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Nonprofit leaders press council for transparency after recommended cuts to leveraged support and African American Chamber funding
Summary
Several nonprofit leaders and community representatives asked council to restore or clarify reductions to leveraged support grants and a proposed cut to the African American Chamber of Commerce’s annual city support; speakers called for clearer, public rules for mayoral and council adjustments to manager recommendations.
Multiple nonprofit leaders, fund recipients and neighborhood representatives told council they seek more transparency in how the mayor and council adjust the city manager’s recommended “leverage support” allocations.
Todd Zinser of West Price Hill said the post‑recommendation adjustment process “totally lacks transparency,” asking how a single council adjustment is decided among nine members. Several speakers representing organizations that applied for or rely on leverage and human‑services funding asked council to restore prior funding levels or to explain rationale for reductions.
A group of speakers representing the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) argued the chamber’s recommended allotment should be restored to the prior year level of $350,000 after the manager’s recommended budget reduced the line. Eric Kearney, president of the African American Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber brings certification, training and business assistance that generate measurable economic activity and asked council to “restore our budget to the level it was last budget year.” Other chamber speakers and staff presented published impact figures for black‑owned businesses in the region and said cuts would impair services such as certification assistance and the Minority Business Assistance Center.
Several other community organizations — including ArtWorks, the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, AsianADI, the Hispanic Chamber of Cincinnati, Mortar and Price Hill Will — also requested continued or restored funding for city support programs, capital gaps and operating grants. Speakers described leverage support as a competitive, application‑based process (portal open Feb. 17 to March 26) and said 76 organizations applied this cycle; roughly $1.6 million was recommended for 22 organizations after the application review, according to the budget presentation.
Speakers urged the mayor and council to make their adjustments and the rationale public so organizations that lost funding understand the reason and so the public can assess whether the decisions reflect city priorities.
Ending: Council members will receive amendment motions from colleagues and the public in the coming days; nonprofit leaders asked that final votes restore or clarify funding decisions affecting their programs.
