For every can of beer or bottle of wine or pack of cigarettes you buy in Cuyahoga County, you pay a few cents toward the upkeep of Cleveland’s professional stadiums. Cuyahoga County voters originally passed the so-called sin tax in 1990 to build Gateway, which includes what we now call Progressive Field and Rocket Arena. When voters extended that tax in 2014, local leaders agreed to peel off the remaining third for use at Cleveland’s city-owned football stadium. The sin tax has yielded about $13 to $14 million per year in recent years. But it’s not enough to keep pace with needed repairs. Cleveland and Cuyahoga County recently got socked with a $40 million bill they had no reserves for. Now, a new survey circulating is asking Cuyahoga County voters whether they’d support increasing the sin tax. — Laura |
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A screenshot from a new survey circulating that asks Cuyahoga County voters whether they’d support increasing so called sin-taxes on beer, liquor and cigarettes to bring in more cash for sports stadiums.(Submitted) |
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Sin tax: Currently, the county’s so-called sin tax is assessed at 1.5 cents per 12-ounce can of beer, 6 cents per standard bottle of wine, 32 cents per gallon of mixed beverages, 24 cents per gallon of cider, $3 per gallon of hard liquor and 4.5 cents per pack of cigarettes, reports Kaitlin Durbin. Browns stadium: The Haslam Sports Group doubled down Thursday on its plans to build a new stadium in Brook Park, telling Cuyahoga Executive Chris Ronayne in a letter that his opposition is “inexplicable” and promising to build the stadium with or with the county’s support, reports Rich Exner. A spokesman told cleveland.com that the alternative plan would be a combination of borrowing by the city of Brook Park and the team.
Today in Ohio: Both Democrats and Republicans want to ban ranked choice voting. Why? Likely because they’re politicians, and they current system worked for them. We’re talking about blocking a concept that would give voters more choice Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.
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Police sentence: U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno on Wednesday urged passage of legislation requiring a 20-year sentence for attacking police officers, exhorting Democrats to stop focusing on President Donald Trump’s pardons for Jan. 6 rioters. Sabrina Eaton reports that Democrats in the Senate say that 169 of the more than 1,500 Jan. 6 rioters whose penalties Trump erased pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers. Supreme Court: Jennifer Brunner, the lone Democratic justice on the Ohio Supreme Court, says she’s expecting to get a familiar Republican challenger when she runs for reelection next year: her fellow Justice Pat Fischer, reports Jeremy Pelzer. Town Hall: Several audience members at cleveland.com’s town hall last week had primary concerns regarding Trump’s second term centered on the future of their personal and community’s health. Several people with medical backgrounds bemoaned the cuts to the National Institutes of Health, and what they could mean for the future of health research, reports Mary Frances McGowan. Energy bill: A sweeping bipartisan energy bill touted by its backers as Ohio’s solution to a looming energy crisis was signed into law Thursday by Gov. Mike DeWine. Mary Frances McGowan reports the governor’s approval comes after the legislation overwhelmingly passed both chambers of the Ohio General Assembly, including a unanimous vote in the state Senate. |
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Algal bloom: The severity of the harmful algal bloom in the western basin of Lake Erie is projected to be in the mild-to-moderate range this year, reports Peter Krouse. Board of elections: Beginning Monday, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is officially moving to their new home at 1803 Superior Avenue, just over a mile from their current home at 2925 Euclid Avenue. Josh Gunter has photos. Progressive candidates: A group of progressive challengers, and one incumbent, have won the endorsement of an organization trying to disrupt the status quo on Cleveland City Council. A political action committee known as A Better Cleveland for All is endorsing Councilwoman Rebecca Maurer in her campaign against fellow incumbent Councilman Richard Starr in the newly drawn Ward 5, reports Sean McDonnell. Antisemitism complaint: The former special assistant to Mayor Kahlil Seren has filed a civil rights complaint accusing Seren’s wife, Natalie McDaniel, of making antisemitic remarks — including calling a Jewish city official a “brood mare” who is “destined for the glue factory.” Cory Shaffer reports that in the complaint filed Wednesday with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, Patrick Costigan said McDaniel created a hostile work environment at City Hall. Helmets