Episodios

  • Cincinnati's Fleet Audit - City's Fiscal Crisis: Neglected Audits and Aging Fleet Challenge Priorities

    Cincinnati's Fleet Audit - City's Fiscal Crisis: Neglected Audits and Aging Fleet Challenge Priorities
    May 20 2025
    City leaders are failing their responsibilities, leaving essential services vulnerable and residents unprotected. With nearly half of the city's fleet, 685 vehicles, way past their prime, one might wonder if flashy goals like carbon neutrality are distracting from urgent needs. In this episode, we dissect the city's mounting $1.3 billion fiscal headache, including pension liabilities and neglected infrastructure, exacerbated by an ignored internal audit. The stark $82.7 million needed to replace these outdated vehicles demands attention to prevent another fiasco like Winter Storm Blair.

    Todd tackles the perplexing choices of city council members, who seem to prioritize long-term visions over immediate necessities. While the ambition for a greener future is commendable, the current cracks in fleet management can't be overlooked, especially with the looming threat of regionalizing the waterworks. Listen as we scrutinize the city council's fiscal decisions, the passivity of the mayor, and the seeming inaction of the city manager despite the audit's alarming revelations. Critical questions are raised about where the city's priorities truly lie and the lack of effective oversight in addressing these urgent challenges.
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    17 m
  • Unpacking Cincinnati’s Funding Oversight: Transparency, Accountability, and Reform

    Unpacking Cincinnati’s Funding Oversight: Transparency, Accountability, and Reform
    May 13 2025
    This week on “Citizen Watchdog with Todd Zinser,” is a discussion of Cincinnati’s 200 non-profit and other external grantees. Our examination is just beginning, but we have already found 2 potential conflicts of interest and over a million dollars paid to a private venture capitalist over the past several years.
    It is not common for a city to pay public funds to a venture capitalist.

    One important development is a recent report from the city’s Internal Audit Manager issued on April 27, 2025. She audited a “Leveraged Support” partner that has been receiving $250,000 a year from the city for many years. The report includes serious findings, especially for an organization that has received more than a million dollars from the city over the last several years.

    1. Contract management review and oversight need improvement.
    Among the findings is missing documentation for $14,000 spent during the two years audited.
    2. Payroll journals contain insufficient information to determine whether contractual terms are upheld.
    This is a major finding. This means that the non-profit is not able to support its reimbursement claims for the time its employees spent working on city-related matters
    3. A 3rd party is unable to verify the terms of the contract.
    This is a major finding: This essentially means that the non-profit is “un-auditable.”
    4. The contract language should be updated.
    This suggests that the terms of the funding contract between the city and the non-profit has simply been copied from one year to the next without being updated.
    Remember that this is only 1 audit of more than 200 non-profits and other external organizations that have been receiving city funding for many years.

    https://youtu.be/QiBELQv7UHE
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    16 m
  • Cincinnati's Green Ambitions Part 2 - Financial Dilemmas in the Pursuit of a Green Agenda

    Cincinnati's Green Ambitions Part 2 - Financial Dilemmas in the Pursuit of a Green Agenda
    May 6 2025
    Can Cincinnati truly afford to go green in the face of monumental fiscal challenges? We're putting the Green Cincinnati Plan under the microscope, scrutinizing its ambitious pursuit of carbon neutrality amid a staggering $824 million pension liability and $400 million in deferred maintenance. With public service vehicles, like fire trucks, in dire need of updates, we question whether the plan's focus on equity and carbon neutrality truly serves the city's most vulnerable populations—or merely adds to their burden. Join us as we dissect the financial intricacies and weigh them against the potential environmental gains, all while pondering the impact of federal climate policies like Justice 40 on local initiatives.

    Our conversation takes a turn to ethics and transparency within city governance, where we face the tangled web of relationships between city officials and nonprofits. With a lens on a nonprofit board that the mayor once served, alongside city funding, we raise critical questions about ethical boundaries and transparency. The temporary prohibition list, birthed from the 2021 corruption scandal, comes under fire as we debate its actual impact in preventing conflicts of interest. We challenge whether these measures are enough to restore public trust and ensure that city officials remain accountable. Tune in for a candid discussion on the balance of ethical governance and civic duty.
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    20 m
  • Cincinnati's Green Ambitions: Sustainability Challenges and Budget Mysteries

    Cincinnati's Green Ambitions: Sustainability Challenges and Budget Mysteries
    Apr 23 2025
    Unlock the secrets of Cincinnati's ambitious journey towards sustainability with our latest episode on the Green Cincinnati Plan. Explore the intricate evolution of this environmental roadmap, beginning with the pioneering Climate Protection Plan of 2008, courtesy of Mark Mallory, and how it has morphed through the years into a complex, far-reaching strategy for 2023. From the target of 100% renewable energy for city operations by 2035 to encouraging a shift towards plant-based diets, we dissect the bold visions and the challenges of maintaining consistency and accountability. Join us as we spotlight Mayor Aftab Perval's unique focus on equity and climate, and the transformative goals driving the city's environmental ambitions.

