The old knock on politicians is that they think ahead only to the next election. But Mayor Justin Bibb took the long view — the very long view — when discussing Cleveland’s legacy at a conference downtown last week.
At the Rockefeller Foundation’s Big Bets for America summit, the mayor recalled a recent conversation about the longevity of cities.
“Throughout the arc of human history, cities have outlived nations, from Athens to Rome,” Bibb said from the conference stage.
He continued: “And we are living in a moment right now where everyone’s focused on going viral. Everyone’s focused on the attention economy. And what I want for us to be focused on in Cleveland is how can the narrative of Cleveland outlast human history?”
The splashy event at Hotel Cleveland served as a pep rally for the city’s effort to clear abandoned industrial land and welcome new employers.
Unlike Rome, Cleveland hasn’t been sacked by Alaric the Visigoth, although you might think so when looking at the derelict factory sites around town. At the summit, city boosters announced donations meant to help on that front.
The cleanup effort, known as the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund, received a $10 million gift from the family of early 20th century industrialist Samuel T. Wellman and $2 million from the KeyBank Foundation.
For all the hoopla, there is much work left to do. Out of the 350 acres of land assembled so far, 88 acres are shovel-ready. The goal is to reach a total of 150 acres in the next year. A spokesperson for the fund said that announcements about the first development deals are expected in the coming months.
Cleveland’s big competition is in central Ohio, not the Mediterranean. It is Columbus that has drawn national attention recently for its technology and manufacturing developments.
Smooth sailing (on the ballot) for Chris Ronayne?
As things stand today, Chris Ronayne is running unopposed for a second term as Cuyahoga County executive. Ronayne faced no opponent in the Democratic primary. No Republican filed to run, either.
The only person trying to challenge Ronayne for the job is Tariq Shabazz, who has run for the office before. He fell short of the 4,164 voter signatures he needed to make the ballot as an independent. He filed 1,030 valid signatures with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.
But Shabazz is suing in federal court to challenge the signature requirements. Partisan candidates needed only 50 signatures in the primary. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose asked the court this month to dismiss the case, as the court did another ballot access suit Shabazz brought in 2024.
Meanwhile Ronayne told Weekly Chatter last week that he’ll spend his time campaigning for other candidates, such as Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Amy Acton. The county executive has money to spend, too. He reported more than $377,000 on hand after the May primary.
Charter argument: While Ronayne may end up having no adversary on the ballot, he does have one within county government: Prosecutor Michael O’Malley.
The two officials have been at odds over the sheriff, the new jail and now a charter amendment Ronayne has proposed.
The amendment specifies that the law department — not the prosecutor — serves as the county’s lawyer for such work as legal opinions, labor issues, contracts, hiring outside counsel, and legal work prior to the filing of a lawsuit.
Ronayne defended his idea at a Cuyahoga County Council hearing last week, saying he wanted the voters to clarify ambiguity around the county’s legal representation.
At the same hearing, O’Malley didn’t tread lightly. He called the idea a “power grab,” “hubris” and “nonsense” that could destroy county government.
“As I stand here,” O’Malley said, “I just think, ‘Where has it gone wrong?’ as the county executive preaches about transparency and collaboration, of which we have seen none.”
Afterward, Ronayne brushed off O’Malley’s charge that the amendment would have dire consequences.
“Absolutely not,” he said. Instead, he said, it was a “clarification of roles.”
