Cincinnati City Council is returning to City Hall on Wednesday for a mid-recess meeting in preparation for the upcoming session. Councilmembers have met in their respective committees over the past two days to prepare for this lone council meeting of the summer.
While meetings may have been paused over the past month, councilmembers and their staff have been working on current and upcoming projects.
Looking ahead, CityBeat asked the Cincinnati councilmembers about their plans and priorities for the new session.
The council will start its new session on Sept. 3, starting with the Budget and Finance Committee. Their first regular council meeting will take place on Sept. 5.
Anna Albi
For councilmember Anna Albi, addressing gun violence remains the top priority. Albi, a communications consultant, has always been an advocate against gun violence as a leader for Moms Demand Action in Cincinnati.
“There is no magic wand solution to solving gun violence, which is why the City invests time, money and resources into a multifaceted approach ranging from increasing the availability of housing to addressing food security to promoting workforce development and youth programming,” Albi said in a statement to CityBeat.
One way Albi’s office is tackling gun violence is through firearm security, an initiative aimed at addressing accidental shootings and suicides.
Albi’s office partnered with Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, the Cincinnati Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office to offer free gun locks at libraries in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Albi is also focused on addressing food insecurity in relation to gun violence. Research shows that food insecurity is closely tied with firearm injuries, especially in metropolitan cities.
“I’m working closely with the mayor to explore ways we can increase food access through home delivery,” Albi said in her statement. She said more information about the project will be coming soon.
Jeff Cramerding
Councilmember Jeff Cramerding has long been focused on maintaining a balanced budget and growing Cincinnati as a city, and he’s heading into the new session with those goals at the forefront.
“The city’s budget has been unbalanced for many years and has been running on a $25 million yearly deficit,” Cramerding said in a statement to CityBeat. “This problem must be solved. It is an impediment to us growing as a world class city.”
Cramerding spent much of his career as a labor lawyer, and was a founding member of Price Hill Will, a nonprofit dedicated to community development in Price Hill.
Cramerding also wants to make sure the Connected Communities policy hits the ground running this fall. Connected Communities, a series of zoning and land use changes intended to make the city more accessible and diverse, was passed by the council earlier this summer.
“We must ensure that the housing and economic development that Connected Communities laid the foundation for can come to fruition,” Cramerding said in his statement. “This council maintains its commitment to providing more attainable housing options for all and promoting economic development in neighborhoods that want and need it most.”
Cramerding said he is also working with the city’s Parks and Recreation departments to plant more trees in Cincinnati, which will add more shade and positively impact areas affected by extreme heat in the city.
Meeka Owens
Councilmember Meeka Owens wants to continue working to change the systems that aren’t serving Cincinnati as well as they could be.
Owens’ background is primarily in community outreach. She’s served on boards for organizations like Women Helping Women and the YWCA, and she’s worked professionally as a consultant and small business owner.
Owens is also a long-time advocate for tenants’ rights. She has dedicated herself to the Tenants Bill of Rights, “which provides meaningful funding and resources to the housing ecosystem in Cincinnati.”
“Many people don’t realize that Cincinnati is primarily made up of renters (over 60%), but about 70% of our city is zoned for single families,” Owens said in a statement to CityBeat.
Owens helped pass a program within the Tenants Bill of Rights called Access to Counsel, which provides eviction assistance funding and assistance from Owens’ office in eviction court. According to her statement, the program helped ensure that 52 families did not lose their housing in the first quarter of 2024. Her office plans to continue this work.
Owens also wants to continue to celebrate Cincinnati’s diversity at City Hall. In June, Owens brought drag queens and kings to City Hall for the final meeting before recess. As lawmakers at the Statehouse seek to limit drag performances in the state with House Bill 245, this is likely the first time drag performers have been in City Hall – an achievement Owens “could not be prouder” of.
“Every voice matters, and when I step into City Hall, I know I fight for every voice in our city,” Owens said in her statement.
Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
For Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, education and healthy neighborhoods are crucial projects to continue working on this fall.
Kearney has a background in law and journalism, and she helped start the multimedia publishing company that owns The Cincinnati Herald, The Northern Kentucky Herald and The Dayton Defender.
Kearney said she was “incredibly excited” about this week’s meetings, including the Healthy Neighborhoods committee meetings that highlighted student transportation on Metro buses and updates from the English as a Second Language community.
Kearney is also an advocate for literacy in Cincinnati. Kearney is supporting Cincy Reads, a new literacy challenge for children aimed at increasing awareness about the importance of reading.
“Literacy in our city is a top priority for my office, and I’m excited to share some preliminary information about [our literacy campaign]!” Kearney said in a statement to CityBeat.
