February 18, 20241 yr 50 minutes ago, AsDustinFoxWouldSay said: Good,should be the case for the whole region The article states that 42 cities have signed on. There were a handful that did not.
April 9, 20241 yr One of the reasons I like County Exec. Ronayne is because he seems to be ambitious. Not presidential or anything, but I see him wanting to enhance the role of the County Executive. The British have come up with a concept aimed at getting their smaller cities going: the directly-elected Metro Mayor. Instead of fighting the inertia of merging area components, the Brits imposed a senior regional position that has gradually been assisting (some say encroaching upon) its smaller components. I don't care what you call it; I think we need it in the US. The Cleveland region has had some successes with regional entities. Water, sewage, transit, parks. I think as long as the super mayor leaves the schools (such as they are) in local hands, he (she, it, they, etc.) could have great success amalgamating other government functions. The key is taking a gradual approach. Today's FT has a little editorial on the success of the idea so far in the UK. https://www.ft.com/content/594ee295-d7a7-47a0-ab49-ee6db15beb8e Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
April 9, 20241 yr On 2/18/2024 at 5:36 PM, AsDustinFoxWouldSay said: Good,should be the case for the whole region its better than before, but i dk about good. they should have arm wrestled longer --- like for 10 or 20 yrs -- it's way too easy to hide funds and numbers with only five years to hold out. at least for the larger businesses.
January 6Jan 6 Blame our leaders' lack of vision when we start losing sports teams: Letter from the Editor It’s about our bold proposal to create a regional quarter-cent sales tax and create a Northeast Ohio Facilities Commission. The money would build a gleaming, new airport along with new and renovated homes for the Cavs, Guardians and Browns. The teams would get new facilities every 40 years, with major renovations when they are 20 years old. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/01/blame-our-leaders-lack-of-vision-when-we-start-losing-sports-teams-letter-from-the-editor.html
January 6Jan 6 6 hours ago, Mov2Ohio said: Blame our leaders' lack of vision when we start losing sports teams: Letter from the Editor It’s about our bold proposal to create a regional quarter-cent sales tax and create a Northeast Ohio Facilities Commission. The money would build a gleaming, new airport along with new and renovated homes for the Cavs, Guardians and Browns. The teams would get new facilities every 40 years, with major renovations when they are 20 years old. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/01/blame-our-leaders-lack-of-vision-when-we-start-losing-sports-teams-letter-from-the-editor.html "Letters from the editor" rather than "editorials" That was the name of a regular feature in National Lampoon during its late 70s early 80s heyday. Hey, if "Make America Great Again" can be recycled from that era, why not?
January 6Jan 6 7 hours ago, Mov2Ohio said: Blame our leaders' lack of vision when we start losing sports teams: Letter from the Editor It’s about our bold proposal to create a regional quarter-cent sales tax and create a Northeast Ohio Facilities Commission. The money would build a gleaming, new airport along with new and renovated homes for the Cavs, Guardians and Browns. The teams would get new facilities every 40 years, with major renovations when they are 20 years old. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/01/blame-our-leaders-lack-of-vision-when-we-start-losing-sports-teams-letter-from-the-editor.html I think there is a seed of a good idea here but a ton of flaws, which makes it no surprise all the electeds are "running away from the idea." First of all, the idea that this will stop teams from leaving is unrealistic. This tax would only increase the pot of money to draw from, and the teams would come up with more and more grandiose ways to spend it. I also don't blame other counties for not wanting to fund an entertainment amenity outside their jurisdiction. And what happens when a team says it wants to move to a different county within the commission? There are too many conflicts of interest for this to work. Where I personally think this concept could be more interesting is the airports, which let's just be honest, are not moving any time soon. Put Akron and Cleveland under the same regional authority, which draws public funding. That's what they do in NYC and DC, right? That would make investment of tax money more equitable and more people, no matter where they live in the region, would benefit. Edited January 6Jan 6 by coneflower
