CINCINNATI — Sheryl Long is "the right person to lead the City of Cincinnati as City Manager," according to a performance review done by city council.
Council members used 10 categories to review Long — five reflecting the city's budget priorities (i.e., fiscal stability and public safety) and five reflecting council priorities (i.e., management and communication skills). In each category, council listed successes, challenges and opportunities.
Specific challenges noted in 2025 include snow removal issues during Cincinnati's winter storm last January and a "tough public safety environment" during the summer. In both cases, council wrote that Long course-corrected or turned things around when needed.
After the winter storm, Long hired a new director of the Cincinnati Department of Public Services who, in turn, changed the city's approach. One of the major improvements added in the past year was the city's upgraded snowplow tracker system, which went live this past winter.
When it came to public safety issues, council noted the launch of Achieving Change Together (ACT) for Cincy, an initiative to prevent gun violence through both city and community programs, as one step Long has taken to address shootings.
Council also noted the expansion of CPD's PIVOT team and continued investment in police and fire recruit classes.
The review does not mention Teresa Theetge, the Cincinnati police now still on leave "pending an internal investigation into the effectiveness of her leadership." However, council did write in its review that Long is "rightfully improving upon" HR processes for personnel challenges, and noted that during any crisis, the city manager should face the media to "answer whatever questions she is able to and provide reassurance as the leader of the city."
According to the review, Long is working on a crisis communications plan that would ensure residents are aware of what the city is doing in a crisis, including where there are any legal issues. That framework also includes keeping council up-to-date on any issues.
While each category listed different successes and challenges, council said in its review that Long has "provided continuity in city government over the past few years with significant progress across departments."
Looking into the future, council wrote that Long's biggest priorities should be tackling public safety, economic development and government efficiencies. Specifically, the review notes that "given headwinds of deficits in the next few years," budget presentations will need to include details on how the city can reach its goals "even in the face of reductions."
The review says that Long requested not to raise her salary due to the aforementioned budget cuts.
You can read the entire review below:
Sheryl Long Performance Review by webeditors
