Pureval calls for Cincinnati to 'keep pushing for better, brighter, more' in State of the City Address

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval highlighted achievements from his third year in office and challenged residents to keep moving forward in his third "State of the City" address.

Pureval spoke to residents and city leaders from Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine on Tuesday evening.

"No matter what is happening in the world, folks here at home have clear and important expectations for our city. They elected their local leaders with a mandate to grow the city, to keep us safe, and to expand equity," Pureval said. "There has never been a more important moment for all of us to be good at our job. Because our residents, our children and grandchildren, are all counting on us to not get distracted from why we are here."

The mayor says the city's medical debt relief program has abolished $47 million in such debt for more than 52,000 Cincinnatians in just two months since the program launched in September.

RELATED: Cincinnati plans to forgive $134M in residents' medical debt

"And it's not just about one-time relief," he said. "We're working to change systems to end the cycle of debt. Every recipient gets a letter from us, asking them to connect with us. So far, we've been able to connect 60 percent of the residents who've responded to wraparound services — connections to a medical home, applications for SNAP and Medicaid, free tax preparation services, and job training."

Pureval says the Financial Freedom Blueprint , a grant-funded external study, includes addressing housing security. A program launched this year provides legal representation to tenants facing eviction.

"From January to September of this year, our partners have offered rental assistance and free legal representation to 542 households," he said. "Over 700 children whose family got the support they needed at one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives. And over 80% of these families were led by Black women."

RELATED: A new city program is preventing evictions with free legal representation

The mayor talked about struggles and wins for public safety over the past year, pointing to a 7.5% decrease in shootings compared to 2023, and a 35% decrease in youth shootings.

"But I will continue to emphasize that progress is not the same thing as victory," he said. "The violence our communities experience, the universal accessibility of guns, is and will remain unacceptable until we put a stop to it."

RELATED: Cincinnati Police say crime is down, but there are caveats

Pureval seemed to reference the recent presidential election, mentioning "a lot of uncertainty around our nation right now."

"There are folks who are scared, who are angry, who are rightly worried about what changes the future will bring," he said. "But what I hope to remind you, and I've been working to remind myself, is that in Cincinnati, we have never had the luxury — we have never wanted the luxury — of taking our hands off the reins."

What's next?

Pureval is entering his fourth and final year of his first term in office; he has publicly said he plans to run for re-election in 2025.

It will be a big year for the Cincinnati budget, since it will be the first fiscal year in which no pandemic federal stimulus will be available to fill a projected deficit.

The mayor and City Council is expected to take on controversial topics like increasing the income tax and imposing a trash collection fee — both recommendations from the Futures Commission, a panel the mayor announced during his first State of the City address.

"The central message of the report is one that we collectively share: equitable growth is the key to moving Cincinnati forward," Pureval said Tuesday. "If we want to achieve our long-term goals — including public safety, expanded housing options, improved jobs and wage equity, and financial strength — we have to make bold decisions in the short-term."

City officials consider the budget annually every spring, with a final plan required by the end of June. The next fiscal year begins July 1.

Address transcript

Cincinnati,

We're coming together this evening at the dawn of our City's next chapter. For three years, we have been traveling the path that we stand on today. It has been a path that City leaders, community partners, and residents in every corner of Cincinnati have helped to shape – and now that we are here, where we go has the potential to define our next generation.

I'm honored to be joined tonight by so many of the public servants, advocates, community leaders and workers who have been at the table with us every step of the way.

When we took office, the challenges facing Cincinnati were undeniable, and the expectations from communities were clear. Recover from the pandemic. Tackle, head-on, the shortage of affordable homes in our neighborhoods. Put the inequities in our society front and center in the work ahead. And do what it takes to ensure a safe Cincinnati, one where every resident can pursue a rewarding and peaceful life.

It is because of the shared vision and support of our entire community, and our unwavering collective focus on the City we've worked to build, that I proudly say: The State of the City is strong.

And today, as we reflect on where we've come. The pandemic we've climbed out of, the challenges that remain, and the enormous potential we have unlocked. We must remind ourselves that now is the time to keep choosing to be bold. Because by continuing down this path, we have the power to secure the kind of future I know we deserve.

