Sharon Coolidge

scoolidge@enquirer.com

Cincinnati City Manager Harry Black has agreed to meet with Mahogany's owner Liz Rogers, but that decision didn't come until after a two hour council meeting where Rogers and her supporters sounded off at what they believe is unfair treatment.

"You are my partners," Rogers told council. "I expect you to do the right thing. I am a fighter. You will not break me. You won't."

The comments come 11 days after Rogers was forced to shutter her restaurant at The Banks, Cincinnati's riverfront development. She has said the city played a role in her troubles because The Banks are not what was promised -- a live, work, play development.

Councilman Wendell Young introduced a motion Monday at Council's Budget Committee meeting that would compel Black to meet with Rogers, but couldn't muster enough votes to force the city manager to talk to Rogers. That meant the issue was held for a future meeting.

Black stepped in.

In a memo to City Council Monday evening, Black wrote: "Due to threatened litigation, I have been intentionally measured in public statements on this subject. To be clear, I intend to meet with Mrs. Rogers, soon, in order to discuss this situation."

He will then report back to council "to seek direction on how to proceed," he wrote.

Rogers was forced to close because she repeatedly fell behind on rent, prompting her landlord, NIC Riverbanks One to issue a vacate order.

Rogers got nearly a million dollars from city taxpayers to open her upscale soul food restaurant at The Banks, $300,000 of it in a taxpayer loan. She remains behind on loan payments.

Rogers took the microphone, touting her success in Hamilton before moving the restaurant to Cincinnati in 2012.

"You invited me," she said. "You have a financial and citizen responsibility to make sure city gets its money back."

She wants to pay back the loan, she said. But, she can't do that unless the city works with her to move locations. She's hoping to buy the furniture she bought with city loan money for $12,000.

Then Rogers turned her ire to Councilman Christopher Smitherman, whom she accused of trying to sabotage her business.

On Sunday, Roger's attorney, Robert Croskery, filed an ethics complaint against Smitherman. He accused Smitherman of an ethics violation for failing to recuse himself from votes concerning the restaurant.

In the complaint dated Sept. 28, Croskery contended Smitherman is angry his brother's company, Jostin Construction Company, was not hired to build-out Mahogany's interior.

"Councilman Smitherman's clear duty... was to recuse himself from decisions regarding Mahogany's from that point forward," Croskery wrote in the complaint. "However, he did not do so. Rather, he voted (against) the loan to Liz Rogers. He subsequently has spoken out against the loan on numerous occasions."

Jostin Construction owner Albert Smitherman in a statement said it was a a friend of Rogers who sought Jostin out, but he determined it was not a project he wanted to take on.

He never discussed Jostin's business or potential clients with his brother, Albert Smitherman said.

"The entire premise of the accusations against Jostin and Council member Smitherman is false and unfounded," the statement said.

Councilman Wendell Young spoke passionately about treating Rogers with respect.

"At the end of the day what she wanted was to sit down with her former partners and adjust this so we can all be happy," Young said.

Councilman Charlie Winburn added the city was partly to blame and that Rogers should be given the curtesy of of a meeting.

"I think this council has added to this problem," Winburn said. "I don't think prevous city manager helped…I am happy to have somebody Black on the banks, but we didn't look at the cost. All of us have to be responsible for what has happened."