Becca Costello

1 week ago | wvxu.org | Becca Costello

The first draft of the next city of Cincinnati budget includes funding to improve snow removal next winter. City Manager Sheryl Long says that starts with upgrading the technology used for planning and implementing snow plow routes. "No more paper routes," Long said. "Trucks will follow a route from a digital map and mark it complete when they're done."The city may also use drones to better assess road conditions and make priority decisions.

2 weeks ago | wvxu.org | Becca Costello

Opponents of a housing and hotel development project on Hyde Park Square have submitted signatures to put the project on the ballot in November. Organizers say they submitted more than 18,300 signatures to City Hall Friday. About half — 9,146 — will have to be confirmed as valid in order to qualify for the ballot.

2 weeks ago | wvxu.org | Becca Costello

This article will be updated. Cincinnati City Manager Sheryl Long and Mayor Aftab Pureval released the first draft of the next city budget Friday. It is now up to City Council to approve a final version by the end of June. This is the first fiscal year in five years without federal stimulus funding. That means it's the first time this administration and Council have to address a budget deficit — in this case, $10.2 million — without an easy solution.

2 weeks ago | wvxu.org | Becca Costello

Despite recent market volatility, Cincinnati’s infrastructure investment fund has grown about 3.5% so far this year. The initial $1.6 billion fund was invested over a year ago after voters approved the sale of the city-owned Cincinnati Southern Railway. The Board of Trustees that manages the investment fund heard an update on its performance at a quarterly meeting Tuesday. Eric Goia from UBS Investment Group says the portfolio is designed for the possibility of stormy weather.

2 weeks ago | wvxu.org | Becca Costello

All 24 public pools in Cincinnati will be open again this summer. It’s the second year in a row the city has had enough lifeguards to staff every pool. That’s compared to 19 pools open in 2023, and only 11 in 2022. City Manager Sheryl Long says Recreation Commission staff works year-round to recruit aquatics staff.