This is a period of strength, momentum, and important decisions about where we go from here.

While we have challenges ahead, due to City Manager Long's leadership and the support of Council, we've returned our Budget to a structural balance after the financial shock of the pandemic. We have more than doubled our reserves since 2018. And with our recent Carryover Budget, stewarded by Councilmember Jeff Cramerding, Assistant City Manager Billy Weber and Director Andrew Dudas, we are continuing to increase our commitments to our pension, affordable housing, and deferred improvements of the roads, parks, and facilities our residents depend on.

RELATED: Council passes a city budget the mayor says provides 'strong financial footing'

And right now, we are witnessing the fruits of years of strategic, growth-focused investment.

Downtown and throughout our City, foot traffic is continuing to return. We have been full steam ahead, through the work of partners and our Department of Community and Economic Development, to create more spaces to live, work, and play in our business districts.

In just the last 6 months, we hosted Black Tech Week's biggest year to-date. The leading national conference for Black creators and entrepreneurs, led by Candice and Brian Brackeen and the Lightship team. We hosted the largest ever BLINK, with millions of visitors descending on our urban core and experiencing why Cincinnati is THE city for visual and immersive arts. And we hosted Forbes Thirty Under Thirty Summit – with support from REDI and JobsOhio, and with recognition for two young impactful City Hall staffers on the local list: Gus Ricksecker, and Department of Economic Inclusion Director Laura Castillo.

And to top it all off, we were named as one of the final 3 cities to host the Sundance Film Festival. One of the most prestigious arts events in the world is looking at Cincinnati because we have a story to tell. And I want to thank Kristen Schlotman, partners from the State and local business Community, and our Council – particularly Councilmember Seth Walsh – for their work to make it crystal clear how bought in we are as a City.

RELATED: Cincinnati one of 3 finalists to host the Sundance Film Festival

The nation and the world understand what kind of energy we are capable of attracting, what kind of vibrancy we can build, and the stage we can do it on.

And that only happens, it's only possible, because of an intentional strategy shared by organizations across the region. REDI, JobsOhio, Visit Cincy bringing talent and companies here to experience Cincinnati. Partners like 3CDC and the Port who are supporting our work to transform sites and attract the investments of the future – downtown, in the Mill Creek Corridor, and throughout our City. And our strong relationship with the State and the County, who are bought in on Cincinnati's growth.

The renovated Convention Center and new Convention Center hotel will not only empower us to be a world-class destination, but also to anchor our work to build a thriving, diverse Convention District. And we're already seeing that progress. This year, we attracted Paycor, a signature regional business, to move right to the center of downtown, which will bring more life, more activity to the heart of our City. It's a huge deal for a company like Paycor to choose Downtown, and it's another major step forward in our exceptional post-pandemic Downtown growth relative to our peer cities. None of this would have been possible without the intentional planning of 3CDC and the incredible talent and dedication of our DCED team to transform the former Saks building. But it also wouldn't have been possible without the belief, and the confidence, that our urban core is a place where talent wants to be.

RELATED: Work to update Duke Energy Convention Center kicks off

This momentum extends throughout our neighborhoods. From Camp Washington, to Walnut Hills, and right Downtown, this year saw new affordable housing developments open their doors, due to the prioritization and investment the City and partners have made. In fact, just in March, the Barrister apartments opened as the first new affordable housing in our Downtown in over 30 years.

RELATED: Residents are moving into Downtown's first affordable housing project in over 30 years

And in August, Cynthia Booth cut the ribbon on Emerge Manufacturing, a PPE manufacturing company, run by a Woodward graduate who had a vision to bring new energy and new jobs to Bond Hill. After years of hard work, that vision has come to life.

But growth only works if we continue to live up to our core responsibility to residents – keeping them safe. Like many communities, we have experienced real, tragic, and complex challenges – with youth violence, with our transit centers, and with public perception. But we are making the comprehensive investments and decisions to drive tangible positive progress.

