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Legally, Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland are required to pay for all capital repairs at Progressive Field and those over $500,000 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
That’s despite the fact that neither government has money set aside in its bank account specifically for Gateway Economic Development Corp., the publicly funded landlord for the Cavaliers and Guardians and the sports facilities they lease.
Each is on the hook for $20 million now – and who knows how much in the future.
Cuyahoga Executive Chris Ronayne has proposed paying $2.85 million out of the county’s main bank account to Gateway and possibly using casino revenue or borrowing money for the rest.
In Cleveland, Mayor Justin Bibb and Council President Blaine Griffin propose paying $5 million from the general fund, $5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act and $10 million in debt.
Some council members see the payment as an unexpected and even obscene payout to the billionaire sports-team owners by a city that struggles to afford the basics.
— Laura
Browns at Denver Broncos: Jameis Winston and Jerry Jeudy put up career numbers, but Winston’s three picks result in 41-32 loss to Broncos
Northeast Ohio weather forecast: More heavy snow in some areas
Gateway payment: Cleveland City Council’s vote Monday on the Gateway payment caps off weeks of tension at City Hall, reports Courtney Astolfi.
State fair: A panel of state lawmakers on Monday approved a $2.5 million increase for the annual State Fair, bumping its annual operating expenses up to $19.1 million. Jake Zuckerman reports the Ohio Expositions Commission, a state agency that organizes the fair every year, said it has observed inflationary increases in personal services, supplies, material, utility, maintenance and repair costs.
Today in Ohio, the daily news podcast of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.
Today in Ohio: On the day before Thanksgiving, Gov. Mike DeWine announced he signed Ohio’s transgender bathroom bill, requiring transgender students at most K-12 schools and colleges in the state to only use bathrooms and locker rooms based on their biological sex at birth. We’re talking about the move on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.
CEO hearing: Democrats who currently control the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs are blasting CEOs of the nation’s largest credit reporting agencies for refusing to appear at a previously agreed upon oversight hearing after last month’s election switched future Senate control to Republicans. Sabrina Eaton reports the chief executives of Transunion, Experian, and Equifax had agreed in August to testify at a Nov. 21 hearing, but withdrew several days after Republicans won enough seats in the Nov. 5 election to assume control of Congress next year.
Final results: Ohio’s voter turnout for the 2024 election ranks in the middle of the pack among the 12 presidential elections since 1980, with more than 71.7% of voters casting ballots. Robert Higgs reports that Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Monday formally closed the books on the 2024 election, certifying the official counts for the state.
Sloopys: With another holiday season upon us, there’s one important list we need your help filling out: the Ohio politics and government officials most deserving of the seventh annual Sloopys, Capitol Letter’s annual Ohio political awards.
Traffic deaths: Ohio saw the least amount of traffic deaths over a Thanksgiving weekend in the past six years, reports Olivia Mitchell. The State Highway Patrol reported Monday that Ohio had eight deaths, the fewest since 2018. That year, nine people died. That marks a steep drop in traffic deaths compared to recent years, including in 2022 when 19 people died.
Parental responsibility: Euclid City Council will revive a proposal that would allow police and local prosecutors to bring criminal charges against parents when their children commit crimes. Cory Shaffer reports council placed the so-called parental responsibility law on the agenda for Monday night’s meeting, about two months after council’s public safety committee ended an hours-long September hearing on the measure by making no recommendation on it.
Jail doctor: The MetroHealth System is hiring an overnight physician to address nighttime medical calls in the jail and avoid millions of dollars in transportation costs for inmates who would otherwise have to be sent to the hospital. The nocturnist, as the overnight physician is called, will provide care in the jail starting this month, reports Kaitlin Durbin.
Turnpike tolls: The Ohio Turnpike announced Monday that toll rates for drivers in passenger vehicles who pay cash or use credit cards will increase to 10.4 cents per mile in 2025, an increase of nearly 1 cent from 9.6 cents per mile, Cliff Pinckard reports. Passenger car drivers who use E-ZPass will pay 7.1 cents per mile, up from 6.5 cents.
The Canadian-flagged motor vessel Tim S. Dool ran aground in the St. Lawrence Seaway.U.S. Coast Guard 9th District
Ship stuck: A coordinated effort by the U.S. Coast Guard and others to free a Canadian-flagged ship that ran aground in the St. Lawrence Seaway more than a week ago has so far been unsuccessful, Peter Krouse reports.
Lake effect: A lake-effect snowstorm that’s showing no mercy continues to pound the northern portions of Ashtabula County, with more than 5 feet of snow recorded in Saybrook Township, Cliff Pinckard reports. Cuyahoga County avoided the heaviest snow, with Richmond Heights recording 1.6 inches.
Suicide hotline: Two years after the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline telephone number was introduced, only 15% of American adults say they know about it, reports Julie Washington.
Kosar lawsuits: Browns icon Bernie Kosar is once again trying to beat the defense in two lawsuits involving business ventures gone bad, reports Sean McDonnell. One lawsuit is Kosar’s case against BIGPLAY Media, a podcasting company that set up the ceremonial sports wager that led to Kosar being fired from his Browns radio job. In the other, the former Browns quarterback is suing his neighbor-turned-business partner in a company called Kosar Wellness.
Exoneration: Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson is seeking to exonerate four men who were convicted of murdering a woman in 1991. Lucas Daprile reports Tomlinson on Monday said that he filed a joint motion with defense attorneys seeking new trials for Alfred Cleveland, Benson Davis, John Edwards and Lenworth Edwards, who were convicted of murdering Marsha Blakely.
Ask Lucas: A woman wants to know how to make her husband get off the couch and shovel the driveway. Lucas Daprile writes, “Since you’re doing the stereotypically macho male gender role, you get to have the stereotypically macho male toys. I’m talking, of course, about acquiring a flamethrower.”
Nate Bargatze will perform in Cleveland in October 2025.Getty Images for The Michael J.
Nate Bargatze: Fans of Nate Bargatze will get the opportunity to see the hilarious stand-up comedian perform at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse next year. Bargatze, known for various standup specials and for hosting “Saturday Night Live” twice in recent years, will stop in Cleveland on Oct. 4 as part of his “Big Dumb Eyes” world tour, reports Alex Darus.
Drinks books: A handful of books on drinks crossed our desks this year. Marc Bona rounds them up.
AC/DC: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers AC/DC will bring their upcoming U.S. stadium tour to Huntington Bank Field on May 28. Tickets for the show go on sale at noon Friday, reports Malcolm X Abram.
Don’t forget, you can always find the latest Cleveland news by visiting cleveland.com. If you value the hard work of Cleveland journalists, consider becoming a cleveland.com subscriber.
— Curated by content director Laura Johnston with contributions by by Cliff Pinckard.
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