County commissioners voted 2–1 on July 31 to approve a new 11-year lease and attached management agreement between Hamilton County and the Cincinnati Bengals, advancing a package of operating and capital terms the administration said are necessary to fund a stadium renovation and to secure the team’s presence on the riverfront.

The lease resolution authorizes the county administrator to execute the finalized lease documents and a management agreement that define how renovation funds will be tranch ed and administered, how stadium booking and revenue-sharing will operate, and the rent and capital-payment structure for the team and county.

The commissioners’ approval came after extended public and closed-door negotiations. County administrator Jeff Alito summarized the agreement as covering the “how the dollars associated with the renovation get allocated, how they get put into tranches” and other operational details. Outside counsel and county negotiators said the draft presented to the board reflects “the vast majority” of terms the county and team had agreed to and that the county had negotiated language to limit previously uncapped county liability.

Why it matters: County leaders and residents have debated for months whether to preserve the Bengals on the riverfront while limiting taxpayer exposure. Supporters argued the new lease secures significant capital funding, establishes rent payments where none existed, caps county liability, and gives the county more control to program the stadium for community events. Opponents, including Commissioner Alicia Reese, said the agreement does not sufficiently protect taxpayers and removes the ability to deliver the full property-tax rebate some residents were promised decades ago.

Key points and votes
- Term and capital: The approved lease term is 11 years with provisions discussed for possible extensions; the agreement structures how the Bengals’ and county’s capital contributions are placed into accounts and tranches to fund renovation work.
- Rent and revenue: Under the draft presented, the team will pay rent (including an initial lower rent that steps up in later years) and the agreement includes new revenue-sharing and booking controls compared with the prior lease.
- Liability and caps: County negotiators said they inserted caps to limit the county’s previously uncapped exposure under the old lease.

Commissioner votes on the motion to authorize execution of the lease: Commissioner Driehaus — yes; Commissioner Stephanie Summer O'Dumas — yes; Commissioner Alicia Reese — no. The motion carried 2–1.

Dissent and a motion for a public vote: Commissioner Reese delivered an extended statement opposing the resolution as presented. She pressed for a 15-year minimum term (the final document is 11 years), said the agreement removes the county’s ability to guarantee a 30% property-tax rebate she said was promised decades ago, and objected to perceived state-level funding choices that she said left Bengals funding uncertain compared with other teams. Reese offered a motion to put the proposed lease and an explicit 30% property-tax rebate before county voters; her motion was voiced on the record but no second or formal board action on that motion was recorded before the commissioners voted on the lease.

Negotiation context and next steps: Administration and outside advisers repeatedly told the board the county needs an executed lease to pursue state funding sources they described as time-sensitive and potentially substantial; administration staff said the state program requires an agreement with the team in order for the county to request funds from a portion of unclaimed funds set aside in the state budget. County negotiators thanked outside counsel, financial advisers and sports-industry consultants for their work and said they believed the draft to be a risk-off approach for the county.

Quotations from the meeting (attributed)
- Commissioner Stephanie Summer O'Dumas: “It’s clear to me that this is the best deal for a time such as this.”
- Marty Dunn (outside counsel, Dinsmore): “We feel very comfortable that what we have put together … reflects the kinds of terms and conditions that you as a county commission have expressed to us as important.”
- David Abrams (consultant): “We’ve achieved [an outcome] that will secure Bengals playing in Paycor for a decade or more to come.”
- Commissioner Alicia Reese (on the vote): “A vote is no until the taxpayers have a vote.”

Discussion versus decision: The board’s action was a formal approval of the resolution authorizing execution of the lease and management agreement. Commissioner Reese’s motion to place the lease on the ballot was a proposal discussed on the record but was not seconded or adopted. After board approval the administration said it would present the signed agreement to the Bengals; the team must still approve and, per NFL process, submit the agreement through league review and any required league approvals.

Clarifying details
- The administration described state-level funding avenues but said those funds require an executed team agreement before the county can apply.
- Commissioners and negotiators said the county negotiated caps on county liability that did not exist under the prior lease; the transcript does not list the precise legal cap amounts.
- The board discussed rent that starts lower and increases over time; the transcript records a $1 million rent figure in early years that rises later, but the full rent schedule is in the lease document, not the transcript.

What remains open: The Bengals and the county still must sign the final documents and the NFL has internal review and approval processes; Commissioner Reese’s call to send the lease to a countywide vote was not adopted at the meeting.