Ethan Nichols, a spokesperson for Kearney, said her office is also focusing on continuing constituent outreach.
“We’ve assisted our residents with everything from property tax assistance to tenants issues to city services. We’ll continue working hard each and every day for the citizens of Cincinnati,” he said in a statement to CityBeat.
Victoria Parks
Councilmember Victoria Parks told CityBeat in a statement that she’s “eager to continue her work on advancing equity in the city.”
Parks worked for companies like UPS and Mitsubishi Electric Manufacturing for 30 years before turning to community outreach, focusing on domestic violence and sexual assault outreach.
Now, Parks is working on increasing access to wheelchair accessible restrooms in the city, installing feminine product dispensers in city facilities, and helping secure funding for Cincinnati recovery housing.
Parks hopes to “[prioritize] equity in city contracts and [defend] the rights of people with disabilities” as well.
Reggie Harris
Councilmember Reggie Harris wants to continue supporting Cincinnati’s economic growth while increasing inclusion and equity this fall.
As a councilmember, Harris is driven by his past experiences as a social worker, therapist and affordable housing practitioner. He is also openly gay and a strong advocate for LGBTQIA+ issues, such as revising the city’s nondiscrimination policy.
As the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, Harris is spearheading the Carryover Budget process with city administration which occurs in the fall. This process allocates any excess budget above city estimates to capital projects.
“There is real impact in this work, and we see it every day,” Harris said in a statement to CityBeat. “The dollars we’ve spent on affordable housing means new homes for people who need it most. The organizations we fund each budget cycle help thousands of residents every year with crucial and at times life-saving interventions.”
Harris also wants to continue finding solutions to Cincinnati’s housing crisis.
“We are at a point where it is more important than ever to solidify our housing vision and the plan to execute it,” Harris said. “A major focus of the near future will be to continue to lay the groundwork towards tackling the housing crisis and use that to pass meaningful policy to stabilize housing costs and grow our population.”
Harris is also focused on the second annual Black Developers Conference, an initiative that Harris said works to “expand who participates and benefits from development in this city and offer the tools needed to increase capacity and create generational wealth."
Last year, the conference brought together 500 people and 30 community organizations.
Note: CityBeat reached out to all council offices but did not receive statements from councilmembers Scotty Johnson, Mark Jeffreys and Seth Walsh at the time of publishing.
While meetings may have been paused over the past month, councilmembers and their staff have been working on current and upcoming projects.
Looking ahead, CityBeat asked the Cincinnati councilmembers about their plans and priorities for the new session.
The council will start its new session on Sept. 3, starting with the Budget and Finance Committee. Their first regular council meeting will take place on Sept. 5.
Anna Albi
For councilmember Anna Albi, addressing gun violence remains the top priority. Albi, a communications consultant, has always been an advocate against gun violence as a leader for Moms Demand Action in Cincinnati.
“There is no magic wand solution to solving gun violence, which is why the City invests time, money and resources into a multifaceted approach ranging from increasing the availability of housing to addressing food security to promoting workforce development and youth programming,” Albi said in a statement to CityBeat.
One way Albi’s office is tackling gun violence is through firearm security, an initiative aimed at addressing accidental shootings and suicides.
Albi’s office partnered with Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, the Cincinnati Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office to offer free gun locks at libraries in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Albi is also focused on addressing food insecurity in relation to gun violence. Research shows that food insecurity is closely tied with firearm injuries, especially in metropolitan cities.
“I’m working closely with the mayor to explore ways we can increase food access through home delivery,” Albi said in her statement. She said more information about the project will be coming soon.
Jeff Cramerding
Councilmember Jeff Cramerding has long been focused on maintaining a balanced budget and growing Cincinnati as a city, and he’s heading into the new session with those goals at the forefront.
“The city’s budget has been unbalanced for many years and has been running on a $25 million yearly deficit,” Cramerding said in a statement to CityBeat. “This problem must be solved. It is an impediment to us growing as a world class city.”
Cramerding spent much of his career as a labor lawyer, and was a founding member of Price Hill Will, a nonprofit dedicated to community development in Price Hill.
Cramerding also wants to make sure the Connected Communities policy hits the ground running this fall. Connected Communities, a series of zoning and land use changes intended to make the city more accessible and diverse, was passed by the council earlier this summer.
“We must ensure that the housing and economic development that Connected Communities laid the foundation for can come to fruition,” Cramerding said in his statement. “This council maintains its commitment to providing more attainable housing options for all and promoting economic development in neighborhoods that want and need it most.”
