A proposed Cincinnati ordinance that could fine bars and restaurants up to $10,000 for repeated nuisance incidents is on hold for up to four months after fierce pushback from business owners. The ordinance would apply citywide, including to bars and restaurants along the Beechmont Avenue corridor in Anderson Township.

The city's Public Safety and Quality of Life Committee shelved the measure on Tuesday, Oct. 6, and adopted a motion from Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney directing the city administration to study concerns about the proposal before any vote. A report is expected by approximately February 2027, according to city council records.

The ordinance would expand Cincinnati's existing nuisance law, which currently covers only single-family homes, to bars, restaurants and multi-family properties citywide. Under the proposal, the city could flag a property after repeated nuisance activity and give the owner 10 days to submit a plan to fix the problems.

Fines would range from $500 to $10,000 based on how many times the city billed a property for enforcement within two years.

City Manager Sheryl M. M. Long submitted the proposal on Aug. 3. City Council initially supported it but pulled back after hearing from Black business owners who said they feared being targeted and shut down, WVXU reported.

Among the opponents is former Cincinnati Bengals defensive back De'Andre "Dre" Kirkpatrick, who retired in 2022 and opened Memories Lounge downtown. Kirkpatrick told WKRC on Oct. 5 that the ordinance is being used, and can be used, as a tool against Black-owned businesses.

Bar owners also argued the plan could discourage them from calling police for fear of being penalized. They raised concerns they could be held responsible for incidents occurring away from their property or involving people who were not customers, WKRC reported.

Kearney said the ordinance's language is vague on when an owner would be responsible for activity outside their establishment. She also questioned whether enforcement could disproportionately affect certain businesses.

"We have some bar owners, some African American bar owners who feel that they're being targeted. We've had bars owned by white owners who've said they feel that they're being targeted because their clientele is Black," Kearney told FOX 19 on Oct. 6. "And so let's see, are there disparities?"

Councilmember Seth Walsh, who co-sponsored the ordinance, told WKRC he supported the delay. Walsh said a revised version is under review by the city law department. The push for new rules followed several high-profile incidents, including shootings outside the Over-the-Rhine bar Privee that left seven people wounded in two incidents in November 2025.

Mayor Aftab Pureval said Sept. 22 he supports the ordinance but wants to ensure it is applied fairly and has no "unintended consequences," according to WVXU.

The city administration declined to comment on the proposal because it is on hold, WKRC reported. The committee has not set a date for the ordinance to return.