Committee revives equity push for proceeds of Cincinnati Southern Railway sale; requests short report on current actions

Council members said they want the disbursement of proceeds from the sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway to explicitly benefit 15 underinvested neighborhoods the council identified as the “Rising 15.” The motion was originally filed in October 2023 and seeks a written policy to ensure long‑term transparency and equity in investment decisions.

Vice Mayor Jan Michelle Leming Kearney described the motion’s origins and asked the administration to report what actions are already in place and what additional steps are needed. “We want the policy in place to make sure that the policy continues to invest in our underserved neighborhoods,” President Pro Tem Victoria Parks said.

Council member Scottie Johnson proposed a friendly amendment asking the administration for a report within two weeks that details current actions to ensure equity in disbursement of proceeds so underserved neighborhoods benefit from both existing infrastructure and new economic development opportunities. Legal department attorney Monica Windholtz advised that the amendment language could be provided to the clerk and incorporated; the amendment was seconded and committee members agreed to advance the amended motion for consideration at the next meeting. A roll call was used while recording Kearney and Johnson voting in the affirmative; the transcript records the item as advanced for passage the following day and notes the committee expects to review related materials in March and receive the report by the committee’s next meeting (noted as February 19 in the record).

Why it matters: The motion seeks to lock in an equity‑focused approach to spending one‑time proceeds so that investments target historically underinvested neighborhoods and provide transparent tracking (dashboard and annual reports). The committee framed the near‑term report as a fact‑finding step before drafting formal policy language.