PX: Is political fight brewing over proposed FC Cincinnati practice complex?

Jason Williams | Cincinnati Enquirer

Politics Extra is a weekly column looking inside Greater Cincinnati and Ohio politics (Scroll to the bottom to read "Micro-scoops & more")

A political battle is brewing in Clermont County over a proposed tax increase designed to lure Futbol Club Cincinnati's practice complex.

Some fiscal conservatives are raising a fuss over being kept in the dark about a plan to increase the county's hotel tax an additional 1 percent to build and maintain sports and recreation facilities, according to emails and interviews.

It's currently a line item in the state budget proposal, pushed by Republican Rep. Doug Green, whose district covers part of Clermont County. The budget passed the House and is now in the Senate.

"This was done completely under the cover of night," state Rep. John Becker, whose district covers northeast Clermont County, told Politics Extra. "This is the kind of stuff the public hates – secret, backroom deals where no one knows who’s profiting off of it."

MORE: PX: Where will $100M for soccer stadium come from?

To be clear, the ire isn't aimed at FC Cincinnati, and Becker and others do not seem upset about the possibility of the soccer club setting up its headquarters near Batavia. Team President Jeff Berding has said the club plans to build a $25 million practice facility somewhere in the suburbs, and team officials are talking to government leaders in multiple Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky counties.

The idea is FC Cincinnati would use private money to build the complex, and tax dollars could be used for land purchase, roads and parking lots to help spark development around the facility. A hotel and restaurants could make the facility attractive for events such as concerts and youth soccer tournaments.

Becker didn't vote for the budget. He's considered an outsider among Republicans in Columbus, so it's no surprise those back home in Clermont County pushing for the tax hike asked Green to carry the legislation.

Green referred PX's questions to the county's convention and visitors bureau. Clermont County Commissioner David Uible has worked for months on the plan to lure Cincinnati's burgeoning soccer franchise, which separately is looking to build a new $200 million stadium in or near Cincinnati's urban core. He said the CVB has entered a confidentiality agreement with two sports-related entities, according to an email obtained by PX.

In an interview on Friday, Uible declined to say who those sports-related entities are. But the Republican commish did say he and CVB officials helped receive buy-in from nine of the 11 hotels in Clermont County on the idea of the tax increase. The county currently levies a 3 percent lodging tax, and Uible said the additional 1 percent would generate around $220,000 more a year that the county could use toward buying property for a sports facility.

The hotel tax is paid for mostly by visitors from outside the county, Uible said, and the additional money is specifically for capital projects.

But some outspoken fiscal conservatives were hammering Uible on email last week claiming he was trying to be secretive.

"This is not kept from anyone intentionally," Uible wrote on June 9, "however we were trying to keep it quiet due to competition from all the surrounding counties and NKY."

Politics appear to be underneath all this (shocker, eh?). It seems to be a small group of Becker supporters who are raising a stink. Why? Well, perhaps it's because Becker and Green plan to run against each other for state Senate in 2020, when Miami Township Republican Joe Uecker is term-limited out of the seat.

MICRO-SCOOPS & MORE

• Cincinnati’s Charter Committee and attorney Don Mooney this week filed a complaint with the Ohio Elections Commission against Mayor John Cranley. The complaint centers on the Cranley campaign failing to disclose the individual owners of about 280 limited liability companies that donated more than $270,000 ahead of the May primary. Cranley’s campaign manager Jay Kincaid said the campaign addressed the issue and filed an amended report on Thursday. It’s a mistake, and PX commends Mooney – a vocal Cranley critic – for holding the mayor accountable. But it’s hardly a “scandal,” as one Cranley detractor called it in an email to PX. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the elections commission soon dismisses the complaint, considering the Cranley campaign quickly amended its reports.

• Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus is in the midst of visiting all 49 of the jurisdictions inside the county to meet with residents and leaders. The goal is to develop better relationships between county government and the jurisdictions, and Driehaus is handing out a "menu of opportunities" with the list of services the county offers and information for who to contact. “I’ve been mayor of Cheviot for 14 years, and this was the first time I had communication with the county that I didn’t personally initiate," Sam Keller said. So far, Driehaus has visited 26 jurisdictions.

• State Rep. Alicia Reece attended the annual Congressional Baseball Game on Thursday night while in Washington to meet with top Democratic officials about a possible run against Congressman Steve Chabot in 2018. Reece met with Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez on Friday, a follow-up to their meeting in Cincinnati last week when they talked about how the party can help African-American women candidates.

• Former Congresswoman Jean Schmidt is listed among the history and political science faculty at Chatfield College, a small, two-year Catholic school that has campuses in Over-the-Rhine and Brown County. Neither Schmidt nor a college spokeswoman returned messages seeking more details.

• Make that three Greater Cincinnati Democrats who have launched campaigns in the 2nd Congressional District. Mount Adams resident Mickey Edwards was inadvertently omitted from last week’s PX about Jerry Springer considering a run against three-term GOP Congressman Brad Wenstrup. Edwards is working on his doctorate in planning at the University of Cincinnati. He is a former television cameraman; researcher for Procter & Gamble; and aide to Democratic U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana. This is Edwards’ first political campaign, and he’s a long shot to win. He had raised $719.26 through the first three months of this year, according to campaign finance reports.

• Cincinnati's Josh Burton has been elected new chair of the Ohio Young Republicans. The 28-year-old Fairfield native works in public affairs for state Treasurer Josh Mandel. Burton, a University of Cincinnati alum, has aspirations of running for office someday, and chairing the Ohio Young Republicans certainly will help him in that pursuit.

• Congratulations are in order for Cincinnati City Council candidate Henry Frondorf and his wife, Jackie, who welcomed their fourth child, Lucy, on June 8. Frondorf, a Westwood resident, is a first-time candidate who has been endorsed by Charter. Congrats also go out to former Hamilton County treasurer candidate Seth Walsh, who married fellow Xavier alum Erin Hinson last weekend. Walsh, who lives in College Hill, is considering a run for county commissioner in 2018.

• PX is taking a few weeks off and will return July 7. Wishing you an early happy Independence Day. Thanks for reading.

Follow Enquirer political reporter Jason Williams on Twitter @jwilliamscincy. Send tips, questions and comments to jwilliams@enquirer.com.