The City Manager’s Recommended FY 2023 Budget Update was presented to Mayor Aftab Pureval on Thursday, May 26, 2022. The Administration’s Recommended Budget Update for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 reflects an orientation of the City’s resources toward best-in-class services, public safety, affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and economic growth focused on social and racial equity.

The Recommended Budget promotes public safety and economic growth opportunities, maintains investment in our neighborhoods, and increases funding for human services. Investments are being made in community engagement enhancements, soliciting feedback from citizens through the Community Perceptions Survey, and setting aside resources for long-term strategic planning initiatives with an emphasis on policies that will create efficiencies and reduce ongoing operating costs.

The City Manager’s Recommended FY 2023 Budget Update includes $1.2 billion in operating budget funding across all funds, with approximately $473.9 million in support of the General Fund Operating Budget. The Recommended Budget also includes an all-funds investment of $304.5 million in capital improvement projects, with $126.8 million support of the General Capital Fund.  

The American Rescue Plan (ARP), which became law on March 11, 2021, provided a financial lifeline to state and local governments across the nation. Through the Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (LFRF) established under the ARP, the City of Cincinnati received approximately $139 million in May 2021 and will receive the same amount in May 2022 from the second tranche of funding. While estimated revenue is rebounding and approaching pre-pandemic levels, the City’s expense projections continue to exceed revenue growth projections. ARP funds will be needed to close the projected budget deficit in FY 2023 due to the long-term economic impacts of the pandemic. After factoring in the amount of ARP estimated to be needed for fiscal stability in FY 2023, FY 2024, and FY 2025, the Recommended Budget allocates $67.0 million to various capital budget priorities. 

Guided by our budget policies and priorities, this Recommended Budget makes key strategic investments in critical service areas necessary for the City to successfully emerge from the pandemic with a specific focus on long-term capital investments.

Below are some of the major highlights of the Recommended FY 2023 Budget Update:

American Rescue Plan

• $18.6 million for Operating Budget Support.
• $67.0 million in General Fund resources made available for the Capital Budget to invest in various capital budget priorities, including addressing the backlog of deferred maintenance for City facilities, addressing deteriorating transportation infrastructure and improving pedestrian safety, improving cybersecurity and service delivery efficiency, prioritizing community and economic development to improving housing stability and increasing economic activity, and seeking to achieve various environmental goals through the implementation of the Green Cincinnati Plan.

Reconnecting with Citizens

• Increased investment in community engagement across all departments, including:
  • Two new positions in the Department of City Planning and Engagement to focus on citywide engagement efforts with plans for increased face-to-face interactions with citizens
  • One new position in the City Manager’s Office to assist with place-based initiatives focused on litter and blight and violence reduction
  • One new position in the Office of Environment and Sustainability to support equitable outreach work on the Green Cincinnati Plan, WarmUp Cincy, and other efforts
  • Development of a new community engagement plan for the budget process
• Expansion of the City’s 311 service line to provide citizens with the ability to make non-emergency service requests for concerns like potholes, tall grass, and missed trash pick-up.
• Development of a strategic plan around priorities identified as a part of the Community Perceptions Survey project and monitoring of the Administration’s performance.

Public Safety and Human Services

• The Police Department will have two Recruit Classes, one of 53 members and one of 35 members, the majority of which will be reimbursed from a federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Grant.
• The Fire Department will have two Recruit Classes consisting of 50 members in each class.
• Additional funds are allotted to allow the Cincinnati Police Department’s Victim Assistance Liaison Unit (VALU) to work with the Cincinnati Citizens Respect Our Witnesses (CCROW) program to provide increased support to both crime victims and witnesses.
• The Emergency Communications Center will receive additional funds for the Alternative Response to Crisis (ARC) pilot program for Police Dispatch, which will send a mental health professional to certain low-risk incidents instead of a sworn police officer.
• Capital funds are earmarked for a refresh of the 9-1-1 telephone system hardware.
• $17.2 million in total leveraged support funding, including $11.4 million in total human services funding with nearly $8.0 million for the City Human Services Fund administered by the United Way is included. Additional leveraged support investments include an extra $1.0 million in funding for the Summer Youths Jobs Initiative and an additional $1.0 million for childcare related initiatives and programs.

Growing Economic Opportunities and Promoting Thriving Neighborhoods

• Maintains investment in strong and thriving neighborhoods by continuing to provide resources to Neighborhood Community Councils, including funding to Invest in Neighborhoods to manage the program.
• Strengthens the City’s position on ensuring developers remain in compliance with the terms and conditions of development agreements with the City, including:
  • An additional position in the Department of Community and Economic Development for monitoring and compliance
  • An additional position in the Department of Economic Inclusion to focus on wage enforcement to ensure construction that receives City assistance adheres to the City’s wage enforcement regulations

Download the City Manager’s Recommended FY 2023 Budget Update at cincinnati-oh.gov/finance/budget.