A promise to do Wasson Way, but money an issue

On the same day Wasson Way – a long talked about East Side bike path – lost out on a $17 million grant, four members of Cincinnati City Council stood of the steps of City Hall and pledged the project would get done, even if Issue 22 fails next week.

Then council members Chris Seelbach, Yvette Simpson, Charlie Winburn and Wendell Young urged voters to reject the permanent park tax that would raise $5.5 million a year for parks. They say the tax is the wrong way to fund projects and has no guaranteed community input.

Despite support for the project, there is no firm plan about where to get the $30 million needed to fund part of the 7.6-mile recreation trail. Councilwoman Amy Murray, chairwoman of council’s Transportation Committee, is the fifth vote to start the project. But her committee has not identified funding.

Councilman Chris Seelbach suggested the money could come from:

• A limited – maybe two-year – property tax increase. This would take five votes of council.

• Private endowments.

• The recent sale of Blue Ash Airport land, which is expected to bring in $21.8 million.

• Cuts to “corporate welfare.”

• Revisiting the approved $100 million capital plan to fix the city’s roads and fleet.

• Private sponsorships.

The Transportation Committee has been talking about the Wasson Way Trail for years. The city had pinned hopes on a $17 million federal grant and another $20 million from the tax levy.

Seelbach “wants to impose a tax without permission from the voters,” Mayor John Cranley said. “He is essentially saying he would rather they decide than letting voters decide. I think it’s wrong to raise taxes for one neighborhood. I think we should do it for all neighborhoods.”

Additionally, Cranley pointed out that under Seelbach’s plan, there is no guarantee the money would be used for Wasson Way.

“There is no reasonable way to pay for Wasson Way without the parks levy,” Cranley said.

Susan Schaefer, chair of the Wasson Way Project board, said the group is pinning its hopes on the levy.

“We thought we had a great application, but we knew it was going to be a competitive process,” she said. “Right now, we’re focused on trying to get the parks levy passed. Without Issue 22 passing, it’s going to be uncertain when Wasson Way will be built.”​

Seelbach said his plan will include community input.

Simpson called the tax levy a “solution looking for a problem.”

Voters Tuesday are being asked to support a permanent tax levy to support city parks, allowing the Park Board to do 16 park improvement projects that benefit 27 neighborhoods and maintain all city parks, which has deferred maintenance of $55 million. It would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $35 a year.

But Save Our Parks – a broad coalition of groups who say they love the parks, but not the plan – fear the tax levy cuts City Council out of the process and doesn’t guarantee community input. The projects, the group says, can be done with other money.

Wasson Way is a 7.6-mile, mixed-use trail that goes from Victory Parkway near Xavier University and connects to the Little Miami Bike trail.

Enquirer reporter Jason Williams contributed.