Cleveland’s Ward 4 covers part of the Old Brooklyn neighborhood. The candidates will face off in the Nov. 4 general election.
Share a bit about your previous experience in elected office, government or community work.
First elected in 2021 to my current position. Director of Housing at Metro West CDC for about 7 years before that. A community, labor and coalition organizer for 10 years prior to that and a jack of all trades for the first 13 years of my work life (taxi cab driver, house painter, window washer, bartender, lawn care, etc.).
What are the three most important issues facing the ward you want to represent?
Affordable housing, good schools and safety.
Council members have money set aside money from casino taxes and other sources to spend on neighborhood projects. How would you spend your share?
Park improvements and brick road restoration projects.
As a council member, how would you gather input and feedback from residents you represent?
I might be the only Council member that holds regular, monthly ward meetings (12 per year). I haven’t missed a monthly meeting since starting them in February of 2022. We meet at Estabrook Rec Center on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. We advertise these meetings on social media, in newsletters mailed 3 or 4 times a year to residents, and every time I get a chance to talk about it! I also have an easily findable Facebook, Twitter and YouTube page. On top of that my email and phone numbers are very easy to find. I’m always gathering input, every day.
Affordable housing is a critical issue for Clevelanders. How do you define affordable? And what specific plans or ideas do you have to create more housing that working class Clevelanders can afford to rent or buy?
I’m championing the effort to bring a modular housing builder to Cleveland. We have to embrace new construction methods, and modular allows us to build faster, at a lower cost and year round. I’ve worked on houses. In the winter you sit at home for long stretches. When it rains, you might have the day off. In a modular housing factory people can work year round, 40 hours a week, and what comes out the other end is of the exact same construction quality and durability at site-built homes. The goal of this effort is to build 10,000 new homes in 10 years. That’s twice Cleveland’s current pace. Because they’re modular, floor plans can range from 700 to 1,400 sq/ft and prices (new on the market) can range from $150,000 (or under!) to $250,000, which is well below current construction costs. The primary driver of high housing costs right now is a lack of supply. Once we start to build at a faster pace, the cost of existing units will settle down as well.
Clevelanders list public safety among their top concerns. The city has taken many approaches to prevent and respond to violence and make neighborhoods safer. How would you tackle this issue? Where should Cleveland City Council push for more investment?
We need to hire more police. I never thought I’d say that, but here’s the plain facts; we have lost over 500 officers this century. We currently have a tad over 1,100. There are not enough men and women in patrol cars to even conduct routine traffic enforcement. Traffic accidents and violent crimes take officers off patrol every day and we don’t have enough out there to tend to the city AND provide the basic, community policing residents expect. A police department of 1,350 officers is not “over-policing” or heavy handed. It’s exactly what the Mayor, Safety Director, Chief of Police, Chief before her and Safety Director before him said we need. It is the position of this administration, right now, that we need 1,350 Officers. And the city needs to make that happen.
Should there be term limits for Cleveland City Council members?
No.
Council members act as resident service representatives, legislators and guardians of city spending. Which of these roles matter to you most and why?
All. People want a government they can interact with. That means when they call or email, they want an answer. There’s nothing wrong with that. But we also have to shepherd the city’s legislative agenda and keep an eye on costs. In an organization the size of the city of Cleveland, there will always be someone trying to pull a fast one. But beyond that, there are simply ideas that need to be questioned. Ideas like ShotSpotter, which I think is a wasteful use of tax dollars. But that’s another issue. All of these are part of the job and none matter more than the others.
Please share any other information you think is important for us to know about you and your campaign.
America is a country full of people who are mad at each other. Politics has largely become a reality-television style melodrama staring petty egos and greed. We won’t work our way out of this political funk until we learn to accept each others’ shortcomings on some level, so that we can build upon our collective strengths as a community. Maybe instead of thinking about high roads & low roads, we should think about straight roads & crooked roads. I strive to tell the truth all the time, even when it’s inconvenient. Vote like you mean it, vote Harsh!
Candidate answers were edited for clarity. We took out responses that were off topic or included comments about opponents.
Elections
Cleveland City Council 2025 Election Voter Guide
Cleveland City Council candidates answer your questions about affordable housing, public safety and more.
Share a bit about your previous experience in elected office, government or community work.
I’m not a politician, I’m a fighter for what’s right. As a global healthcare executive, I saw how corporate greed hurt the lives of real people and communities. That firsthand experience fuels my mission to make the government People First. As a doctor at the VA and MetroHealth, I fought for veterans and our most vulnerable neighbors. As an immigrant who overcame systemic barriers, I battle for human dignity because I’ve lived the struggle. This isn’t politics, it’s a moral calling. I believe Old Brooklyn and the other neglected neighborhoods of Cleveland deserve better.
What are the three most important issues facing the ward you want to represent?
1. Infrastructure: So far the city has a poorly funded band aid approach to tackling this century old infrastructure. We need to think about a proactive strategic plan to make sure we collectively update gas lines, water systems, fiber, conduits, and more as we go so the roads don’t have to be torn up over and over for the same issues. This is a long term investment for our neighborhoods and people. If the city funds this infrastructure for billionaires downtown, they should have already taken care of it for the people.