Our council, our police, our Administration and community partners have continued to make sure that not only are the resources there, but that we are building on our problem-solving oriented, community-based approach to preventing violence.

Our City Administration, under City Manager Sheryl Long's leadership, secured new union contracts for police and fire. Not only are we ensuring the folks protecting us are taken care of, but higher pay and benefits are an important tool at a time when it's increasingly hard to recruit and retain public safety professionals.

Our Alternative Response to Crisis team, which we established to send unarmed, trained mental health specialists to some 911 calls, has responded to over 1300 incidents in the past year – saving thousands of hours of police time to focus on where they're needed, and connecting residents in need to the services that can help them.

And just last month, we broke ground on the new Regional Safety Complex for the Cincinnati Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. This project is a historic win, providing our law enforcement with a new state-of-the-art training facility – but just as importantly, it's a win for environmental justice. Residents of Evendale, Lincoln Heights, folks in the City and County, have been working for years to address the impact that the gun range had on the wellbeing of nearby residents. And because all levels of government were bought in on a common goal, we are now moving forward to a new day. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to our County Commissioners, our partners from the State Delegation and federal levels, and of course Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney for championing this project.

RELATED: Hamilton County breaks ground on new gun range in Colerain

Comprehensive public safety requires us to continue leaning into new, innovative approaches. Just this fall, our City launched a hospital-based intervention partnership with UC Health and Cincinnati Children's.

With the Hope and Shield Network, our partners are working to disrupt cycles of trauma and violence – by proactively engaging victims to support healing and stability, prevent retaliation, and help get victims of violence back on track to a healthy rewarding life.

The Violence Prevention Professionals are supporting victims with mental health care, trauma-informed counseling, and housing and educational assistance. Since this program began in August, they have already engaged with 60 patients and enrolled over 25 in just the last month.

We are proud to keep doubling down on our investments in violence reduction, because we have seen the difference they can make. In 2024, shootings in Cincinnati are again down year over year, over 7.5 percent lower than 2023. And even more promising, youth shootings are down over 35 percent. But I will continue to emphasize that progress is not the same thing as victory.

RELATED: Cincinnati Police say crime is down, but there are caveats

When a 5 year old child is shot in their home. When there are guns on our streets, being stolen out of cars, in the hands of children. When we are experiencing the systemic challenges we've seen at public transit centers. The violence our communities experience, the universal accessibility of guns, it is and will remain unacceptable until we put a stop to it. And I am inspired to know that our police and first responders, our Council, community partners, and our incredible Administration will never give up on progress and peace. I want to thank Councilmember Johnson for ensuring that we always support our City employees with what they need, Karen Rumsey and CPD Victim Services, Human Services Director Deanna White, Place Based Initiatives Manager Brooke Lipscomb, the tireless leadership of Assistant City Manager and Judge-Elect Virginia Tallent. And every City employee who dedicates their days, a lot of times their nights, working behind the scenes to make sure residents can feel secure.

And that particularly includes Iris Roley. With the Government Square Working group, she and the dedicated volunteers have been an exceptional example of how we can prioritize safety through outreach and problem-solving. We've seen the challenges at the transit center, and the Government Square volunteers have stepped up to be present and approachable, to help address problems, to make the right calls when needed. This is the kind of model that can be a foundation for our future work across the City, and it only happened because folks gave of themselves and their time to care for our children. That is why our Council was proud to invest in the sustainability of these efforts, with funds allocated to support the working group's expansion and provide food for students at the transit center.

RELATED: Police chief criticizes CPS over spike in student-involved incidents with police

Violence prevention is not a one-size-fits-all challenge, but we will be here, investing to make sure the right people are on the ground and the right systems are in place to make every neighborhood is healthy, vibrant, and safe.

For the first time since the pandemic, we secured the funding and staff to open all Cincy Rec pools this summer, and over 1700 children attended CRC summer camps. Rec at Nite provided over 2,000 teens with a fun, safe space on the weekends. And over 375 youth had a job with the City, learning financial literacy and new skills through our Career Pathways Initiative.

