Judge4Yourself on trial (again). Several Democratic judicial candidates are sitting out J4Y’s ranking interviews. Dems call the process “an attempt to control electoral results” favoring personal interactions between lawyers and judges. signalcleveland.org/judge4yourse...

Democrats say candidates will skip Judge4Yourself interviews

For years, Cleveland-area bar associations have ranked judicial candidates — at times facing criticism from political parties.

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What did Cleveland's public safety watchdog accomplish before resigning? Monitoring team told a federal judge there was "no evidence" of work directly related to the consent decree. City Hall says the IG initiated several reviews. From @frankwlewis.bsky.social: signalcleveland.org/cleveland-po...

Cleveland police monitor questions what watchdog accomplished

Cleveland's latest Public Safety Inspector General is leaving. Federal monitors question what she accomplished related to the consent decree.

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We have a look at the relatively new nonprofit, led by the mayor's former chief of education, that has supported and recruited new charter schools in coming to Cleveland. signalcleveland.org/behind-a-new...

Behind a new push to bring high quality schools to Cleveland

Future Ready Cleveland, a new nonprofit is a part of reshaping education options in Cleveland, including a crop of new charter schools.

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The recent debate over surveillance tech in Cleveland has focused on Flock. Now the city is seeking bids for license plate readers, gunshot detection and drones. A spokesperson for one anti-surveillance group says the group objects no matter who wins the work. signalcleveland.org/cleveland-po...

Cleveland's surveillance debate may grow beyond Flock

Cleveland is seeking vendors who can provide license plate readers, gunshot detection and drones. Will it stick with Flock Safety?

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Facing $2.6 million in unpaid bills and an understaffed police force racking up overtime, East Cleveland will ask voters to hike the income tax in November. signalcleveland.org/east-clevela...

East Cleveland seeks income tax hike in November election

The Cleveland suburb, which has spent the last 14 years in fiscal emergency, is proposing to raise the tax rate from 2% to 2.5%.

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Cleveland Public Power's commissioner just had this to say about FirstEnergy: "We’re competing with a utility that is not our good friend." More from this week's power outage town hall, where CPP explained its dilemma in paying for years of deferred maintenance: signalcleveland.org/cleveland-pu...

Cleveland Public Power deals with history of deferred maintenance

The 120-year-old, city-owned utility’s main source of money for upgrading the system is the ratepayers themselves.

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RTA makes its case for raising Cuyahoga County's sales tax: More money will mean more frequent buses and trains, CEO says. More on RTA's push to get more money as it deals with service cuts and ridership that's still below pre-COVID levels: signalcleveland.org/greater-clev...

Cleveland RTA chief: sales tax hike would boost service, ridership

A looming fiscal cliff has led RTA to ask Cuyahoga County voters next May to increase its biggest single revenue source, the sales tax.

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The nonprofit that owns Progressive Field and Rocket Arena is practically out of money for repairs. But the repairs keep coming. The Cavs plan to replace the Humongotron, other scoreboards and the arena audio system for $37 million. signalcleveland.org/cleveland-ca...

Cavs seek new Humongotron, other repairs for $37 million

Gateway, the nonprofit that owns the ballpark and arena, is functionally out of taxpayer money for looming repair requests.

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Ohio auditor dings Cleveland City Council for sloppy paperwork in its program handing out grocery store gift cards to residents. Council president says he's working to tighten up the program: signalcleveland.org/cleveland-ci...

Ohio auditor scrutinizes Cleveland City Council food giveaways

Council President Blaine Griffin says he is working to fix problems in council's program distributing grocery store gift cards to residents.

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Cleveland's public safety inspector general submits resignation, citing a parent's health and what she termed the "City’s changing direction regarding public safety oversight." signalcleveland.org/cleveland-po...

Cleveland police inspector general resigns, leaving new vacancy

When City Hall hired Shayleen Agarwal as public safety inspector general in late 2024, the job had been open for years.

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A divided Cleveland City Council voted to extend the city's Flock license plate reader for another 6 months. In the final hours, council tweaked the legislation to cut off the Northeast Ohio Regional Fusion Center's access to Cleveland's Flock system. signalcleveland.org/cleveland-to...

Cleveland to keep Flock cameras, pause new data center projects

Cleveland City Council approved a six-month extension for Flock license plate readers and a three-month data center moratorium.

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Cleveland City Council expected to vote on extending the city's Flock license plate reader contract. Here are things that we've learned about Cleveland's Flock program during the last several months of debate: signalcleveland.org/cleveland-fl...

What to know about the surveillance debate over Cleveland’s Flock cameras

Cleveland's debate over surveillance with Flock license plate readers will likely continue, even after Council's vote.

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A cautionary data point for RTA's sales tax levy campaign: In a May survey, 54% of Cuyahoga County voters said they would support more money for public transit — but can't afford to. signalcleveland.org/greater-clev...

Pollster urges RTA to woo undecided voters in sales tax campaign

A survey of Cuyahoga County voters underscores the political challenges RTA faces in its big to raise the sales tax.

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💡 We are answering your questions about Cleveland Public Power, FirstEnergy, outages and more. Tell me what you want to know here: signalcleveland.org/your-questio...

Your Greater Cleveland power outage questions answered

The outages over the July 4 weekend were just the latest electricity failures in Northeast Ohio that have frustrated residents.

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Over the next year, voters could be asked to raise taxes for the Cuyahoga County safety net, disability services and public transit. Details here: signalcleveland.org/cuyahoga-cou...

