2011 Funding for CTCC
Where does a community council get money to operate? We are not a “department” of the City of Cincinnati with direct funding. Columbia Tusculum Community Council is a separate State of Ohio nonprofit corporation, run by volunteers.
We get funding in two ways: 1) through community fund-raising projects and 2) by participating in the City’s Neighborhood Support (NSP) and Neighborhood Business District (NDBSF) grant programs.
City Council believes strong neighborhoods make for a strong city and has provided basic funds for Neighborhood Support going to community councils and funds for small projects in Neighborhood Business Districts. Due to City budget deficits, 2011 funds for NSP and NBDSF are reduced to $2,500 and $2,000, respectively. This represents the 2nd major reduction in funding versus 2009 levels of $7,000 each.
Input from any resident or property owner is welcome. All residents and property owners are invited to vote each year on how the money is spent. CTCC membership is not required to vote on NSP/NBDSF proposals.
Proposals for basic 2011 Neighborhood Support Program projects were discussed and approved at the November 2010 CTCC meeting. These were renewals of funding to maintain basic services for the community:
- Beautification: Maintain landscaping and clean-up at community gateway signs, pocket parks, Neighborhood Business District trees and median strips.
- Communications: renew the on-line e-newsletter subscription and pay for website hosting.
Reduced City funding will cause us to pursue greater volunteer efforts, seek other sources of revenue (eg., fund raising event) or reduce our activities. Things like Adopt-A-Block weeding and clean-up efforts would allow us to spend money instead on new beautification work with visual impact.
2011 Neighborhood Business District funds await proposals from the Columbia Tusculum Business Association. See the “Business Association” page for more on this.