Why Cincinnati City Council voted to sell the Cincinnati Southern Railway

Sharon Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer
·3 min read
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Cincinnati City Council voted Wednesday to ask voters in November to sell the city-owned Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern Corp. for $1.6 billion. The sale would replace a decades-long deal in which Northfolk Southern leases the railway.
Cincinnati City Council voted Wednesday to ask voters in November to sell the city-owned Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern Corp. for $1.6 billion. The sale would replace a decades-long deal in which Northfolk Southern leases the railway.

Cincinnati City Council voted Wednesday 8-1 to let voters decide in November if the city-owned Cincinnati Southern Railway should be sold for $1.6 billion.

The lone no vote came from Councilman Scotty Johnson, a former police officer. He said he could not support the sale without a promise that the communities most in need would see the most benefit. Johnson recently made a public apology to former residents of the lower West End. The neighborhood was previously known as the Kenyon-Barr district, which was once home to about 10,000 Black families. It was razed to make room for Interstate 75 and a business district in Queensgate.

Cincinnati City Councilmember Scotty Johnson speaks during a news conference in June where he apologized with other city leaders for the displacement that occurred in the lower West End in the 1950s when the neighborhood was razed to make way for Interstate 75.
Cincinnati City Councilmember Scotty Johnson speaks during a news conference in June where he apologized with other city leaders for the displacement that occurred in the lower West End in the 1950s when the neighborhood was razed to make way for Interstate 75.

"There is no way I can disagree with what this will do for infrastructure," Johnson said. "It is much needed. But when I hear terms like 'once in a lifetime,' 'generational' ... and 'the future of Cincinnati,' I just really wish there was a trust of future administrations, future mayors and future councils. I don’t want to turn around in 10 or 15 years and see certain communities in the same condition they are in now."

If voters approve the sale to Norfolk Southern Corp., a trust will be created with the money. The independent board that oversees the railway would control the trust, allocating money every year to be used on infrastructure projects such as road repairs and park maintenance. Interest from the trust fund is expected to be at least double the $25 million a year the city currently gets from leasing the railroad to Norfolk Southern.

The plan was first announced last November, but voters have the final say.

Here's what the mayor and the five other council members who commented on the vote said:

Mayor Aftab Pureval

"The sad reality is this council and I walked in on Jan. 1, 2022, to a fiscal crisis that had been looming for a very long time, catalyzed by the pandemic in a very real way. That is an existential threat to the city providing basic services to our citizens. It is unsustainable and it has to change. This money would be transformative … for future generations. This is the most important vote you will make as a council member This is the most important vote the community will make."

Councilmember Reggie Harris, D: "I concur."

Councilmember Meeka Owens, D: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Owens added the city must rethink how it does things, including focusing on green solutions that are more sustainable.

Councilmember Liz Keating, R: "I think it is incredibly important we diversify our investments. It is critical to the city going forward."

Councilmember Mark Jeffreys, D: "At the end of the day, this is a financial asset. We are not operating a railroad." Jeffreys said he is confident that estimated returns of 5.5% are realistic and in the safeguards requiring the money to be spent on current infrastructure needs.

Councilmember Jeff Cramerding, D: "I'm excited to go out and advocate for this important ballot initiative. We do need to keep reminding people this is not a quick fix to our problems."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why Cincinnati City Council members want to sell the city-owned railroad