Cramerding said he is also working with the city’s Parks and Recreation departments to plant more trees in Cincinnati, which will add more shade and positively impact areas affected by extreme heat in the city.
Meeka Owens
Councilmember Meeka Owens wants to continue working to change the systems that aren’t serving Cincinnati as well as they could be.
Owens’ background is primarily in community outreach. She’s served on boards for organizations like Women Helping Women and the YWCA, and she’s worked professionally as a consultant and small business owner.
Owens is also a long-time advocate for tenants’ rights. She has dedicated herself to the Tenants Bill of Rights, “which provides meaningful funding and resources to the housing ecosystem in Cincinnati.”
“Many people don’t realize that Cincinnati is primarily made up of renters (over 60%), but about 70% of our city is zoned for single families,” Owens said in a statement to CityBeat.
Owens helped pass a program within the Tenants Bill of Rights called Access to Counsel, which provides eviction assistance funding and assistance from Owens’ office in eviction court. According to her statement, the program helped ensure that 52 families did not lose their housing in the first quarter of 2024. Her office plans to continue this work.
Owens also wants to continue to celebrate Cincinnati’s diversity at City Hall. In June, Owens brought drag queens and kings to City Hall for the final meeting before recess. As lawmakers at the Statehouse seek to limit drag performances in the state with House Bill 245, this is likely the first time drag performers have been in City Hall – an achievement Owens “could not be prouder” of.
“Every voice matters, and when I step into City Hall, I know I fight for every voice in our city,” Owens said in her statement.
Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
For Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, education and healthy neighborhoods are crucial projects to continue working on this fall.
Kearney has a background in law and journalism, and she helped start the multimedia publishing company that owns The Cincinnati Herald, The Northern Kentucky Herald and The Dayton Defender.
Kearney said she was “incredibly excited” about this week’s meetings, including the Healthy Neighborhoods committee meetings that highlighted student transportation on Metro buses and updates from the English as a Second Language community.
Kearney is also an advocate for literacy in Cincinnati. Kearney is supporting Cincy Reads, a new literacy challenge for children aimed at increasing awareness about the importance of reading.
“Literacy in our city is a top priority for my office, and I’m excited to share some preliminary information about [our literacy campaign]!” Kearney said in a statement to CityBeat.
Ethan Nichols, a spokesperson for Kearney, said her office is also focusing on continuing constituent outreach.
“We’ve assisted our residents with everything from property tax assistance to tenants issues to city services. We’ll continue working hard each and every day for the citizens of Cincinnati,” he said in a statement to CityBeat.
Victoria Parks
Councilmember Victoria Parks told CityBeat in a statement that she’s “eager to continue her work on advancing equity in the city.”
Parks worked for companies like UPS and Mitsubishi Electric Manufacturing for 30 years before turning to community outreach, focusing on domestic violence and sexual assault outreach.
Now, Parks is working on increasing access to wheelchair accessible restrooms in the city, installing feminine product dispensers in city facilities, and helping secure funding for Cincinnati recovery housing.
Parks hopes to “[prioritize] equity in city contracts and [defend] the rights of people with disabilities” as well.
Reggie Harris
Councilmember Reggie Harris wants to continue supporting Cincinnati’s economic growth while increasing inclusion and equity this fall.
As a councilmember, Harris is driven by his past experiences as a social worker, therapist and affordable housing practitioner. He is also openly gay and a strong advocate for LGBTQIA+ issues, such as revising the city’s nondiscrimination policy.
As the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, Harris is spearheading the Carryover Budget process with city administration which occurs in the fall. This process allocates any excess budget above city estimates to capital projects.
“There is real impact in this work, and we see it every day,” Harris said in a statement to CityBeat. “The dollars we’ve spent on affordable housing means new homes for people who need it most. The organizations we fund each budget cycle help thousands of residents every year with crucial and at times life-saving interventions.”
Harris also wants to continue finding solutions to Cincinnati’s housing crisis.
“We are at a point where it is more important than ever to solidify our housing vision and the plan to execute it,” Harris said. “A major focus of the near future will be to continue to lay the groundwork towards tackling the housing crisis and use that to pass meaningful policy to stabilize housing costs and grow our population.”
Harris is also focused on the second annual Black Developers Conference, an initiative that Harris said works to “expand who participates and benefits from development in this city and offer the tools needed to increase capacity and create generational wealth."
Last year, the conference brought together 500 people and 30 community organizations.
Note: CityBeat reached out to all council offices but did not receive statements from councilmembers Scotty Johnson, Mark Jeffreys and Seth Walsh at the time of publishing.
