Think we got something wrong? Send any enquiries on the meeting or these tweets to @cledocumenters or email us at cledocumenters@gmail.com.

From @signalcleveland’s guide to understanding the budget process:
“[First] the mayor sends City Council a document that summarizes the administration’s budget recommendations. It’s called the Mayor’s Estimate.”

Here’s a link to the full guide:
https://signalcleveland.org/what-you-need-to-know-about-clevelands-budget-process/ https://t.co/hwicwzN3cS

From @signalcleveland’s guide to the budget process:
“[The Mayor’s Estimate] has detailed information for each city department…and includes estimates on how much money the city expects to collect through taxes and fees.”

The 2023 Mayor’s Estimate: https://www.clevelandohio.gov/sites/default/files/forms_publications/2023MayorsEstimate.pdf

The Mayor’s Estimate is over 500 pages long, but don’t let that scare you. Council only reviews a few pages at a time. They’re expected to start by hearing from @MayorBibb and the City’s Finance Director, Ahmed Abonamah.

From @signalcleveland’s budget guide:

“City Council holds budget hearings usually starting in early to mid-February. Council committee members discuss, debate & ask questions about spending priorities. [They] can agree to change portions of the budget recommended by the mayor.”

Council will use the information learned and discussed in these hearings over the next couple weeks to create an amended version of the budget that they’ll vote on later.

The hearings will be live-streamed on @CleCityCouncil’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@ClevelandCityCouncil

Keep up on all the news from @Cledocumenters’ coverage of the City Budget hearings at the @signalcleveland website:

https://signalcleveland.org/cleveland-budget/

And we’re off! Council President Griffin is explaining we’ll hear from the mayor first, and he laid down some ground rules & asked that everyone play nice in the sandbox. https://t.co/j1oNWHKU7I

Bibb is explaining city’s priorities for this year, including gun violence, the lakefront plan, and “bringing back the east side of Cleveland.” https://t.co/VBCZa2LKYz

Bibb is now explaining the elimination of police positions, saying these are “chronically vacant” positions & the city hopes to focus on “investing in the workforce we have”, including police pay raises. https://t.co/lW70HBUukv

Bibb brings up his frequent trips to DC which have been scrutinised a bit. He says he wants to make sure they’re bringing as much money into the city and looking for as much in federal funding as they can & compared to digging through the couch for loose change.

@CityofCleveland Chief Financial Officer Ahmed Abonamah is answering questions from Council President Blaine Griffin. @Griff4CLE6‘s asking now about the city’s rainy-day fund & when would be appropriate to use it. Abonamah says economic uncertainties justify saving that money. https://t.co/QiE1XIRbLG

Griffin is asking specific questions to the Mayor now about consent decree compliance. Bibb says they are hiring a new monitor, and expanding recruitment efforts. https://t.co/wMqxdpAfGD

Griffin says he didn’t see funding for emergency home repairs for seniors in the City Budget & stated this is a critical program & needs to be included in the General Fund Budget. https://t.co/aL05bIWlmT

I’m really only here to judge council members’ fashion sense, and I need to know if @KerryMcCormack1 knew that tie was green when he put in on this morning with a blue shirt. https://t.co/m0WhNVDxQ7

McCormack and Bibb are discussing the future of downtown, including economic recovery, infrastructure for bike & pedestrian traffic, and using @clepublicpower to innovate in clean energy.

