Cuyahoga County's next big tax battles are already taking shape
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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Cuyahoga County voters approved two property tax increases last week, but the region's public financing debates are far from over.
Why it matters: Are they ever? Even as county officials celebrate a financial lifeline that will stabilize health and human services and stave off staffing cuts, the twin specters of an RTA levy and downtown sports facility subsidies loom.
Catch up quick: Issues 10 and 11 passed comfortably, securing long-term funding for developmental disability services and the county's broader social safety net.
- Together, the measures will cost homeowners an additional $166.50 annually per $100,000 in property value.
The big picture: Two major funding questions are on the horizon:
- 🚍 Public transit: RTA is considering its first sales tax increase in half a century to address mounting financial pressures. Some trustees have expressed reservations about pursuing a levy as soon as May 2027.
- 🏟️ Sports facilities: Gateway Economic Development Corp., which oversees Progressive Field and Rocket Arena, says it's out of money for repairs. The Cavaliers are seeking $37 million for scoreboard upgrades and other enhancements.
What they're saying: County Executive Chris Ronayne is urging caution on the RTA levy, telling Signal Cleveland a coherent transportation strategy is needed.
- "Without a plan, I don't see an easy path to passage, and so I think we need to take a step back, develop a community transportation plan."
Meanwhile, a funding source for the Cavs upgrades is unclear. Ronayne said county and city officials are meeting with the teams to determine how to divide Gateway expenses.
- The goal is to "mete out the cost share between teams, the City of Cleveland and the county," he told Signal Cleveland.
The bottom line: Cuyahoga County's already substantial tax burden makes additional requests politically sensitive — a concern illustrated by the editorial board of Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer, which opposed Issue 11 as a rebuke to what it characterized as county fiscal irresponsibility.
- "You have to live within your means," their editorial chastised. "Ronayne and the council treat us as a bottomless ATM."