by Chuck Hoven

     (Plain Press December 2024) Cleveland voters showed their support for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District with two out of every three voters giving their approval of the Issue 49 Bond Issue and Levy at the November 5^th General Elections. Of the total 123,820 votes cast, 69,840 were for the Bond Issue and Levy and 34,429 were against the Bond Issue and Levy.

     In their promotional materials in the campaign for the Bond Issue and Levy the campaign led by Citizens for Our Children’s Future noted the improvement in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s test scores on the Ohio Report Card where they outperformed both Columbus and Cincinnati public school system.

     CMSD’s campaign mailing to Cleveland voters said passage of the levy would help the School District to “Keep improving schools in every neighborhood; Prepare students for good jobs, careers and college; Keep our students safe; Provide much needed mental health services; stop millions in harmful cuts; and keep raising the graduation rate and building skills students need.”

     The promotional materials also talked about the cost of the levy and bond issue. It noted the bond issue, a renewal would not increase the taxes currently paid by homeowners. It also noted that over half of the revenue raised by the levy would be paid by businesses. Also, the campaign literature pointed out that the levy, proposed prior to the recent property reevaluations would be based on the old property values, not the new ones from the new assessment. The mailing to residents said passage of the levy would mean a mid-value home in Cleveland would pay an additional $3.73 per week in property tax.

     In Cleveland City Council Wards that have voting precincts within the Plain Press service area, the support of the levy varied.

     In Ward 3, which includes the Ohio City, most of the Downtown and Tremont neighborhoods and part of the Stockyard neighborhood, 6,961 voters voted for Issue 49 and 2,326 voted against it. About 45% of registered voters voted on the issue with 9,287 weighing in out of 20,444 registered voters.

     In Ward 11, which includes parts Edgewater, Cudell, West Boulevard, Jefferson and Bellaire-Puritas neighborhoods, 3,148 voters voted for Issue 49 and 2, 153 voted against the issue. In all, 5,301 of the 12,286 registered voters chose to vote on the issue, or 42.8% of the registered voters in Ward 11.

     In Ward 12, which includes parts of Brooklyn Centre, Old Brooklyn, Tremont, and Slavic Village neighborhoods, 3,077 voters said yes to Issue 49 and 2,443 voted no. Ward 12 has 14,022 registered votes, of which 5,520, or 39.3%, chose to cast a vote on Issue 49.

     In Ward 13, which includes the Old Brooklyn and part of the Stockyard neighborhood, Issue 49 received 3,694 yes votes and 3,622 no votes. 49.2% of voters in Ward 13 voted on the school levy and bond issue, with 7, 316 of the 14,860 registered voters in Ward 13 weighing in on Issue 49.

     In Ward 14, which Clark-Fulton and portions of the Stockyard, Brooklyn Centre, West Boulevard and Tremont neighborhoods, Issue 49 received 2, 165 yes votes and 1,359 no votes. 3,524 of the 12,633 registered voters weighed in on Issue 49, representing 27.8% of those eligible to vote in Ward 14.

     Voters in Ward 15, which includes the Detroit Shoreway, Cudell, Edgewater neighborhoods, as well as parts of the Ohio City and Stockyard neighborhoods, had 45.6% of registered voters weigh in on Issue 49, with 7,257voters out of 15,881 checking yes or no on the issue. In Ward 15 there were 5,170 yes votes and 2,087 no votes.

     In Ward 16, which serves the Bellaire Puritas, and West Park neighborhoods, 53.1% of registered voters weighed in on Issue 49, with 6,655 out of 12,522 registered voters casting a vote on the issue. In Ward 16 there were 3,600 yes votes and 3,055 no votes.