Cincinnati City Council voted this week to spend close to a million dollars on the city鈥檚 fleet of vehicles 鈥� but it鈥檚 not yet clear whether that means a new fire truck or new snowplows.
That uncertainty is one reason Council member Anna Albi was one of two opposing votes.
"Do our co-sponsors on this know what this money's for?" Albi asked during the Council meeting Wednesday. "I've heard a lot of talk about the snow process, and I've heard a wonderful request from our firefighters today asking for the pumper and the need for that."
The specifies $994,008 for "fleet needs" for the Department of Public Services, Fire Department, and Police Department. It also includes this statement: "The historic snowfall in January showed the gaps in the city's snow response. While there are multiple areas for improvement, one of the best ways to strengthen our winter readiness is by increasing the size of the city's DPS fleet. This funding will allow the city to purchase new dump trucks [with snowplows] to better prepare for Winter weather."
But Council members supporting the motion had a different message when it came up for a vote.
"Do we know specifically what trucks are going to be purchased? It doesn't matter," Scotty Johnson said. "We have an aging fleet that we need to quit acting like is not there."
Council member Seth Walsh voted against the measure in the Budget and Finance Committee on Monday, saying Council shouldn't put money toward snowplows or a fire truck before those departments finish in-progress reports on what they need. He changed his vote Wednesday, saying since it would pass even without his vote he wanted to show a more unified Council.
"I have also heard a number of different things of how this money is ultimately going to be spent," Walsh added. "That is not for this Council to decide 鈥� that is for the administration to decide."
Council has ultimate authority to make spending decisions, and could direct the administration on which specific vehicles to purchase.
It may come down to the cost. According to , a new pumper fire truck will cost $1 million, more than the $994,000 available. If administration can find the difference elsewhere in the budget, that could be the top priority.
Other options include:
- Two remount medic units (ambulances) for $500,000
- Two single-axle dump trucks (snowplows) for $460,000
- Two tandem-axle dump trucks (snowplows) for $500,000
The measure will come back to City Council in the form of an ordinance, which will specify exactly which vehicle(s) will be purchased. It's not clear when that ordinance will be ready.
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