Cincinnati's budget deficit is growing primarily due to state budget cuts of over $20 million - an action supported by COA T. Earlier this week, City Manager Dohoney proposed to restore property tax rates throughout Cincinnati.
City Councilmember Smitherman has taken to the airwaves (again) to spread hysteria through the community. Monday, Smitherman took his fear mongering to 550 WKRC.
As Councilmember Smitherman said, the Enquirer's report interprets the amount of the deficit differently than he does when he says Cincinnati faces a deficit of $40.8 million. Donohey's proposed property tax rate re-institution would reduce this significantly, to a deficit of $33 million. Councilmember Smitherman fails to point out that if previous councils had not lowered the rate in a pandering effort to get votes, we would not be facing a deficit at all.
In addition to this predictable deficit, the City is underfunding its big union thug demanded pension obligations by at least $50 million every year.
Meanwhile, Mayor Mallory and the majority of a democratically elected Council continue to invest taxpayer money on the streetcar and the City Hall atrium in an attempt to raise tax revenue without raising rates.
At the same time, and in the same breath, the majority of a democratically elected Council are planning to put to a public vote a measure that would double the length of their terms! That's right, they want to go four years between elections so less financially privileged candidates can have a better chance at election. One of COA T's biggest complaints about council is that their terms are not long enough for them to see the results of their actions.
Enjoy your bloody state budget cuts, COA T.

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