Roldo: In North Coast Waterfront Development Corporation, Mayor and Council Hide Behind Unelected Body

Why is it that our local officials continue to privatize more and more functions of governing?

This puts a solid barrier between governing functions and the people who are governed. They like it that way.

The most recent example: a 10-member, unelected North Coast Waterfront Development Corp., announced by the City of Cleveland this fall.

This newest unelected governmental body will presumably make decisions about what is done on a small but crucial portion of the city’s lakefront.

It will also presumably have its own budget, though the amount and main source the public isn’t being told. And how it will be arranged is unknown.

This is the latest of a number of efforts by Cleveland mayors and Cuyahoga County leaders, and their councils, to deflect responsibility.

And it is partly responsible, I believe, for the low voter turnout in the city.

In last August’s special election, only 24 percent of Cleveland voters actually voted. That number was 29% for the November election. The feeling apparently is: “Why vote, it doesn’t matter.”

Certainly the 14 years of Mayor Frank Jackson’s rule — the “it is what is is” attitude — convinced voters their voice didn’t matter.

Low Cleveland city voting contrasts with the hope of past elections, as voter turnout that saw Carl Stokes become the first Black mayor hit 79 percent.

The lakefront deal continues the costly way that allow these elected officials to hide from their responsibilities.

Go back to 1990, when at least the strategy required a vote of the people, to the Gateway Economic Development Corp., still operating today on public funds. It passed narrowly.

And, as it becomes apparent, the source of the funds – in Gateway’s manner — are taxes that are rigidly regressive. Sales taxes on liquor, beer, wine, and cigarettes.

The first 15 years the “sin” tax cost us $116 million.

Come May of 2024, a few months from now, the tax will have had a 30-year run.

The estimate is that it now raises $13.6 million each year.

Gateway also is a tax evader. But since it is a non-voted body with members that ordinary citizens don’t recognize, who can complain.

The Cleveland school board might want to complain, since it loses millions of dollars each year, thanks to former Mayor Mike White and former County commissioner Tim Hagan. They both lobbied successfully to have Gateway properties be totally exempted from paying one penny of property taxes.

That means we all – homeowners or renters – pay a bit more for property taxes.

The lakefront deal already has the stench of insider politics.

Board members have already been selected.

My favorite is David Gilbert, CEO of Destination Cleveland. If you want any happy talk, he’s your guy.

He’s already teed up his function on the board.

Gilbert said in a statement, “My whole career has been dedicated to improving Cleveland and strengthening its economy for everyone, and I look forward to working with the board, the city and the community to implement our collective vision for the lakefront.”

Does anyone fall for this kind of testimony?

Others include links to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority, the Science Center and, of course, a representative of the Haslam Sports Group. We already know that Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam want a piece of that lakefront land for development. They paid for an early study plan.

It’s such a cozy Cleveland deal.

Since the elected officials have created unelected bodies to function as your government in these cases, there’s no normal way for citizens to protest or ask questions.

Cleveland, thanks to Mayor White, doesn’t even have an elected school board with competition to get elected.

Yet, Council President Blaine Griffin told Nick Castele of Signal, “We represent the people of Cleveland. Anything else you hear is disingenuous, hyperbole and misleading.”

I don’t think so Council President. We have, when convenient, government by fiat.

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