Hamilton County Commissioners 2/26

The Hamilton County Commissioners held their legislative meeting on February 26, 2026, which included several procurement and budget-related discussions. Key procurement actions included the approval of a bid award for the 2026 road resurfacing program covering multiple townships with an estimated cost just over $5 million. The Board also approved resolutions appropriating property for public use to facilitate road improvement projects funded partially by ODOT grants. A significant agenda item was the authorization of a financing strategy for a new headquarters hotel adjacent to the convention center, involving the exemption and redirection of transient occupancy tax revenues to support revenue bonds for the project. The hotel development emphasized inclusion goals with MBE, WBE, and union participation targets. Additionally, the Board discussed the 2026 large event tourism grant program, allocating $1 million to major events like Blink and the Cincinnati Music Festival based on their substantial economic impact, while noting the competitive nature of the grant requests totaling $4.8 million. Other procurement-related items included vehicle purchases for county departments and grant agreements for public safety programs. The meeting also featured public comments supporting tourism events and discussions on policy and economic development initiatives.