January 6Jan 6 31 minutes ago, coneflower said: Where I personally think this concept could be more interesting is the airports, which let's just be honest, are not moving any time soon. Put Akron and Cleveland under the same regional authority, which draws public funding. That's what they do in NYC and DC, right? The Washington Metropolitan Airports Authority does not have taxing authority, nor does it receive tax contributions from the general revenues of DC or VA. The airports are, however, massively subsidized by the wildly profitable Dulles Toll Road Enterprise Fund. Remember: It's the Year of the Snake
January 10Jan 10 I don't know if we'll see any dissolutions in Cuyahoga County in the next decade as a result of this new law, but maybe it will at least normalize consolidation to some extent. At the very least I hope it gets communities talking and thinking about redundant and duplicative services and how we could save money by pooling resources. A new Ohio law could mean fewer villages in Ohio The Ohio Newsroom | By Kendall Crawford Published January 9, 2025 The state has more than 600 villages which means Ohio has more taxable jurisdictions than most any other state. Only 10 of them have dissolved in the last decade. ... Prior to the law’s passage, 30% of village voters had to sign a petition to get dissolution on their local ballot. [State representative Adam] Mathews [(R-Lebanon, original bill sponsor)] believes that burden shouldn’t fall to residents. ... Now, villagers will still be able to put dissolution on the ballot themselves. But villages will also be audited after each Census. If a village doesn’t provide five out of 10 base services – like water and sewer, garbage collection or road maintenance – then the municipality’s fate will automatically be put on the ballot at the next election. https://www.ideastream.org/2025-01-09/a-new-ohio-law-could-mean-fewer-villages-in-ohio Edited January 10Jan 10 by Luke_S
January 10Jan 10 3 minutes ago, Luke_S said: I don't know if we'll see any dissolutions in Cuyahoga County in the next decade as a result of this new law, but maybe it will at least normalize consolidation to some extent. At the very least I hope it gets communities talking and thinking about redundant and duplicative services and how we could save money by pooling resources. A new Ohio law could mean fewer villages in Ohio The Ohio Newsroom | By Kendall Crawford Published January 9, 2025 The state has more than 600 villages which means Ohio has more taxable jurisdictions than most any other state. Only 10 of them have dissolved in the last decade. ... Prior to the law’s passage, 30% of village voters had to sign a petition to get dissolution on their local ballot. Mathews believes that burden shouldn’t fall to residents. ... Now, villagers will still be able to put dissolution on the ballot themselves. But villages will also be audited after each Census. If a village doesn’t provide five out of 10 base services – like water and sewer, garbage collection or road maintenance – then the municipality’s fate will automatically be put on the ballot at the next election. https://www.ideastream.org/2025-01-09/a-new-ohio-law-could-mean-fewer-villages-in-ohio The only villages I'm really familiar with are Walton Hills and Northfield. I can't imagine either seeking dissolution if it meant any threat of being absorbed by neighbors. The same goes for townships (Sagamore Hills, Northfield Center).
January 10Jan 10 9 minutes ago, E Rocc said: The only villages I'm really familiar with are Walton Hills and Northfield. I can't imagine either seeking dissolution if it meant any threat of being absorbed by neighbors. The same goes for townships (Sagamore Hills, Northfield Center). Bentleyville, Bratenahl, Brooklyn Heights, Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga Heights, Gates Mills, Glenwillow, Highland Hills, Hunting Valley, Linndale, Mayfield, Moreland Hills, Newburgh Heights, North Randall, Oakwood, Orange, Valley View, Walton Hills, Woodmere But like I said, not sure we'll see anything in Cuyahoga County any time soon
January 10Jan 10 24 minutes ago, Luke_S said: Bentleyville, Bratenahl, Brooklyn Heights, Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga Heights, Gates Mills, Glenwillow, Highland Hills, Hunting Valley, Linndale, Mayfield, Moreland Hills, Newburgh Heights, North Randall, Oakwood, Orange, Valley View, Walton Hills, Woodmere But like I said, not sure we'll see anything in Cuyahoga County any time soon You might get Cuyahoga Heights and Valley View to come together, though I have my doubts. Similar places is possible. Still, people in this area are more interested in government being responsive than efficient and see larger government entities as less responsive. Bratenhal? Ha! That's the kind of political fight that is not only unwinnable but can undermine similar efforts.
