Nick Swartsell / WVXU
Cincinnatians speaking to the Economic Development Reform Panel Friday say it s time for big changes.
The panel was formed in response to three council members indicted on corruption charges last year. The members are accused of accepting money in exchange for positive votes on development projects.
Chanda Monroe-Williams owns a small consulting firm. She says people involved in development understand it s not about what you know, but who you know. So there s a lot of chatter about how these contracts are decided; who you need to get close to; who you make sure you don t cross in the process, she said.
Reform Panel Considers Disclosure Requirements For Developer Campaign Donations wosu.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wosu.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Nick Swartsell / WVXU
A panel tasked with suggesting reforms to the development process in Cincinnati is considering a requirement for public officials to disclose certain campaign donations. The Economic Development Reform Panel heard from Ohio Elections Commission Director Phil Richter at its third meeting Friday.
Richter said campaign donations have been deemed a First Amendment right by the Supreme Court, so he wouldn t recommend banning developers from donating to council or mayoral candidates. And Richter says requiring officials to disclose such donations could have its own unintended consequences. I think what you re trying to accomplish is excellent and worthwhile, but it s also not going to come without some form of expense in terms of having another office open, with the personnel to review all those kind of filings, Richter said.
Head Of Panel Says Council Members Actions Can Be Legal But Not Ethical wvxu.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wvxu.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Citicable / City of Cincinnati
Cincinnati s director of community and economic development says some interaction between council members and her department can be inappropriate. Markiea Carter briefed members of the new Economic Development Reform Panel at its second meeting Friday.
Carter says her team has about 300 active projects at any given time, and something as simple as a council member calling to check on the status of a negotiation can influence the process. How can we ensure that that influence is not undue, or it s not impacting other projects that are just as important, but may not have that voice, Carter said.