CLEVELAND — Mayor Frank Jackson recently released a 500-page budget proposal to suggest how $670 million should be spent.
Highlights include adding 61,000 energy-efficient LED streetlights, the continued demolition of blighted buildings, increased spending on street repairs, and $5 million for the city’s rainy-day fund.
City Council is now reviewing the proposal, with members weighing in on what they want too.
Councilman Basheer Jones raised concerns when it came to diversity.
“It’s hard to argue that there’s no discrimination in practices when these numbers continue to show that there’s something going on,” he said. “Something has to change.”
The greatest scrutiny fell on EMS and the fire department, which in turn put their leaders on the defensive.
“As far as firefighters go, out of 554, 123 firefighters – 23% are minority,” Chief Angelo Calvillo said. “Do we have room for improvement? Of course, we do.”
Jones said that was still not good enough.
“It’s ruining peoples’ lives and it’s ruining communities,” he said. “Because you have people who are applying to these positions and they’re not getting an opportunity to move forward.”
For now, it seems like a lot remains on the table. Cleveland City Council has until April 1st to get the city’s funds into place.