January 10Jan 10 26 minutes ago, E Rocc said: You might get Cuyahoga Heights and Valley View to come together, though I have my doubts. Similar places is possible. Still, people in this area are more interested in government being responsive than efficient and see larger government entities as less responsive. Bratenhal? Ha! That's the kind of political fight that is not only unwinnable but can undermine similar efforts. What political fight? Dissolution will be put up as a ballot measure if a village doesn't provide 5 of 10 services. If someone wants to campaign for or against it at that point there's nothing stopping them but its up to the village residents to decide. Further, if a village isn't providing 5 of 10 services, trigging this vote, then there is a question of whether the government is being responsive to resident's needs and efficiency is a form of responsiveness. I am making no value judgements on whether villages should exist or not or how many services they should provide, but it does seem reasonable to me that residents be asked whether they are happy with their current level of service and whether they would like a change. Lastly, no one is arguing that Cleveland would wield this law to force Bratenhal to dissolve, its not even clear this law could be used to that end. Edited January 10Jan 10 by Luke_S
January 12Jan 12 On 1/10/2025 at 8:15 AM, Luke_S said: What political fight? Dissolution will be put up as a ballot measure if a village doesn't provide 5 of 10 services. If someone wants to campaign for or against it at that point there's nothing stopping them but its up to the village residents to decide. Further, if a village isn't providing 5 of 10 services, trigging this vote, then there is a question of whether the government is being responsive to resident's needs and efficiency is a form of responsiveness. I am making no value judgements on whether villages should exist or not or how many services they should provide, but it does seem reasonable to me that residents be asked whether they are happy with their current level of service and whether they would like a change. Lastly, no one is arguing that Cleveland would wield this law to force Bratenhal to dissolve, its not even clear this law could be used to that end. Will be interesting how that law plays out and who will be the first test case. That law really snuck in under the radar, for us at least. Wonder who sponsored it and what triggered it.
January 12Jan 12 9 minutes ago, Willo said: Will be interesting how that law plays out and who will be the first test case. That law really snuck in under the radar, for us at least. Wonder who sponsored it and what triggered it. State representative Adam Mathews (R-Lebanon) was the bill sponsor I believe, at least according to the article. Can't say I'm familiar with him. I wasn't aware of this bill until I came across the article either. Given there's a fair number of villages in Cuyahoga County it'd be interesting to see an analysis of which villages would automatically trigger a ballot measure in 2031/2032.
January 12Jan 12 In Ohio, I am pretty sure once you hit 5,000 population, a village becomes a city as far as the state is concerned. A lot of those places may just be using "Village" to be cutesy. My parents live in Canal Fulton [NW Stark], pop 5,500. It got changed to city. I find it hard to believe most of those places mentioned aren't over 5,000. North Randall is the only place in Cuyahoga I can think of that's under.
January 12Jan 12 I "believe" that once Canal Fulton became a city it had more power to annex land from the Township around it, which was very difficult prior. It shares their public school district with a tiny village in SW Summit County called Clinton. My Dad always complains its Clinton folks that refuse public school levies.
January 12Jan 12 30 minutes ago, metrocity said: In Ohio, I am pretty sure once you hit 5,000 population, a village becomes a city as far as the state is concerned. A lot of those places may just be using "Village" to be cutesy. My parents live in Canal Fulton, pop 5,500. It got changed to city. I find it hard to believe most of those places mentioned aren't over 5,000. North Randall is the only place in Cuyahoga I can think of that's under. From the 2020 Census. The only one not designated a village is Chagrin Falls Township, though it is still below the 5k threshold, so if there is a Chagrin Falls Village within the Township it is below this threshold as well. Bentleyville village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 897 Bratenahl village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 1,430 Brooklyn Heights village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 1,519 Chagrin Falls township, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 4,317 Cuyahoga Heights village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 573 Gates Mills village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 2,264 Glenwillow village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 994 Highland Hills village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 662 Hunting Valley village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 627 Linndale village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 108 Mayfield village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 3,356 Moreland Hills village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 3,466 Newburgh Heights village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 1,862 North Randall village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 954 Oakwood village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 3,572 Orange village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 3,421 Valley View village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 1,897 Walton Hills village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 2,033 Woodmere village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio – 641
January 12Jan 12 13 hours ago, metrocity said: A lot of those places may just be using "Village" to be cutesy. Indian Hill, a posh suburb of Cincinnati, is most notorious for doing this. They crossed the threshold and became a city so they changed their name to “The Village of Indian Hill.” So they are legally The City of The Village of Indian Hill.
