A discussion over borrowing money to help pay for Paycor Stadium brought charges from one commissioner that the county was ignoring children in favor of “billionaires.”
The Hamilton County commissioners approved authorizing and issuing bonds for $350 million for Paycor Stadium renovations at their meeting on Thursday, July 30.
Commissioners Denise Driehaus and Stephanie Summerow Dumas voted in favor of the funding at the December meeting.
Commissioner Alicia Reece abstained but let her two fellow commissioners and county staff know she was upset over what she saw as “disrespect.”
Reece: Stadium money ‘sets a bad tone’ amid foster care funding discussion
Reece said approving the bonds for the stadium “sets a bad tone” as the commissioners discuss options to increase the children’s services levy.
“When it comes to the stadiums, everybody is all hands on deck, calculators working, bond counsel saying we can do it,” she said. “We need a new creative way to put the homeowners first.”
Reece referenced walking out of the Tuesday, July 28 meeting when she felt her suggestion to use some money from the county’s half-cent sales tax to fund children’s services was not taken seriously. County staff has said that, given the county’s debt obligations, it’s not possible to divert the sales tax revenue, which primarily funds the maintenance of Great American Ball Park and Paycor Stadium.
“As soon as I say put the homeowners first, oh man, anger, disrespect. I’m not gonna stand here for that. I’m walking out,” Reece said on Thursday. “We shouldn’t have it where the children have to be in limbo, and the billionaires are guaranteed.”
Why was the stadium money approved now?
$350 million is the amount commissioners agreed to contribute as part of the lease agreement to keep Bengals in Cincinnati through 2036. The lease says that the Bengals will contribute $120 million, which includes a $60 million loan from the NFL.
Commissioners approved $211 million in bond anticipation notes for stadium improvement projects in December. Those notes are like placeholders for loans local governments plan to take out. The commissioners have now approved replacing those notes with the actual bonds to pay for the renovations.
That first phase of renovation work began Jan. 5 and was completed before the Cincinnati Music Festival. The next phase of renovations will begin in the next off-season.
Regional politics reporter Erin Glynn can be reached at eglynn@enquirer.com, @ee_glynn on X and @eringlynn on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Commissioner says county favors ‘billionaires’ over kids, taxpayers
Reporting by Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Erin Glynn, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
