• Cleveland City Council weighs proposals to change Cleveland’s tax abatement policy

    PHOTO BY CHUCK HOVEN Monday, May 16, 2022; Cleveland City Council Meeting, Cleveland City Hall, 601 Lakeside Avenue: During the Public Comment period at the Cleveland City Council Meeting, Ward 4 resident David Beach addresses Cleveland City Council on the issue of the reauthorization of the City’s residential tax abatement program.  Speaking of the Justin Bibb…


  • Ohio Fair Lending Coalition and City Council hold Public Forum to address fair lending issues

    by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, June 2022)                            The Ohio Fair Lending Coalition, a collaboration of organizations across the state of Ohio banding together to address fair lending and banking issues, sponsored a forum featuring the newly elected Cleveland City Council members Deborah Gray, Ward 4; Richard Starr, Ward 5; Stephanie Howse, Ward 7; and Kris Harsh, Ward…


  • November 2, 2021: election results

    November 2, 2021: election results Mayoral contest (Plain Press, December 2021) Justin Bibb won the November 2nd mayoral election receiving 36,168 votes or 62.86% of the votes cast. Kevin Kelley received 21,352 votes or 37.14% of the votes cast. The total of 57,520 votes cast in the mayoral contest represents 23.2% of the 247,264 registered voters in…


  • Justin Bibb vows to modernize City Hall

    Justin Bibb vows to modernize City Hall by Bruce Checefsky (Plain Press, October 2021)   For Cleveland mayoral candidate Justin Bibb, leadership is all about relationships. The 34-year-old son of a social worker and first responder advanced from the primary to the general election November 2 along with City Council president Kevin Kelley in the first mayoral…


  • Residents want more notice, better access to information on local government meetings 

    Residents want more notice, better access to information on local government meetings  by Doug Breehl-Pitorak and Rachel Dissell    In June, Cleveland City Council passed a law that allowed it — and other city boards and committees — to meet virtually or in person with 12 hours’ notice for members of the public who might want…


  • The Pace of Passage: How Quickly City Council Makes Laws and What That Means for Clevelanders 

    The Pace of Passage: How Quickly City Council Makes Laws and What That Means for Clevelanders  by Doug Breehl-Pitorak,  Cleveland Documenters (Plain Press, October 2021)   During a July forum for mayoral candidates, Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley answered what seemed like a simple question: “What are your thoughts on what constitutes adequate public notice and…


  • Council members balk at $20M ‘blank check’ for citywide broadband pilot

    Council members balk at $20M ‘blank check’ for citywide broadband pilot by Lee Chilcote (Plain Press, October 2021)   A proposal to allocate $20 million to help bridge the digital divide in Cleveland by creating citywide broadband met with some opposition at Monday’s city council meeting, with some members asking why there wasn’t more community involvement or a concrete plan…


  • Low voter turnout allows small pockets of voters to determine results in Cleveland’s Primary Election

    Low voter turnout allows small pockets of voters to determine results in Cleveland’s Primary Election by Chuck Hoven    Only 15% of Cleveland’s 247,742 eligible voters voted in the Primary Election. A total of 38,360 Clevelanders cast votes in the primary according to the unofficial preliminary results from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. 13,506 of…


  • Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley considers running for mayor

    Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley considers running for mayor by Bruce Checefsky        (Plain Press, April 2021)      Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley is near the end of his two-month Neighborhood Listening Tour across the City of Cleveland. The tour, which began in February as a way to learn firsthand from community members about their immediate…


  • Precinct Committee members select Martin Sweeney to represent District Three in Cuyahoga County Council

    (Plain Press, February 2021) At a January 14th virtual Candidate Forum, three candidates –Brendan Heil, Ryan Ross, and Martin Sweeney — vied to be the representative for Cuyahoga Council District 3 for the remainder of the term of retiring County Council member Dan Brady. The term expires in 2022. The candidates were not seeking a vote of…