sports and museums that would be a draw for major tournaments, said Walter Franco, a principal with Victus. ... While also not wanting to subsidize a facility, Reece said she wants to see whether the developer of such a facility can be persuaded to come to Hamilton County. She does not want to see such facilities built around Hamilton County without getting a piece. “That business model is not the best model,” Reece said of Spooky Nook. “I just want to know if they’re out there.” Reece also took a shot at the county’s two taxpayer-owned professional sports facilities, Paycor Stadium and Great American Ball Park, the home of the Cincinnati Bengals and Reds. Both teams maintain that the facilities bring in visitors and money to the county. Reece’s view? “Taxpayers are paying for them, and there’s nothing but a bill,” she said. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/03/07/hamilton-county-study-add-youth-sports-facilities.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 7, 20241 yr 1 hour ago, ColDayMan said: Consultant cautions Hamilton County on building new youth sports facilities Good to see the county take a responsible stance here. The convention center FOMO grifters have spilled over into the youth sports facility realm. Everyone's just trying to sell Cincinnati a monorail to nowhere. Why compete with a world-class facility in Spooky Nook right down the road? We won't get our money's worth trying to compete with them. I just heard that Colerain might build a convention space at Northgate Mall... why, just why...
November 8, 2024Nov 8 Auditor returns $20 million to local governments as councilman calls for property tax relief Hamilton County Auditor Jessica Miranda will return $20 million in property tax funds to local governments, and a Cincinnati city councilman says the money should be used to help those who face high property tax bills and are delinquent on them. The $20 million comes from the auditor’s real estate assessment fund, which allows the office to take some of the overall property tax receipts and use it to pay for reappraisals of property, which occurs every six years. Former Auditor Dusty Rhodes began the practice of returning some of those funds to local governments. “Our office’s commitment to efficiency allows us to return these funds across the county,” Miranda said. “I believe that government agencies should be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars, spending only what is necessary.” More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2024/11/07/auditor-miranda-property-tax-relief-return-jeffrey.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
January 10Jan 10 Hamilton County commissioners start new term with fresh animosity A year after one Hamilton County commissioner refused to vote for another to be president and questioned her leadership on the all-Democrat panel, there was another kerfuffle Thursday, this time over whether Commissioner Alicia Reece would serve on an outside board. More below: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/01/10/hamilton-county-commission-new-term-alicia-reece.html "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
March 14Mar 14 News like this won't do much to assuage the concerns of those who think the media is biased. Veteran Enquirer reporter headed to new Hamilton County prosecutor’s office as top staff announced A veteran reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer is leaving the news organization to work for Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich. https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2025/03/13/sharon-coolidge-enquirer-hamilton-prosecutor-staff.html
March 23Mar 23 On 3/14/2025 at 12:26 PM, tabasco said: News like this won't do much to assuage the concerns of those who think the media is biased. The White House Press Secretary has consistently come from Fox News or MSNBC for like 20 years at this point. Pretty normal. In any case, the media has always been biased. It's just an inherent part of how all humans work. Not acknowledging the biases in different media sources is part of how we're in this mess to begin with.
March 27Mar 27 On 3/22/2025 at 8:18 PM, Dev said: The White House Press Secretary has consistently come from Fox News or MSNBC for like 20 years at this point. Pretty normal. In any case, the media has always been biased. It's just an inherent part of how all humans work. Not acknowledging the biases in different media sources is part of how we're in this mess to begin with. You are correct, but anyone coming from those cable news channels is a known partisan and does not masquerade as an actual journalist for what is supposed to be the premier local news source.
March 28Mar 28 On 3/27/2025 at 11:34 AM, tabasco said: You are correct, but anyone coming from those cable news channels is a known partisan and does not masquerade as an actual journalist for what is supposed to be the premier local news source. People who regularly watch Fox News do not think that Fox News is biased, they think all the other media companies are biased instead. Acting like news should not be biased is a big reason why we are in this predicament to begin with. All news is biased, including the Enquirer.