Tax hikes proposed for county human services, RTA and disabilities

Multiple tax increases could be headed for Cuyahoga County voters’ ballots over the next year. Read on for a rundown.

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Cleveland's contract for Flock license plate readers appears headed for a six-month renewal. @frankwlewis.bsky.social has details from yesterday's lengthy City Council meeting: signalcleveland.org/cleveland-ci...

Cleveland City Council poised to back six-month Flock extension

The compromise would include the city accepting bids from other license plate reader providers and sharing information on how police use them.

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Lot of current Cleveland politics embedded in yesterday's data center moratorium hearing — talk of billionaire oligarchs, lobbying from the building trades, fear making Cleveland "closed for business," appeals to the railroads and steel mills of old. signalcleveland.org/cleveland-da...

Cleveland 3-month data center pause heads to City Council vote

Cleveland is preparing to put a hold on new data centers as it writes zoning rules for the high-tech projects. Read more.

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Gateway could vote as soon as July on $6M in Progressive Field repairs, allocating much of the remaining lifeline it received from Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Then we'll be back to the neverending stadium question: Where will repair money come from? signalcleveland.org/rocket-arena...

Rocket Arena and Progressive Field need more repair money. Who should pay?

Cleveland and Cuyahoga County came up with $40 million for repairs in 2024. But that money is running out. Read more for details.

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Cleveland is already home to several data centers, albeit smaller ones than their hyperscale counterparts. Known as carrier hotels or colocation centers, they house companies’ servers and connect to internet providers. You’ve probably walked or driven past them downtown.

A look at Cleveland's little-known downtown data centers

Data centers have long been part of Cleveland's tech infrastructure — long before today's artificial intelligence boom.

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Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, on the sidelines of a conference in Cleveland, offered this advice for cities and towns worried about data centers: "Cut a good deal. The deal is in your hands." signalcleveland.org/ohio-mike-de...

Ohio Gov. DeWine's advice on data centers: Go make a deal

DeWine said Ohio can't close its borders to data centers, but that local governments should seek out deals with developers.

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From Weekly Chatter: 🔸 Former councilman & mayoral candidate Basheer Jones is out of prison 🔸 David Brock runs for another term leading the sprawling and fractious Cuyahoga County Democratic Party 🔸 A look at City Hall's original grand renovation ideas signalcleveland.org/basheer-jone...

Basheer Jones released from prison

Former Cleveland mayoral candidate Basheer Jones left prison in April. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in late 2024.

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Mayor Justin Bibb's administration went through the Board of Control — sidestepping Cleveland City Council — to sign on for another year of ShotSpotter gunshot detection technology. signalcleveland.org/cleveland-sh...

The view from a meeting in Ward 5 as Mayor Bibb and Cleveland officials argue that it's time to end federal court oversight of the police through the consent decree: signalcleveland.org/cleveland-po...

In Ward 5, Mayor Bibb talks ending federal court oversight of police

Bibb acknowledged residents weren’t all on board with his push to terminate the consent decree with the Justice Department’s support.

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Cleveland's three hospitals have oversight boards for their police forces. But Signal Cleveland health reporter Celia Hack found that the way they handle civilian complaints is opaque: signalcleveland.org/hospital-pol...

Hospital police oversight Cleveland happens behind closed doors

Hospital police departments in Cleveland have boards to hear complaints about police misconduct. But the process is murky.

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From the latest Weekly Chatter: 🔸 CMSD reports it missed out on $41.5 million last year from tax-abated properties 🔸 Cleveland City Council — you heard that right — speaks up for civility in government 🔸 Quick look at the mechanics of a Bibb recall signalcleveland.org/cleveland-me...

CMSD missed out on $41.5 million from tax abatements in 2025

Each year, the district reports the amount of revenue that has been waived by Cleveland's property tax abatements.

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Cleveland says it will search for a new grocer to operate the Eastside Market after booting out NEON, the financially troubled health service that was behind on taxes for the property. signalcleveland.org/cleveland-lo...

Cleveland looks for new grocer to run Eastside Market

The city had high hopes for the Eastside Market's revival as a neighborhood option for fresh food. Now, its again looking for a new operator.

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From Weekly Chatter: Last week Cleveland City Council passed a TIF to redevelop a vacant industrial site. But what's interesting is how many members voted no in a usually unanimous council. signalcleveland.org/cleveland-we...

Vacant industrial site wins Cleveland tax incentive, with opposition

Five council members voted against the tax increment financing deal, including one who described such subsidies as a 'race to the bottom'.

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The Haslams’ new man in Washington: Lee Weingart, the Republican former county executive candidate and longtime lobbyist. He’s repping the Haslam Sports Group’s development arm — the one involved in the new stadium — on tax issues. signalcleveland.org/cleveland-br...

Browns ownership taps Lee Weingart to lobby Congress

A Republican former county commissioner, Lee Weingart is the founder and chair of government relations shop LNE Group.

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ICYMI: Community Police Commission tried to file an amicus brief opposing Cleveland's effort to end the police consent decree. Judge denied CPC's request to file because it "could widen existing disagreements between the City and the Commission." signalcleveland.org/cleveland-co...

Police commission effort to weigh in on Cleveland consent decree denied

The commission had asked permission to file a brief warning against the “premature termination” of court oversight of the police.

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Lately, Cleveland City Hall has been turning to influential local social media accounts (and finding a messenger besides the mainstream media) to get its word out. From Weekly Chatter: signalcleveland.org/cleveland-ma...

Bibb turns to popular social media accounts to get his message out

Mayor Justin Bibb's office says it is trying to reach people who don't tune in to official city government pronouncements.

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