Cleveland Mayor Justin M. Bibb delivered his second State of the City Address, reflecting on the highs and lows of his first year in office, the barriers, and the breakthroughs. Mayor Bibb’s priorities are public safety, housing, economic development, transportation, infrastructure, waterways, neighborhoods, and sustainable development.
Mayor Bibb emphasized the importance of keeping Cleveland safe and the many initiatives underway in the city and by its many partners. Cleveland remains committed to using smart policing by leveraging partnerships with technology, such as its crime gun intelligence center, to solve crimes, identify repeat offenders, and get illegal guns off the streets. The Mayor noted that special operations resulted in more than 100 arrests and the confiscation of over 660 illegal guns.
In his remarks, he stated that law enforcement is only one part of the equation and that the community must invest in prevention and reduction efforts to address the root causes of crime. Mayor Bibb introduced legislation along with the City Council to create one of the nation’s first-ever Neighborhood Safety Endowment Funds using ARPA dollars. This $10 million investment will generate an additional $13 million in grant money over the next 25 years to fund community interventions to reduce violence. The city also has made major investments to double its co-responder teams to get individuals the crisis treatment and care they need.
Mayor Bibb shared that Cleveland is using ARPA funds to create a $50 million site readiness fund, which has the potential to create 25,000 good-paying jobs and yield an additional 40,000 indirect jobs. The investment has the potential to re-activate one thousand acres of currently underutilized land, helping reduce blight and enhance the city’s economic competitiveness. The Mayor also discussed a new partnership with Goldman Sachs to bring its 10,000 Small Business Initiative to Cleveland’s neighborhoods to bolster Black-owned businesses.
Watch Mayor Bibb’s full address here.