And we've empowered community organizations, on the ground, to directly support neighborhoods and children. The Safe and Clean grant provided organizations like the Price Hill Safety C.A.T. Summer Youth Program to make a tangible difference. In 11 weeks, the youth participating removed over 250 bags of debris from overgrown and litter filled areas of East and West Price Hill.

Boots on the Ground, in partnership with the Greater Cincinnati Foundation and Interact for Health, awarded grants to 41 grassroots organizations addressing local challenges from food insecurity, to mental health, to an investment in the new Formula One program at Aiken High School, as part of the Partnership for Innovation's work to help students access future opportunities in engineering, science, and trades.

These community investments aren't just helping to empower residents in the work to lift up their neighborhood – they're advancing our key strategic priorities. Through Seeds of Change, operated by the Office of Environment and Sustainability, organizations in 32 neighborhoods have been supported this year in projects to expand environmental justice. The Camp Washington Community Development Corporation is using these funds to transition their streetlights to more efficient LEDs by the end of next year – which isn't just a win for energy efficiency, but pedestrian safety and brightness as well. These kinds of programs are bringing more residents to the table as we work to advance the goals of the Green Cincinnati Plan.

RELATED: Cincinnati funds 19 community climate projects, growing "Seeds of Change"

But all of this work has been at the heart of our words and actions since taking office. And the decisions our Council and Administration have made, the priorities we've acted upon, have supported our core mission. Growing economic opportunity with racial equity in the center of the frame, and importantly, centered around ownership. Ownership of homes, ownership of businesses, and ownership of neighborhoods.

And this year, we've built upon our existing support to organizations helping advance that mission.

Last month, we joined the City's Department of Economic Inclusion and the Urban League to announce a new partnership: the Women of Color Access to Capital Bootcamp. This program is a direct investment in expanding opportunities for historically underrepresented communities.

The health of our local economy, the health of our neighborhoods and the vibrancy of Cincinnati all depend on having equitable pathways for women-and-minority-led businesses to thrive. It is paramount to our shared prosperity that women of color are in leadership, that women of color have ownership, and that they have access to the resources to grow. The Urban League has once again stepped up, and I also want to thank the City's DEI Director Laura Castillo, Vice Mayor Kearney and every City staffer who helped operationalize this program.

Thanks to your work, we have a new pipeline to help train the diverse small businesses that our City will need. And these investments in breaking down barriers, in building pipelines, are some of the most powerful tools we have as a City. We have seen the momentum built from the Black Developers Conference championed by former Councilmember Harris in partnership with the Port, Cincinnati Development Fund, and the Realtists. We have seen the opportunity created by the Urban League's Building Futures program, a program championed by President Pro Temp Victoria Parks that expands access to apprenticeship readiness training for good, union jobs. And we have seen the quick results of DCED's Commercial Tenant Improvement program, supporting small businesses like Avondale's Sweets & Meats in securing the brick and mortar space they need in order to grow.

And beyond this, we are investing directly into the residents of Cincinnati to expand equity.

Last year, our Administration, Council and partners came together to produce Cincinnati's Financial Freedom Blueprint. This was a yearlong undertaking to pinpoint the greatest financial barriers our residents are facing. The systemic disadvantages that are holding our friends and neighbors back, especially in Black and brown communities. You can't solve a problem without taking the time to deeply understand its causes, and the Financial Freedom Blueprint now represents a clear, far-reaching roadmap for equitable financial empowerment.

And this year, because of the thoughtful work of our Administration, the buy-in from our partners, and a commitment from City Council to putting our money where our mouth is, we have seen that roadmap come to life.

RELATED: Cincinnati plans to forgive $134M in residents' medical debt

That starts with our 1.5 million dollar investment to abolish medical debt for tens of thousands of Cincinnatians.

When someone is burdened by this kind of debt, it doesn't just make them less likely to get the healthcare they need – the screenings, the checkups, the medicine – but it makes any kind of financial empowerment that much harder to fathom.

We took action on that. Our Medical Debt Relief program began in September, and in the first two months, we have already abolished 47 million dollars in medical debt for over 52,000 Cincinnatians.

