An online survey has been soliciting opinions on Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne’s opposition to a new Browns stadium in Brook Park.
Links to the survey made the rounds in Cleveland political circles this week. The questions appeared to lean in favor of the NFL team leaving downtown Cleveland for the suburbs. The survey closed on Friday, but screenshots of the questions were shared with Signal Cleveland.
“When considering going into downtown Cleveland for a sporting event, going out to a restaurant, or another reason, what is the biggest reason you might avoid going into downtown Cleveland?” one question asked.
Traffic, parking and safety concerns were among the multiple-choice answers.
According to text messages promoting the link, the survey was conducted by a company called GM Polling. A Browns spokesperson said the team had nothing to add about the survey. The team did not answer a question about whether the Browns commissioned the poll.
Some survey questions asked for feedback on statements that mirrored the Browns’ own talking points in favor of a move to Brook Park. For instance, one question highlighted the team’s economic impact report on a new stadium. Another said a move would “create an opportunity to reimagine our lakefront.”
Yet another presented the idea that a new “state-of-the-art-NFL stadium and entertainment district” would “attract more events and increase the positive economic impact on the region.”
The survey asked respondents to rate Ronayne’s performance as the head of Cuyahoga County government. It also asked if users agreed with Ronayne’s position that the Browns should stay downtown.
One answer read, “I think County Executive Chris Ronayne should be supportive of either option because he represents all of Cuyahoga County.”
A spokesperson for Ronayne’s office said the executive and his staff had “no idea who commissioned the poll.” In a campaign fundraising email, the county executive called it a push poll – that is, a poll designed to sway the thinking of poll-takers.
“This poll used inflated economic impact data, fear tactics, and persuasive language to argue for an unprecedented sum of public money to be committed to a new stadium for the Cleveland Browns outside of the downtown core,” Ronayne’s campaign email read.
The survey did present an argument in favor of remaining downtown, asking if respondents agreed that the Browns would “lose their historic roots and culture” if they moved to Brook Park.