January 13Jan 13 I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of the forum on the idea of (mostly) NE Ohio existing as its own state. I've taken to calling this hypothetical state, the Commonwealth of the Western Reserve. It feels a little silly to even bring up this idea, but it seems like the Northeast Ohio Region could have a lot to gain with autonomy from the current state government. Am I just upset about state legislators from some random small town in the southern half of the state stripping away my rights as a trans person? Yes absolutely. But as an urbanist, I think a state consisting of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Lorain, Sandusky, Ashtabula and maybe even Toledo has a much better shot at achieving prosperity for NE Ohio that the status quo. Thoughts?
January 13Jan 13 On 1/12/2025 at 9:23 AM, mu2010 said: Indian Hill, a posh suburb of Cincinnati, is most notorious for doing this. They crossed the threshold and became a city so they changed their name to “The Village of Indian Hill.” So they are legally The City of The Village of Indian Hill. Then you get into the "exempted village school districts", which includes Mentor with its 7,700 students.
January 13Jan 13 40 minutes ago, Zagapi said: I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of the forum on the idea of (mostly) NE Ohio existing as its own state. I've taken to calling this hypothetical state, the Commonwealth of the Western Reserve. It feels a little silly to even bring up this idea, but it seems like the Northeast Ohio Region could have a lot to gain with autonomy from the current state government. Am I just upset about state legislators from some random small town in the southern half of the state stripping away my rights as a trans person? Yes absolutely. But as an urbanist, I think a state consisting of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Lorain, Sandusky, Ashtabula and maybe even Toledo has a much better shot at achieving prosperity for NE Ohio that the status quo. Thoughts? There's not a chance this happens. Your hypothetical state would have two Democratic senators, while Ohio has two Republicans. It would be in line for statehood behind Puerto Rico and DC. They would also have Democratic senators. There's been talk of western Washington and Oregon (and perhaps far northern California) becoming a new presumably Republican state, but you need two more. Suburbanites in the proposed split off zone would likely oppose it as well.
January 13Jan 13 52 minutes ago, Zagapi said: I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of the forum on the idea of (mostly) NE Ohio existing as its own state. I've taken to calling this hypothetical state, the Commonwealth of the Western Reserve. It feels a little silly to even bring up this idea, but it seems like the Northeast Ohio Region could have a lot to gain with autonomy from the current state government. Am I just upset about state legislators from some random small town in the southern half of the state stripping away my rights as a trans person? Yes absolutely. But as an urbanist, I think a state consisting of Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Youngstown, Lorain, Sandusky, Ashtabula and maybe even Toledo has a much better shot at achieving prosperity for NE Ohio that the status quo. Thoughts? Consolidating relatively high crime and impoverished NE Ohio cities into their own state doesn't seem wise. Franklin County and to a degree Hamilton County hold their weight with the former having a tremendous amount of economic momentum. It wouldn't be healthy losing our sister cities. And, unless they themselves are trans, I'm pretty sure the fine citizens of Akron, Canton, Youngstown, etc, don't give two s**ts about trans right for the most part, certainly not as a deciding factor to live in the region. Jobs, economic opportunities, cost-of-living/legacy costs, crime/perceptions, and weather have quite a bit more importance. Why else are so many pro-choice people moving to the Carolinas, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Arizona, etc. Edited January 13Jan 13 by TBideon
January 13Jan 13 Can always count on @E Rocc and @TBideon for the fun around here! I know there's no shot at this happening, just curious on the pros and cons from the region's perspective. Only a thought experiment really. As for a trans rights go, I wasn't expecting that to be a catalyst for a new state. It was more of a throwaway comment than anything else. But I appreciate both of your blunt opinions lol
January 13Jan 13 8 minutes ago, Zagapi said: Can always count on @E Rocc and @TBideon for the fun around here! I know there's no shot at this happening, just curious on the pros and cons from the region's perspective. Only a thought experiment really. As for a trans rights go, I wasn't expecting that to be a catalyst for a new state. It was more of a throwaway comment than anything else. But I appreciate both of your blunt opinions lol There's a reason our avatars have the same "caption". >:)
January 13Jan 13 @Zagapi There's an existing thread that hashes out the State of the Western Reserve scenario (see below) that has some of the similar feedback you've received in this thread. The linked thread has been locked since 2020, not sure if there are any fresh takes to add but it's an interesting read.
