Mar 25, 2026 - Politics

Cleveland passes $2.3 billion budget for 2026

Sam Allard

Illustration of Cleveland City Hall with lines radiating from it. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Cleveland City Council approved the city's $2.3 billion budget at its meeting this week, including about $920 million in General Fund spending for core services.

Driving the news: The plan passed 11-3 — with Stephanie Howse-Jones, Tanmay Shah and Richard Starr voting against — after weeks of negotiations with Mayor Justin Bibb's administration.

Why it matters: The city is entering the year with unusually strong reserves, giving officials room to invest in infrastructure and staffing.

By the numbers: Cleveland ended 2025 with $73 million in its payroll reserve fund, $70 million in its rainy-day fund and $92 million in the General Fund.

Council and the administration agreed to allocate an extra $17.5 million toward priorities like housing, parks and streets.

Zoom in: The largest line item is $8 million for street resurfacing, bringing the total 2026 investment to $20 million.

Nearly $1 million will be allocated to hire 15 new junior executive assistants for council members.

The bottom line: The balance sheet, for the moment, is healthy.

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Cleveland passes $2.3 billion budget for 2026

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