A jury is deciding the fate of suspended East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King. The fate of the financially strapped suburb now rests with Sandra Morgan, who was appointed by a judge to serve as mayor in King’s absence.
She is drawing on the expertise of advisors she calls her “county brain trust.” The group, convened by Cuyahoga County Executive Ronayne, includes other county officials, Zack Reed from Mayor Justin Bibb’s administration, Floun’say Caver from the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Cleveland Metroparks human resources chief Harold Harrison, Teresa Metcalf Beasley from the law firm McDonald Hopkins and East Cleveland resident Ndeda Letson of Citizens Bank.
One of Morgan’s many tasks is to pay down a stack of outstanding bills. As of March 6, the city owed nearly $1.2 million, according to the state auditor’s office. That includes more than $187,000 due to the state pension system for police officers and firefighters.
Morgan told Signal Cleveland this week that creditors have been patient. She has set up payment plans with some of them, she said.
She also needs to hire for key positions, including a law director. Longtime Law Director Willa Hemmons’ last day with the city was at the end of March, Morgan said.
East Cleveland has been in fiscal emergency since 2012. The latest state report on the city’s financial health offers a sober outlook. The city “will need to make drastic expenditure cuts” to deal with shortfalls, the report said.
Despite those rocky shoals, Morgan sounds optimistic.
“I feel like the sun is in my face and the wind is at my back,” she said. “I’m getting my sea legs.”
It’s a remarkably placid answer, given that the city has seen nothing but choppy water for more than a decade.
