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City Council committee votes 5-2 for mayor's funding plan for new soccer stadium

9 views · Published 7 December 2017 · 3:17 · Indexed 22 September 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2017 · News & Politics

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CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Cincinnati's city council is took a closer look at Mayor Cranley's funding plan for a new soccer stadium Monday.

The Council Budget Committee voted 5-2 in support of Mayor John Cranley's proposal. Council-member Yvette Simpson abstained from voting and council-member Wendell Young was not present due to an illness.

Council-members Chris Seelbach and P.G. Sittenfeld voted 'no' on the proposal.

Council members heard from people against the project. The leader of No More Stadium Taxes says the proposed plan was getting worse by the day. 

At the same time, a county commission meeting was also discussing the Oakley garage plan. The full council and commission are expected to vote Wednesday.

Sunday night, the Oakley community council issued a statement saying it's against Mayor Cranley's current funding plan because it wouldn't be in the best interest for Oakley's development. They also voted against using some TIF money to redevelop the site.

However, Mayor Cranley has tweaked the plan to restore $2.5 M to the Oakley TIF district for non-stadium projects. The plan would then take the $2.5 M from FY19's capital budget to use for the stadium's infrastructure. In the meeting, the Oakley Community Council's vice president said he was favorably inclined to the modified proposal. 

Cranley went on to say that FC Cincinnati joining the MLS was "a once in a lifetime opportunity."

FC Cincinnati officials also spoke at the meeting, explaining why they believed public infrastructure money was needed for the stadium proposal. An FC Cincinnati fan also spoke, urging council to support the plan.

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