We're talking about real lives here, tangibly changed.

We heard from a senior citizen in Winton Hills with a 20-year work history at a local hospital. She described herself as a 'pillar of health' until she started not feeling well, couldn't shake the illness, and went to get a checkup. She was diagnosed with cancer. She was working and was over the income threshold for Medicaid. She had employer-based insurance, but like for so many, that coverage still left her with medical bills that she couldn't catch up on. When you have to choose between paying your rent or paying your medical bills, you don't really have a choice – you're going to do what it takes to keep a roof over your head.

And while she's been cancer free for a while now, that debt never went away – until the City's program. I want to thank everyone who helped make this kind of story possible: in particular Judge-Elect Tallent, Deanna White, our Cincinnati Health Department team, our first partners Undue Medical Debt and UC Health, and former Councilmember Harris and Vice Mayor Kearney for championing the funding every step of the way.

The ultimate goal of our Financial Freedom Blueprint policies has been to fit together in support of one overarching goal: to help equip every resident, no matter what they look like or what barriers they face, in building the life they want to achieve.

Since the day we took office, housing stability has been central to that goal. Making sure Cincinnatians throughout our neighborhoods have access to quality, affordable homes, and making sure they can stay in their homes.

In 2023, the City awarded our first Impact Award, a reform to our Human Services Funding led by Councilmember Meeka Owens and administered by United Way. 2 million dollars toward one major project aimed at preventing evictions. This year, the Housing Stability Collaborative has been at work building a comprehensive network to identify and support households in the early stages of a housing crisis – led by a team of community partners including Strategies to End Homelessness, 84.51, Bethany House, Flywheel, Found House, Legal Aid, Lighthouse Youth and Family Services, St. Vincent DePaul, and YWCA.

It is a sad and undeniable fact that far too many families in Cincinnati are housing insecure. At risk of facing an eviction, at risk of losing the home and safe living conditions they depend on. This has been at the forefront of so much of our work in City Hall, and it's been at the center of the work that these partners do every day.

Through the Housing Stability Collaborative, our partners are leveraging data to identify households at risk of an eviction – and intervene, connect them to the services they need, before they get underwater. This kind of prevention-focused approach is a crucial part of a successful strategy, and I want to thank our partners, our Administration, and Councilmember Owens for their work to build new, innovative programs.

I'm extremely proud of our collective work to keep folks in their homes. As part of our Financial Freedom Blueprint, we launched the Access to Counsel program in partnership with Legal Aid, United Way and the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Help Center. In addition to being a key measure in the Financial Freedom work, Access to Counsel has been central to Councilmember Owens' advocacy for tenants' rights.

RELATED: A new city program is preventing evictions with free legal representation

It's unacceptably common for tenants to have to navigate the system on their own, while landlords have the resources and lawyers to pursue an eviction. By extending emergency rental assistance, by providing a lawyer to help guide tenants through the court process, we can not only keep more families in housing, but we can limit the traumatic impact of folks experiencing one more system they feel is stacked against them.

From January to September of this year, our partners have offered rental assistance and free legal representation to 542 households. Over 700 children whose family got the support they needed at one of the most vulnerable moments in their lives. And over 80 percent of these families were led by Black women.

And because of the success, we've gone even further. Starting this September, for the first time ever and with the support of our City funding, tenants facing evictions can get same-day legal representation from an attorney. In its first month, 83% of represented tenants had their evictions dismissed.

These are tenants approaching lawyers outside of eviction court on the day of their hearing. It might be the scariest day of their lives, but our partners are there, and we are already seeing the impact that can make.

Our efforts to provide direct housing relief in response to challenges extends to homeowners as well. We all saw, and some of our neighbors felt deeply, the sudden burden that property tax increases had on many households. In partnership with the County Treasurer's office, DCED, under Director Markiea Carter's leadership, we quickly built the HomeSafe program, to provide some relief to low and moderate income homeowners with delinquent taxes. HomeSafe has over half a million dollars in relief sent or pending for local residents in need, and it was made possible because of our Administration's effective policy-building and our Council's readiness to fund our priorities. Thank you to Vice Mayor Kearney for championing this fund, as well as Councilmember Jeffreys for your continued work to pursue structural improvements through the Property Tax Working Group.