    Yet, the journey isn’t without its mysteries. We unravel the enigma of the missing $5 million originally meant for green initiatives, now puzzlingly rerouted to the city's fleet needs, with no clear explanation in sight. Despite poring over Cincinnati's epic 186-page Green Plan, we find it conspicuously empty of cost indicators, raising questions about the financial transparency of these initiatives. For those eager to understand the broader implications and priorities of the city's environmental strategies, we recommend a visit to their website for a more digestible perspective. This episode is just the beginning, with more revelations and discussions promised in upcoming installments.
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    17 m
  • Cincinnati's Missing Audit

    Cincinnati's Missing Audit
    Apr 1 2025
    City corruption exposed: the forensic audit Cincinnati didn't want you to see. Our latest episode brings you inside the tangled web of local governance, examining the unfinished forensic audit that was meant to shed light on murky economic development projects between 2018 and 2020. We unravel the story behind the critical draft report by audit firm Crowe, which the city dismissed as unsatisfactory, likely due to its damning insights into current practices. The episode questions the city's transparency and accountability, with a spotlight on the secretive use of emergency ordinances and discretionary funds, drawing connections to historic corruption scandals in Washington D.C. and Columbus.

    Exploring the realm of forensic audits, we highlight their necessity in providing a thorough investigation that goes beyond balancing the books to ensure no stone is left unturned. Our discussion underscores the importance of completing such audits to uncover unresolved issues and the need to hold city officials accountable for leaving this particular forensic investigation unfinished. With captivating insights into the Economic Development Reform Panel's recommendations and the continuing influence of lobbyists and developers in Cincinnati, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the mechanics of city governance and the public's quest for transparency.
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    15 m
  • Secrecy in Cincinnati Government

    Secrecy in Cincinnati Government
    Mar 25 2025
    Greater Cincinnati is shrouded in political secrecy, but the truth can no longer stay hidden. This episode exposes the clandestine forces at play in the heart of local governance, where sales tax dollars intended for public landmarks are ominously repurposed by shadowy 501c4 groups. With insights from Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus, we peel back the layers of obfuscation surrounding a controversial new arena proposal. The discussion doesn't stop there; we draw parallels to Norfolk Southern's murky railway sell-off and scrutinize Mayor Aftab's entanglements in this political quagmire. The stakes are high as we highlight the influence of undisclosed donors and question the ethical fortitude of decision-makers in the region.

    Accountability in city politics is not just a necessity—it's an urgent call to action. We spotlight the glaring lack of oversight from key city institutions as mega-million-dollar projects proceed without transparency. With upcoming elections on the horizon, the demand for reform is more pressing than ever. The conversation challenges the status quo, urging a re-evaluation of how political funds are handled and advocating for public scrutiny at every level of governance. We consider reaching out to the city's ethics officer to shed light on these covert initiatives, stressing that the citizens of Greater Cincinnati deserve nothing less than honest and transparent leadership.
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    13 m
  • Cincinnati's Struggle Against Public Misconduct

    Cincinnati's Struggle Against Public Misconduct
    Mar 21 2025
    Creating a more transparent and accountable city governance as we uncover the findings from our recent review of the city's Ethics Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline. Expect to learn about the critical privacy issues and transparency concerns that have emerged since the hotline's oversight shifted to the solicitor's office in 2022. With 176 complaints filed over the past three years, the hotline's potential to effectively tackle fraud and abuse remains significantly stunted due to a lack of a structured process. Drawing on my expertise with the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, I offer insights into the importance of a trustworthy tip line for employees and highlight some eye-opening complaints, including political contributions and donor disclosures.


    We raise critical questions about the vulnerability of Cincinnati's public funding landscape. Despite the existence of a fraud hotline, skepticism remains about its effectiveness in preventing similar corruption. Join us as we explore the need for decisive action by the city solicitor's office and the hope for a more vigilant city council to champion fraud awareness and prevention in the future.
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    15 m
  • Should Cincinnati be pounding the table about DEI?

    Should Cincinnati be pounding the table about DEI?
    Mar 18 2025
    This episode sheds light on the city's own DEI efforts, highlighting the strides and struggles of the Department of Economic Inclusion in supporting minority and women-owned businesses. Despite the city's dedication, a 2023 Disparity Study Report has pointed out significant gaps, prompting a deeper examination of the city's financial commitments and grants to foster equity and inclusion within the community.
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    14 m
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