Cleveland City Council members spent nine days picking through Mayor Justin Bibb’s $2.3 billion 2026 budget proposal. Much of that money covers basic city services, such as police, fire, EMS and trash pickup. The annual budget hearings offer council members a chance to question city department and division heads and to put their two cents in about where they want to see more–or less–taxpayer money spent.
Below is a rundown of some of the highlights from our Cleveland Documenters, who listen in on the sessions, some which ran as late as 10 p.m. this year.
Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration
Day 1 of budget hearings started with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration presenting its 2026 General Fund budget priorities, emphasizing public safety, neighborhood stability and modernization.
Cleveland Budget 2026
Bibb administration tells council it is focused on public safety, neighborhood stability
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration presented its 2026 General Fund budget priorities, emphasizing public safety, neighborhood stability and modernization.
Cleveland Department of Law
On Day 2, Cleveland City Council heard from the Department of Law. Council focused questions around the pay of legal staff, the department’s capacity to process contracts, and the department’s approach to addressing mounting code violations, especially against out-of-town property owners.
Cleveland Budget 2026
Cleveland City Council to law department: Speed up your work
In this 2026 budget, Cleveland’s Department of Law proposes to increase prosecutor staffing by five people, with a slight decrease in administrative staff. The department continues to modernize its operations, using new tools such as Matrix and DocuSign to increase efficiency, communication and accountability.
Public Safety, Community Police Commission, Office of Professional Standards, Division of Animal Care and Control, Division of Corrections, Department of Justice, Public Safety Inspector General, Division of Emergency Medical Service, Division of Fire
Later on Day 2, Council heard from the Department of Public Safety. The discussion focused on police accountability at the start and later turned to nuisance animals. A pilot program, which Council President Blaine Griffin called “exciting,” is providing residents with services like humane trapping procedures and single point entry home repair (at no cost to residents). Learn more about this program in reporting from Signal Cleveland’s Nick Castele.
Cleveland Budget 2026
Raccoons and skunks and deer, oh my: Council members discuss animal control
Bruce Campbell, Division of Animal Care and Control manager, informed the council that, thus far, there was no cost-effective way to control the growing deer population.
Cleveland Housing Court, Cleveland Municipal Court
On Day 3, Judges Wiltshire and Oakar fielded questions from council members about a variety of topics, including evictions, shoplifting, traffic tickets and office furniture.
Cleveland Budget 2026
How Cleveland courts aim to spend millions on staffing, IT security and outreach
Cleveland Housing Court Administrative Judge Cheryl Wiltshire and Cleveland Municipal Court Administrative and Presiding Judge Ann Oakar spoke to Cleveland City Council members about their budget needs for 2026.
Clerk of Courts, Cleveland Municipal Court, Office of Equal Opportunity, Community Development
Later on Day 3, Council heard from the Clerk of Courts, the Office Equal Opportunity and the Department of Development. Council expressed confusion over overlapping responsibilities in the newly-created Department of Development, which oversees community and economic development. Members stressed the need for clarity, efficiency and accountability.
Cleveland Budget 2026
Clerk of Courts defends ticket collection practices; Equal opportunity office continues minority hiring efforts
Clerk of Court staffing challenges remain with 134 vacancies, and artificial intelligence (AI) is being explored to support operations, not replace staff. Council raised concerns about communication, reporting and fair enforcement of parking and waste tickets.
Park Maintenance and Properties, Golf Courses, West Side Market
On Day 4, Council heard from the Division of Parks and Recreation. The city needs to fill 17 to 20 positions in the Division of Park Maintenance to provide needed maintenance at city parks, baseball fields, and other properties.
Cleveland Budget 2026
Council question golf course subsides totaling almost $1 million
Council Members Mike Polensek, Kevin Conwell, Kris Harsh and Brian Kazy expressed frustration and unwillingness to provide a $960,000 subsidy for Highland Park Golf Course.
Department of Building & Housing, Boxing & Wrestling Commission
On Day 5, Council heard the Department of Building and Housing is facing hiring challenges, including outdated civil service laws and competing with private sector salaries for inspectors, which impacts code enforcement in the city. The city’s Boxing and Wrestling Commission is being evaluated for its continued relevance.
Cleveland Budget 2026
Cleveland turns to new tech to speed up city’s housing department
The Department of Building & Housing is upgrading its digital infrastructure with new software and platforms.
Department of Port Control, Division of Harbors, Cleveland-Hopkins Airport, Burke Lakefront Airport
On Day 6, Council heard there are currently 505 positions within Port Control, but only 354 are filled. Of those, 27% of department employees are female, 51% are White, 39% are African-American, and 4% are Hispanic.
Cleveland Budget 2026
More than 100 jobs open at Cleveland’s Port Control, many at Hopkins
The Department of Port Control is asking for approximately $195 million in the 2026 budget, an increase from around $189 last year. Of the $195 million, approximately $2.9 million is allocated for Burke Lakefront Airport.
Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects, Human Resources, Office of Sustainability
Closing out budget hearings was a discussion of sidewalk repair, Human Resources and sustainability. A new project manager has been hired to oversee sidewalk repairs.
Cleveland Budget 2026
Sidewalk repair, city HR functions come in for questioning from Cleveland City Council
The Mayor’s Office of Capital Projects (MOCAP) oversees a host of construction projects in the city of Cleveland.