January 13Jan 13 7 minutes ago, andrew0816 said: @Zagapi There's an existing thread that hashes out the State of the Western Reserve scenario (see below) that has some of the similar feedback you've received in this thread. The linked thread has been locked since 2020, not sure if there are any fresh takes to add but it's an interesting read. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
February 20Feb 20 This may promote sprawl more than regionalism, but given how developed Cuyahoga County already is maybe could be a useful tool to employ so municipalities are working cooperatively rather than competing. Looks like the only JEDD in Cuyahoga County is Olmsted Falls and Olmsted township. JEDD fact sheet New Ohio bill would loosen rules on Joint Economic Development Districts The Statehouse News Bureau | By Jo Ingles Published February 18, 2025 Joint Economic Development Districts were created in 1993 to allow Ohio municipalities and townships to work together to develop township land and share taxes that are collected in that district. And they have to include at least one township. Now there’s a bipartisan bill at the Statehouse that could ease rules for these JEDDs in place throughout Ohio, allowing more communities to participate. ... The bill would not require annexations of property. A similar bill was introduced in the last general assembly but failed to pass after other controversial measures were attached to it. https://www.ideastream.org/2025-02-18/new-ohio-bill-would-loosen-rules-on-joint-economic-development-districts Edited February 20Feb 20 by Luke_S
February 24Feb 24 This was an interesting article from Rich. There is the obvious economic and business implications of this article, a lot that has been discussed in this forum; namely that there isn't large parcels of developable land in Cuyahoga County to offer for these large projects. I put this article here though because there's another aspect that this article focuses on, and that's too many organizations competing with one another instead of working toward a common goal. Rich contrasts North East Ohio's approach with Central Ohio's approach, pointing out that Central Ohio has the mentality of a rising tide lifting all ships. Cleveland has some great resources and great leaders, but they're all focused on their own narrow goals, sometimes at the expense of other larger objectives. With the State Legislature poised to pass legislation to more easily eliminate villages and loosen the laws around JEDDs, this may be an opportunity for Cleveland/Cuyahoga to remove the number of independent jurisdictions and, for the jurisdictions that remain, add incentives to work cooperatively to get some of these larger projects in NEO. Gov. DeWine to Cleveland: Up your focus on economic development to compete with Central Ohio Published: Feb. 23, 2025 By Rich Exner, cleveland.com “We have too many groups trying to take claim for development,” [Mark Rantala, a consultant who formerly led the Lake County port authority,] said. “Team NEO competes with the Greater Cleveland Partnership. Then there is the city of Cleveland. Cuyahoga County. In Lake County we had the port authority. Every time I tried to engage, I fought with the Greater Cleveland Partnership about everyone stepping on each other.” ... “The longstanding big difference in Northeast Ohio versus Columbus is that there is only one big city in Columbus,” [Ned Hill, professor emeritus Ohio State University,] said. With Cleveland, Akron and a number of suburban communities competing for business along Interstates 90 and 80, Hill said “there is a level of antagonism that doesn’t exist in Central Ohio.” https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/02/gov-dewine-to-cleveland-up-your-focus-on-economic-development-to-compete-with-central-ohio.html Edited February 24Feb 24 by Luke_S
February 24Feb 24 Does central Ohio have a bunch of organizations like Northeast Ohio does? Examples like Team NEO and Greater Cleveland. Why isn’t there just one of these working with various cities?
