No One Told Us the Frank Jackson “Briefings” Would Be Videos With Such Tender Musical Accompaniment

As promised, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has released the first in what has been billed as a regular series of “briefings” to keep residents apprised of what’s going on at City Hall.

But we had no idea these briefings would be in video form! Nor could we have anticipated that they’d be accompanied by such soft and soothing strings. (We note the guitar in the frame’s background and humbly request that if Jackson plays, he do so in the next briefing.) 

These briefings, Jackson says, will “really get into the details of how we’re, and why we’re, doing something.”

In this introductory message, he reprises one of his greatest hits, explaining the function and purpose of city government — “We’re not a for-profit corporation. We’re not a non-profit corporation,” — and provides some examples of what he’s been up to lately: budget hearings, training trauma coaches at city rec centers, and preparing to unveil the new city kennel.

Along with a decision, announced late last month, to make the Mayor’s monthly calendar publicly available online, these briefings are an effort to improve transparency and accountability at City Hall, especially after reporting in Scene which examined the Mayor’s calendars for the past two years and revealed that he spends considerable time away from the office.  

This article appears in Mar 6-12, 2019.