A $4 million debate over museums and neighborhoods

So there's this resolution pending before City Council that proposes to divided the $4 million set aside in the budget for arts capital funding four ways: $1 million each to the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Museum Center, Music Hall (all of which the city owns) and National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

Chris Bortz put it out there April 9 and asked for an immediate vote on it. He said he merely wnated to firm up the plan all council members agreed upon during budget talks. He was confused when the idea resolution met with opposition. After all, a majority of council - Bortz, Jim Tarbell, Leslie Ghiz, Jeff Berding, Laketa Cole and Cecil Thomas - had signed the resolution in the first place.

But John Cranley said he wanted it to go through his finance committee for further discussion. Tarbell and Thomas, even though they signed it, said there was enough confusion about the money that they thought it should be talked about more. Bortz said there shouldn't be any confusion.

It's all about something called the Neighborhood Incentive District Loan Fund. City Manager Milton Dohoney, asked by council to find sources for the $4 million, suggested half the money could come from the neighborhood fund.

And nobody wants to be against neighborhoods. Particularly nobodies running for re-election.

So - the issue's expected to bubble up at the finance committee meeting Monday, 1 p.m. Pete Witte, president of the Price Hill Civic Club, plans to be there to protect what he sees as a threat to future investment in his neighborhood and others.

"We keep preaching that we need to invest in neighborhoods, specifically neighborhood business districts," he said today. "The idea that this money would go to the arts, although important, is really hard to digest."