RELATED: Applications open for Cincinnati's property tax aid program

Our Financial Freedom Blueprint, and the mission it represents, is a living, breathing document. We will not stop building on it. As we speak, we have been in talks, led by Councilmember Anna Albi, to identify potential partners for a pilot addressing food insecurity for children and seniors with limited access. We have no intention of taking our foot off the gas.

When we came into office, we promised Cincinnati that we wouldn't waste the opportunity. That we would do everything in our power to combat the inequities in our communities, we would lay the groundwork for a thriving economic future, and we would earn the trust of our constituents that we are fighting for their values. I'm extremely proud of how far we've come.

Our Council, our Administration, employees across departments have been ready and eager to aim bigger. To work with communities on real, long-lasting, systemic change. I don't think there was much optimism a decade ago that comprehensive zoning reform was a thing Cincinnati could get done. But after multiple years of openminded hard work, of Planning staffers in Rec Centers on weeknights, of intentional conversations about what residents want from their neighborhoods, this Summer we passed an overhaul of a century-old zoning code.

RELATED: City Council approves sweeping zoning reform

We have to be willing as local leaders to ask the hard questions, to have the hard conversations. And I believe that's what we've sought to do, every step of the way.

When I tasked Jon Moeller and the Futures Commission to embark on a yearlong review of our future revenues, expenses, and economic development strategies, I asked that they leave nothing off the table. And this Spring, after more than a year of extensive engagement and analysis, they returned a comprehensive report to inform the difficult decisions in front of us. They have provided an important and ambitious blueprint for Cincinnati to not just survive, but thrive.

RELATED: Cincinnati's budget is in trouble. A commission recommends income tax increase, trash fee and more

But the central message of the report is one that we collectively share: equitable growth is the key to moving Cincinnati forward. If we want to achieve our long-term goals – including public safety, expanded housing options, improved jobs and wage equity, and financial strength – we have to make bold decisions in the short-term.

Next year and in the years to come, it's our responsibility to follow through on that. And I know from history that our Council is ready to take it on, and City Manager Sheryl Long's Administration has the expertise, the passion and the work ethic to support thoughtful and impactful policy decisions.

Underlying all of this is the fact that our employees are and will always be our greatest asset. Our City Government is a group of 6,000 dedicated workers, and they are the backbone of everything we want to accomplish. They are inspectors making sure everyone is living in a safe, quality home. They are the firefighters, traffic workers, and police officers who kept folks safe during our largest events. They are the faces that represent our City every day while working to provide the services residents depend on.

Everything I do, everything our Council does, and I know everything City Manager Long does, depends upon the folks who make our City run. And our commitment to them will always be central in the decisions we make.

I know that there is a lot of uncertainty around our nation right now. There are folks who are scared, who are angry, who are rightly worried about what changes the future will bring. But what I hope to remind you, and I've been working to remind myself, is that in Cincinnati, we have never had the luxury – we have never wanted the luxury – of taking our hands off the reigns.

No matter what is happening in the world, folks here at home have clear and important expectations for our city. They elected their local leaders with a mandate to grow the City, to keep us safe, and to expand equity.

And we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I'll tell you how we don't fix our challenges. We don't waive our hands and wait for a more opportune time. The time we have is right now.

We talked about this in council last week, but it's something that becomes clearer in my head with each passing day. There has never been a more important moment for all of us to be good at our job. Because our residents, our children and grandchildren, are all counting on us to not get distracted from why we are here.

In Cincinnati, we are going to keep moving forward. We are going to build on our incredible successes, our incredible opportunity, and live up to what I know we can achieve.

We are going to believe we're capable of things that a generation ago wouldn't have been given a second thought. We refuse to waste the chance we have, right now, to keep pushing for better, and brighter, and more.

And we're going to succeed, because as long as we don't lose sight of our north star, there is nothing that can stop us.

Thank you.