2. Basic Services Done Right: From transportation to safety to education to the many other things which are essential for the government to deliver to build trust and take care of the people. After-school programs, rec center expansions, community block parties, neighborhood partnerships, blight removal, and so many other programs which prevent issues and make the neighborhoods where people want to stay and others want to move to. There needs to be clear communication and transparency around the work being done as well as what is planned.
3. Thriving Neighborhoods: Our incumbent politicians celebrate the crumbs given to neighborhoods as a win, but I know people see right through that. They can easily see how much of our tax dollars are given to billionaires and greedy corporations downtown at the expense of the neighborhoods. This needs to change so our neighborhoods and people can thrive. From healthy food access to restoring and expanding senior services which were cut by the incumbent. Putting the People First will change how the city operates. Luckily there is a group of new leaders who can make that happen since the incumbents don’t want to.
Council members have money set aside money from casino taxes and other sources to spend on neighborhood projects. How would you spend your share?
This small budget isn’t sufficient enough to take care of the needs of the wards as the city continues to get exploited by tax revenue being given away or forgone to help billionaires and greedy corporations at the expense of us. I would work to make sure the needs of the wards are prioritized and leverage scale across wards to better pricing and other benefits. I would use this opportunity to pilot participatory budgeting with partnerships with neighborhood groups to make sure the funds lead to as much benefit as possible for Old Brooklyn and other neighborhoods, not downtown billionaires. I would push for restoration and expansion of Age Friendly Home Investment Program (AFHIP) and others to help the people of our neighborhoods.
As a council member, how would you gather input and feedback from residents you represent?
My approach to gathering input and feedback is rooted in direct community engagement and transparency. I have personally been going door-to-door to talk one on one with voters and understand their issues. I will continue these conversations throughout my term, not just election year to get votes. I would utilize digital platforms (website, emails, social media) for outreach, communication, and engagement. Furthermore I would organize and attend community forums and collaborate closely with local organizations as I make sure my work continues to put the people First.
Affordable housing is a critical issue for Clevelanders. How do you define affordable? And what specific plans or ideas do you have to create more housing that working class Clevelanders can afford to rent or buy?
We’ve seen council take down billboards which talk about the blight caused by the exploitation of the city by city council. The council approach to try to hide the problem impacting the people doesn’t fix anything. Instead we need leaders to think about having a safe, stable home as a fundamental human right. Affordable housing means no family pays more than 30% of their income for a safe, stable home and are supported on their journey to home ownership. My plan starts by expanding support for homeowners: boosting financial assistance and resources for critical repairs so code enforcement becomes a partnership, not a harsh punishment. At the same time, we’ll crack down on negligent landlords by enforcing penalties for those who ignore maintenance, safety, or tenant dignity. We need to stop tax payer funded gentrification by ensuring growth happens with our community, not over it. This is the People First treatment Cleveland’s housing crisis demands.
Clevelanders list public safety among their top concerns. The city has taken many approaches to prevent and respond to violence and make neighborhoods safer. How would you tackle this issue? Where should Cleveland City Council push for more investment?
Safety starts by tackling root causes to prevent issues rather than being stuck in the reactive state after issues have occurred. Upstream prevention efforts require a wholistic approach. Making sure the jobs in Cleveland pay a living wage, having great rec centers and youth programs, entrepreneurial and job training opportunities, expanding trauma counseling and mental health access, and making sure there are programs which help get people involved in their communities are just a few examples. We need to learn from other cities by expanding on crisis response teams to help free up police to focus on violent crimes. Just as I worked to treat disease at its root cause, we need to do the same for our community, which has been exploited to fund things downtown for billionaires and greedy corporations. When we focus on housing stability, quality schools, economic dignity, and other basic essentials, we build lasting safety and a vibrant community.
Should there be term limits for Cleveland City Council members?
Yes.
Council members act as resident service representatives, legislators and guardians of city spending. Which of these roles matter to you most and why?
We deserve better than incumbents who give billions to billionaires and greedy corporations while handing neighborhoods crumbs thinking that’s all we deserve. As council member, I’ll serve as a guardian of Old Brooklyn. Our neighborhood deserves long-term investment so every family thrives, not just downtown corporations or developers for a pet project. My immigrant parents taught me: when community suffers, you step up. As a doctor, I know if we don’t tackle the root cause, we don’t fix anything. So every decision I make on roads, safety, or spending answers one question: “Does this put the PEOPLE FIRST?”
Please share any other information you think is important for us to know about you and your campaign.
My campaign challenges politics as usual. I saw corporate greed harming people firsthand and chose principle over profit. As a doctor, I fought for my patients. I represent the community demanding better than the scraps council thinks we deserve. We have a choice this election: continued exploitation of our city for billionaires and greedy corporations downtown or a People First revolution to heal our neighborhoods and build an Old Brooklyn where everyone thrives.
Michelle D. Roberson (write-in, general election)
Roberson filed to run as a write-in Aug. 20 and has not yet been sent the questionnaire. This post will be updated with any responses.