February 24Feb 24 I think putting Dolan in charge of Team NEO is interesting because it concedes economic development in Ohio is political. Having a Republican with statewide reputation in that seat is going to open doors that our local Democratic leaders can’t. Will that lead to positive outcomes, I have no idea. The article points out regional dysfunction that it seems from my outside perspective is more about local fiefdoms in the non-profit world and business community vs. fights between cities/suburbs. The Haslams want to go to Brook Park. It wasn’t the city that lured them. The Haslams are big fish in our business community’s small pond, which has led the GCP to sit on their hands. They can’t lead the region because they are too beholden to their members’ interests, which might not align with where our region needs to go to grow. I post this all the time but I don’t think our region has a clear POV in terms of: What are our actual strengths and what are realistic growth goals? Who does what? Non-profits, business community, government all need more clear roles and responsibilities What are we missing and where can we improve? How do we do that? understanding that regional growth means not everyone in tbe region can win all the time. We need to be confident that a smart plan will lead to benefits for everyone. This is just my two cents.
February 24Feb 24 31 minutes ago, JB said: Does central Ohio have a bunch of organizations like Northeast Ohio does? Examples like Team NEO and Greater Cleveland. Why isn’t there just one of these working with various cities? Yes! And they collaborate as 11 counties and have direct pipelines to students and faculty/research via OSU programs such the John Glenn Public Policy school and the City and Regional Planning school both of which have those who often transition back and forth to statehouse staff. Here are just some of the orgs: https://www.morpc.org with Dee of course https://columbusregion.com/about-us/columbus-partnership/ https://columbusregion.com/about-us/ https://columbusregion.com/about-us/what-we-do/regional-economic-development/ https://columbusregion.com/about-us/what-we-do/smart-city-initiatives/ All working together
February 24Feb 24 21 minutes ago, coneflower said: I think putting Dolan in charge of Team NEO is interesting because it concedes economic development in Ohio is political. Having a Republican with statewide reputation in that seat is going to open doors that our local Democratic leaders can’t. Will that lead to positive outcomes, I have no idea. The article points out regional dysfunction that it seems from my outside perspective is more about local fiefdoms in the non-profit world and business community vs. fights between cities/suburbs. The Haslams want to go to Brook Park. It wasn’t the city that lured them. The Haslams are big fish in our business community’s small pond, which has led the GCP to sit on their hands. They can’t lead the region because they are too beholden to their members’ interests, which might not align with where our region needs to go to grow. I post this all the time but I don’t think our region has a clear POV in terms of: What are our actual strengths and what are realistic growth goals? Who does what? Non-profits, business community, government all need more clear roles and responsibilities What are we missing and where can we improve? How do we do that? understanding that regional growth means not everyone in tbe region can win all the time. We need to be confident that a smart plan will lead to benefits for everyone. This is just my two cents. I think I largely agree; I forget what the number is but there is a huge amount of non-profits in NEO and while we have great foundations with great leadership they are only able to fund so many non-profit projects and initiatives. The competition for these foundation grants is only going to become more competitive if/when federal funding is cut off. I would expect to see either consolidation in the non-profit world where organizations have similar missions, or some non-profits to fold. While I think a thoughtful and strategic consolidation of the region's non-profits would probably be a good thing, I think this attrition process will likely result in some critical missions and already underserved communities being further disadvantaged. I do find Ned Hill's argument that in Central Ohio Columbus is the big player and more naturally able to lead persuasive though. In NEO there aren't only politically powerful suburbs, but competing cities and counties in Elyria/Lorain, Akron/Summit, and Canton/Stark, making it that much more difficult to lead the region.
February 24Feb 24 My beef is more with the large non-profits vs. the small ones. They are the only ones with any ability to drive regional strategy and herd the cats. I think the fact that we have so many jurisdictions is used as a crutch. Is it harder to get things done than a place like Columbus? Sure, I can buy that. But that is the reality we live in, so how do we deal with that? Whatever the approach has been is not working.
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