Public safety and core city services are Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb's priorities this year, the city's top official said in his annual budget presentation to Cleveland City Council.
Bibb has proposed a $14 million increase in public safety over last year. That budget includes recent pay bumps for police and fire 鈥� and a goal to fill all 1,350 budget officer positions for the first time in years.
He said the increase in investment, as well as the $21 million renovation of police stations, will help reach that goal.
"I'm confident that these improvements will strengthen morale, boost retention and recruitment, and further enhance the quality of public safety in our city," Bibb told members of council on Tuesday.
The fire department is currently fully staffed as the city stabilizes police numbers. For years, the division has suffered a shortage of officers, with Bibb even slashing hundreds of vacant positions in previous budgets.
Public safety accounts for roughly half the city's operating budget.
As in years past, safety was top of mind for most council members who spoke during the budget hearing.
Many pointed to safety concerns and the problems facing Cleveland Metropolitan School District as a reason that residents leave the city.
To the displeasure of some council members, Bibb defended the district's plans to close and consolidate schools across the district.
"I wish we didn't lose 50% of our student population since the early 2000s. I wish that prior administrations and prior leaders at CMSD were not afraid to make hard choices about the future of the footprint at CMS," Bibb said. "But unfortunately, that is not the reality that I live in or the reality that you all live in."
As the city also prepares to lose major assets like the Browns stadium and the Downtown county jail to neighboring suburbs, Bibb said he plans to double down on Downtown investments; something he has taken flack from some council members who say the neighborhoods aren't reaping any benefits.
Bibb pointed to the city's Shore-to-Core-to-Shore tax increment financing district as a promising way to ensure reinvestment in the central business district, which he said is critical to keeping neighborhood services up and running.
"The ancient old argument of Downtown versus the neighborhoods: I think it continues to be a zero-sum game if we have that mindset," Bibb said. "A majority of all the revenue we get as a city to fund everything we need to get done in our neighborhoods is funded by our general downtown urban core central business district.
"So for us to make sure we have more money to hire more police. More money for home repair, home rehab, more money to fix potholes and water main breaks."
Bibb's budget proposal includes six new positions in the Department of Development, formerly known as the Department of Economic Development, to improve local economic activity.
In addition to bolstering the site readiness fund, which turns vacant or contaminated land into shovel-ready plots to attract developers, Bibb said he's focused on supporting four key industries in Cleveland: aerospace and defense at NASA Glenn, advanced manufacturing, food manufacturing and healthcare.
"We're focused on doubling down on the key segments of the economy where Cleveland is actually winning in the global marketplace," Bibb said.
Bibb handed over his to council earlier this month, boasting a "strong 2025" with higher-than-expected revenue and more than $90 million in carryover funds.
In the coming days, council will vet the budget with the director of each department and meet with Bibb's administration to negotiate changes.
Per the city's charter, the budget must be passed April 1.
