City Council in New Year's TIF tiff

When Cincinnati City Council scheduled a public hearing on new tax-increment financing districts for Monday night, Oakley property owner Albert E. Lane was furious.

It wasn't just because Lane is convinced that the city would use the new TIF districts to take people's property by eminent domain (something city officials deny). It was that he couldn't make it to City Hall to protest.

It was, after all, the beginning of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. And while Lane planned to be on Plum Street, it would be across from City Hall at the Issac M. Wise Temple. "There are a lot of Jewish property owners in the city, and this is a slap in the face," Lane said.

City Council members acknowledged the faux pas, but said it was unintentional. In fact, they said, it was the city's Jewish economic development director, Chad Munitz, who scheduled the hearing.

"Not to disagree publicly with our esteemed City Council members, but last time I looked, the administration does not set committee hearings," Munitz said in an aside to a reporter during the hearing. (Besides, he said, the hearing was scheduled for 6 p.m., and Rosh Hashana didn't start until sundown -- 7:37 p.m.)

So who was responsible? After a little back-and-forth, Munitz and Finance Committee Chairman John Cranley finally agreed to blame state Rep. William J. Seitz, R-Green Township, who shepherded the changes in state tax laws that led to a New Year's Eve deadline (that's the Gregorian calendar) to create new districts.

The city has sent letters to Jewish groups apologizing, and has set a new public hearing for Oct. 17 at 1 p.m.

Church and state: City Hall (left) and the Plum Street Temple (right).