Summary
- The newly elected members of Cleveland City Council were sworn in, including three newcomers, Austin Davis (Ward 7), Nikki Hudson (Ward 11) and Tanmay Shah (Ward 12).
- Blaine Griffin (Ward 6) was sworn in as council president for another term.
- The majority of the council members’ personal remarks were positive, but there was some negativity towards Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration, specifically from Brian Kazy (Ward 13), who cited a “fraction” between the administration and the governing body and urged Bibb to trust the council more.
Follow up questions
- Was Council Member Joe Jones referring to his past controversy when he thanked his supporters for “believing in me, especially when it wasn’t easy?”
- Why did Council Member Richard Starr not vote in favor of adopting the Rules of Council? Is there any relation between his vote and the aforementioned controversy surrounding Jones?
Notes
This Cleveland City Council meeting, the first of 2026, was dedicated to the swearing-in of the council members elected in 2025. This is also the first meeting reflecting the redistricting of wards, which brought the council size from 17 to 15 members. Twelve members returned. The previous council members who lost re-election bids are Anthony Hairston, Danny Kelly and Rebecca Mauer. Jenny Spencer and Kerry McCormack did not seek re-election. All of the newly elected council was present. The newly elected council is as follows, with the first-time members in bold:
- Joe Jones (Ward 1)
- Kevin Bishop (Ward 2)
- Deborah Gray (Ward 3)
- Kris Harsh (Ward 4)
- Richard Starr (Ward 5)
- Blaine Griffin, Council President (Ward 6)
- Austin Davis (Ward 7)
- Stephanie Howse-Jones (Ward 8)
- Kevin Conwell (Ward 9)
- Michael Polensek (Ward 10)
- Nikki Hudson (Ward 11)
- Tanmay Shah (Ward 12)
- Brian Kazy (Ward 13)
- Jasmin Santana (Ward 14)
- Charles Slife (Ward 15)
The agenda for this meeting can be found here. The seats in the council chamber were full, with additional people standing along the sides of the room. Nicely printed brochures containing the agenda were handed out to attendees. The atmosphere was friendly and upbeat. Due to the nature of this council meeting, there was no time allotted for public comment. Public comment will resume at the Jan. 12 meeting.
The meeting began at 7:06 p.m.
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It started with a procession of the council members led by the EMS Honor Guard, followed by a prayer and Pledge of Allegiance. Roll call was outside the norm, with each council member’s family/friends/supporters loudly cheering for them as their names were called.
- Kevin Kelley (judge, Cuyahoga Court of Common Pleas – General Division) administered the Council Member Oath of Office.
- Council unanimously voted Jasmin Santana as the temporary chair.
- Council unanimously voted Blaine Griffin as the council president. He accepted and took the Presidential Oath of Office administered by Kelley.
- Council unanimously voted Patricia Britt as the City Clerk, Clerk of City Council. She accepted and took the Clerk of Council Oath of Office administered by Kelley.
- Every council member, except for Richard Starr, voted to adopt the Rules of Council.
- Personal remarks by Cleveland City Council members occurred in seniority order, with President Griffin starting off. These personal remarks were generally positive and used as an opportunity to thank their friends/family/supporters. Council members expressed their commitment and gratitude to the position and what they plan to focus on during their elected term. Some of the more specific/topical comments included:
- Michael Polensek denounced the recent CMSD consolidation, saying, “We need to work together … more now than ever before.”
- Kevin Conwell said he is committed to making the Glenville/Collinwood merger positive.
- Brian Kazy cited a “fraction” between Bibb’s administration and City Council. He challenged Bibb to better trust the elected officials of council.
- Joe Jones thanked his supporters for “believing in me, especially when it wasn’t easy” and said that “division does not serve the people of Ward 1.”
- Charles Slife called for routine city services, such as snow plowing, to be the focus of their budget before anything else, as that is the subject of the majority of calls he gets from his constituents.
- Newly elected Tanmay Shah received a standing ovation from some audience members before his personal remarks. His personal remarks began and ended with calls to “Free Palestine,” which were echoed by a portion of the crowd.
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.
These notes are by Documenter Annie Maglicic.
If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@signalcleveland.org with “Correction Request” in the subject line.
