Cleveland Port Authority boss gets bonus after all
The Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority board has signed off on a $10,000 bonus for CEO William Friedman. Following a discussion in executive session at its latest board meeting, Friedman was awarded the full 3% bonus of base salary allowed under his contract.
At a December board meeting, several board members were missing and those in attendance deadlocked over the bonus, though the board still agreed to give him a 2% raise, which brought his salary to $355,470.
At this week’s meeting, the vote was 6-2 in favor of the bonus. Board Member David Wondolowski, who heads the Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council, and former labor leader Dan O’Malley voted against it.
Cuyahoga County political parties trying to boost finances
Heading into the presidential campaign season, Cuyahoga County’s political parties have modest bank accounts, according to the latest campaign finance reports. Though the state parties and candidates pour money into get-out-the-vote efforts, local parties can play an important role in organizing, particularly in the closely watched U.S. Senate race.
The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party reported it had $130,914 on hand through mid-December. The party raised $13,228 in new contributions during the latest reporting period, the bulk in small donations collected through the Democratic fundraising platform Act Blue.
The Cuyahoga County Republican Party, which came under fire from some members last year for its lackluster fundraising, reported having just $13,790 on hand. The party collected two donations totaling $25,000 in the latest reporting period. Longtime GOP stalwart and senior advisor at Jones Day Richard Pogue contributed $20,000. A local consulting firm, Strategies for Results, contributed $5,000.
In the previous reporting period, the party’s finances were buoyed by a donation from businessman Mike Gibbons, who wrote a check for $10,000. (Gibbons spent millions of his own money in 2022 on an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate.)
The county Democratic party hopes to add more to its coffers at its annual fundraising dinner April 14. The event will honor U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, the party’s biggest name brand.
Party Chair David Brock told Signal Cleveland that Brown will give the keynote address and that the party is recruiting other big-name Democrats to speak.
The county GOP is advertising on its website a Feb. 24 luncheon for its finance committee. The featured guest is Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan. Tickets start at $500.
Tri-C in D.C.
Cuyahoga Community College President Michael Baston, along with four other representatives from the college, spent several days in Washington, D.C., this week. The group was there for the National Legislative Summit.
College officials described it as an “annual gathering of community colleges and community college leaders to recognize and discuss student needs/priorities and share those with representatives in Congress.”
Tri-C’s group met with several of Ohio’s elected officials and their staffs, including Sen. Sherrod Brown, Sen. J.D. Vance, Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Rep. Shontel Brown, Rep. Max Miller and Rep. Dave Joyce. College officials said the Tri-C cohort’s biggest push centered around advocating for expanded access to Pell Grants, the federal funding that helps low-income students pay for college.