Mayor Justin Bibb said on Thursday that he was keeping his campaign promises to modernize an outdated City Hall and tackle Cleveland’s biggest problems. 

The mayor hinted that the Cleveland Metropolitan School District may close school buildings as it digs out of a projected budget deficit. He argued that police pay raises were attracting more candidates to the force’s depleted ranks. And while he promoted his plans for the lakefront, he did not mention his negotiations with the Browns on the future of the stadium. 

Bibb spoke for around 50 minutes in his third State of the City speech at the Mimi Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square, prefacing his remarks with a video touting his administration’s work. Afterward, he sat down with Cleveland State University President Laura Bloomberg for a brief question-and-answer session. 

The 36-year-old Bibb is just a year away from his 2025 reelection bid. While he didn’t bring up next year’s election, he laid out his case that he was closing the deal he made to voters when he ran in 2021.

“Over the past two years, we haven’t shied away from our toughest challenges, and we won’t start now,” the mayor said. “We’ve reset relationships. We’ve taken on predatory landlords. We’ve delivered on a modern City Hall. We’ve been bold in our vision for our waterfronts and the Southeast Side.”

Protesters in the audience interrupted the speech twice to challenge the mayor over the war in Gaza.

Early in the speech, a person near the back of the auditorium stood and shouted at Bibb about a social media post he wrote in support of Israel following the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas. 

“You have not rescinded your support,” the person said. 

The mayor briefly allowed the person to speak before asking the audience to clap.

“Let’s clap our hands for freedom of speech in this country,” Bibb replied. “That’s why I love America so much.” 

“How many Palenstinians have to die?” the protester repeated before event staff led him away. 

Later, as Bibb marked the looming 10-year anniversary of the killing of Tamir Rice by a Cleveland police officer, another protester interrupted the mayor. 

“Mayor Bibb you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide,” the person said. Bibb allowed him to finish speaking before moving on. 

‘Hard and necessary choices’ facing for Cleveland public schools

Bibb used the speech to reiterate his support for Warren Morgan, the new schools CEO. Morgan, whom Bibb backed as Eric Gordon’s successor leading CMSD, “brings the fresh perspectives and diverse experiences we need,” the mayor said. 

Morgan and Bibb must navigate the school district through a financial rip-tide caused by the expiration of federal pandemic aid. The district has already cut its support for out-of-school programs offered by third party nonprofits. 

In his speech, the mayor said the district faced “hard and necessary choices.” He said the district’s building footprint was outdated and in need of a realignment. 

“Our schools were built in an era when Cleveland’s population was triple the size,” Bibb said. “We are overdue to adjust for the here and now. And instead of allocating funds to keep up aging buildings, let’s fund after-school programs and tools for teachers.”

Afterward, while taking questions from reporters, Bibb stopped short of saying that he planned to close school buildings. But he alluded to the district’s footprint as being among the “hard choices” school leadership faced. 

“Part of those conversations require reimagining the footprint of CMSD to ensure we have the right resources to ensure high-quality schools in every neighborhood of our city,” he said. “We’re in the early stages of those conversations, but it will be a comprehensive, collaborative effort between City Hall, Dr. Morgan and the board of education.” 

Morgan has previously said that a CMSD deficit reduction plan from several years ago called for closing school buildings – but that the district did not go through with the idea. 

Asked after the speech about a report from Plain Dealer columnist Brent Larkin that the district would likely seek a new levy, Bibb replied that that decision rested with CMSD’s board. 

“It’s going to be the board’s decision to put a levy on the ballot,” he said. “But I know that Dr. Morgan and the board are looking at all options, and I want to respect their process.” 

Bibb talks up police raises and defends ShotSpotter

The mayor credited pay raises and an increase in recruitment age for attracting the latest police academy class. With 52 cadets, the class is larger than several of the last few classes. 

At the end of 2023, the city employed 1,169 officers. This year’s budget calls for a force of 1,350, with money for 180 new cadets. The number of homicides has fallen since hitting a high of 180 in 2020, but they still remain above pre-pandemic levels. 

Bibb highlighted the expansion of ShotSpotter across the city, saying the gunshot detection technology had saved lives. During the question-and-answer session with the CSU president afterward, the mayor acknowledged that the technology was “controversial” in some corners. The City of Chicago recently opted not to renew its contract with the company amid claims of inaccuracy. 

Cleveland has hired CSU to study ShotSpotter’s effectiveness. And Bibb said the technology has a role to play in the city. 

“When you look at the nature of gun violence in our city and the fact that, in many cases, folks don’t dial 911, having that technology is so important,” he said. 

Developing the Southeast Side and taking on dilapidated rentals

Bibb spent most of his speech outlining the work of the last two years, but did use the stage to make one news announcement. The news was that Cleveland is seeking developers to bring new life to several pieces of publicly-owned land in Lee-Harvard. 

The land slated for redevelopment includes two defunct school sites, the three-acre Gracemount School and the 14-acre John F. Kennedy High School. As a candidate, Bibb promised “cranes in the sky” in the Southeast Side neighborhoods where he spent his youth. 

“Cranes are coming to the Southeast Side,” he said Thursday in a callback to that campaign promise. 

The mayor also revisited his “Residents First” overhaul of city housing codes. The legislation, which Cleveland City Council passed this year, is meant to give the city new tools for targeting run-down properties owned by faraway landlords. 

Bibb acknowledged two members of council who have been in the thick of battles over properties in their wards. He noted that Deborah Gray of Ward 4 traveled to New York land year to speech with the owners of apartment buildings near Shaker Square. Ward 8’s Michael Polensek had seen people as far away as Belgium buying up houses in Cleveland, the mayor said. 

“Predatory landlords have been getting a free ride in Cleveland,” Bibb said. “Those days are over. Over.”

Bibb looks to 2025 reelection

Although Bibb avoided any explicit talk of the 2025 race in his remarks, his campaign took advantage of the spotlight. As soon as the mayor closed his speech, the campaign sent out a fundraising email to supporters with the subject line, “I just stepped off the stage.” 

No candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for that contest, which likely won’t begin in earnest until next year. But the mayor gave a nod to seeking a second term during a scrum with reporters after his speech. 

“I inherited a long to-do list, and that list won’t be complete in four years,” he said. “So we have a lot more work to do.”