@clepublicpower McCormack: “If [we] got fired for cuss words, nobody would be here. ” https://t.co/dtWU1Hr9Wn

Ward 14 Council Member @jsantanaward14 discusses education with the mayor. https://t.co/1UGXU62fTQ

Ward 8 Council Member Mike Polensek, who still owes me twenty-five cents, is talking about the decreased population, saying residents “vote with their feet” & leave the city due to safety and school concerns. https://t.co/vtt05eRbV3

On unfilled police positions, Polensek says, “If we lose another 29 [officers] we will be at the same number we had in 1923…my first year in City Council.”😊 https://t.co/L2B44pEoke

Bibb commends current police officers, saying last year there was a 9% drop in homicides and over 600 illegal guns removed from the streets. https://t.co/aaXrkogjGj

Ward 9 Council Member @kevinconwell216 compliments the City Finance Director on the work and learning he’s done in the past year, and criticizes the lack of reporting on finances and strategic planning from the administration. https://t.co/o796F32e4J

Bibb & Conwell givin’ each other a good-hearted ribbing about Conwell not endorsing Bibb. https://t.co/eyoEFxZY2P

Now @kazy_brian is usually my fashion award winner, but the ladies are really showing him up today in their great coats!! https://t.co/bylw615Ab2

Damn right that is OUR stadium. Get me a ladder, boys, I’ll take that First Energy sign down myself. https://t.co/s3ORaSITYl

Ward 1 Council Member Joe Jones is up, and he’s asking for investment in his ward to help re-populate the area. He praised the efforts of city officials in helping to reduce dirt bikes in the streets & clean up efforts in illegal dumping sites. https://t.co/V4cl0zLsCq

The Mayor commends Ward 4 Council Member Deborah Gray for going to New York to confront out-of-state landlords about housing violations & poor living conditions for tenants.

Here’s a national story on Gray’s trip:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/peopleandplaces/councilwoman-goes-to-nyc-to-confront-apt-owners-about-cle-living-conditions/vi-AA17lZAa

Ward 17 Council member @ADayInTheSlife expresses his concerns to the Mayor about eliminating over 140 police positions and the City’s ability to overcome the deficit if it turns out those positions are really needed. https://t.co/64IJNLliDr

Ward 15 Council Member @jennyspencercle & @MayorBibb are discussing getting support & funding from state & federal resources. https://t.co/4joeYMMVvu

Ward 4 Council Member Deborah Gray talks about her motivation for going to New York & some of the people she’s heard from across the country with poor living conditions & unresponsive/non-existent landlords. https://t.co/vbZNLM7R2w

Interesting. Mayor Bibb just said they teamed up with Ward 2 Council Member Kevin Bishop who is now in New York researching blight reduction strategies. He’ll report his findings to them upon return. https://t.co/HtMLkNZ4D9

Ward 5 Council Member @R1chardStarr wants to see more black-owned contractors being interviewed & doing work in the city, and an easier invoicing & payment process, after an administration error left a community group working w/out a contract. https://t.co/4djer9OeAu

OMG!! 😂🤣
Caption Hairston’s facial expression👇🏻 https://t.co/zZ3g9hIyVW

@R1chardStarr just namedropped my girl Gwendolyn Garth. 🤘🏻

https://twitter.com/GenniferwithaG_/status/1568794133354905600

Ward 7 Council Member Stephanie Howse goes straight to the numbers & straight for the jugular: “A household in Ward 7…average household median income is $20, 997…how does this budget benefit them?” https://t.co/qpmBLdaj8h

Stephanie Howse says she does not believe this is an “equitable budget” with so much money going to the police, who show up after a crime occurs.
“If this our stance, we have to be very clear with community members, we are focused on after violence happens, not before.”
😳

Mayor Bibb is answering questions by Ward 12 Council Member Rebecca Maurer about updating the city’s parking payment system and its related jobs, and more questions on illegal dumping, specifically near Train Ave. https://t.co/LPeP3kubyh

@KrisHarsh‘s tie also went to the Canned Heat show in 1976. https://t.co/fgVYmmmNGV

Harsh asked about efforts to reduce the digital divide. The mayor said they are in the process of selecting future vendors for the project.

The Mayor’s question time has ended and the group has adjourned for a break. Council will return at 2:10 for the Finance Director’s Statement.

This concludes my coverage of @CleCityCouncil’s Finance, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee meeting for #CLEDocumenters. For more news and information on the City Budget hearings, visit the @signalcleveland website at https://signalcleveland.org/governmentmeetings/.