required: The Sylvania Northview’s girls’ lacrosse team is taking the field wearing something no other high school girls’ team in Ohio is required to -- helmets. Northview’s Lady Kats are the first girls’ lacrosse program in the state to mandate helmets, a decision sparked by rising concerns over concussions and head injuries, reports Hannah Drown. Police reform: The leader of a panel working for police reform in Cleveland has resigned after eight years and the filings of two contentious lawsuits. Jason Goodrick, the interim executive director of the Cleveland Community Police Commission, left the position last week. Political travel: There’s no clear consensus among Cleveland-area travelers over how best to negotiate the political and economic challenges of the current travel environment, reports Susan Glaser. A survey in March found that American travelers are increasingly making decisions about where to go on vacation based on their political views. |
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NICU: A CDC report found that nearly 1 in 10 infants was admitted to a NICU in 2023, an increase of 13% from 2016, reports Julie Washington. Neonatal intensive care unit admission rates increased across all races and ethnicities, maternal age groups, gestational age and birthweight categories. Progressive sale: Progressive Insurance’s Mayfield Heights office building has been sold, two years after the company announced its office downsizing, reports Megan Sims. The insurance giant’s 104,221-square-foot property that sits on six acres at 6055 Parkland Boulevard, along Interstate 271, is less than four miles from its former Highland Heights headquarters. Grocery bags: Giant Eagle is switching back to plastic bags, but with a twist. Molly Walsh reports the Pittsburgh-based grocery chain is replacing its fabric reusable bags with an option that’s more sustainable than normal single-use plastic bags. The news ones are made from 75% recycled material. Infrastructure investment: The U.S. Corps of Engineers’ Buffalo District is getting $235.6 million in work-plan funding for the 2025 fiscal year and the money will be used on a number of projects across Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, Peter Krouse reports. |
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Doomsday: A Cleveland man who prosecutors say was a “doomsday prepper” is accused of illegally possessing and selling guns to undercover federal agents, reports Adam Ferrise. Firefighter accusation: A firefighter is accused of attacking his girlfriend, leaving her with a collapsed lung, fractured ribs and broken facial bones, reports Olivia Mitchell. He has been placed on unpaid leave. Neighbor killed: Police said Cleveland man mowing his grass Wednesday was killed by a neighbor, who later died by suicide. Officers were dispatched at 1:30 p.m. for a report of a shooting on Munn Avenue and West 157th Street and found a 50-year-old man in the street with a gunshot wound. Fatal stabbing: An Akron man is being held on a $2 million bond stemming from a fatal stabbing Saturday. Rosue Pierce, 56, surrendered to authorities on Wednesday, reports Olivia Mitchell. |
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Ask Yadi: A mom asks if she’s making too big a deal about her son not calling, texting or acknowledging Mother’s Day on the day, though he sent flowers earlier. Yadi Rodriguez replies. Expecting a phone call, however brief to acknowledge the day isn’t asking for too much. Art in the Village: The summer art festival season launches at the end of May with the return of the popular Art in the Village with Craft Marketplace at Legacy Village, reports Paris Wolfe. Concertmaster: The Cleveland Orchestra announced Thursday that Music Director Franz Welser-Möst has appointed violinist Joel Link as the orchestra’s new Concertmaster, reports Peter Chakerian. Link will assume the role on July 3, holding the Blossom-Lee Concertmaster Chair endowed by Mrs. John A. Lee in 1975 honoring parents Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Blossom, Sr. SNL exhibit: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will celebrate its “SNL: Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of Music” exhibit with a dedication ceremony beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, featuring comedian, actor, writer and SNL alum Fred Armisen, reports Malcolm X Abram. CP shows: Cedar Point will launch a weekend comedy series this season in partnership with Cleveland’s Secret Society Comedy, reports Susan Glaser. Dubbed Hoots & Hollers, the show will feature nationally touring comedians who have performed on “America’s Got Talent,” “Late Night,” Comedy Central and in some of the top comedy clubs across the country. |
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An attorney representing fired WEWS Channel 5 meteorologist Mark Johnson has issued a statement defending his client Read more Akron’s role in the indie/new wave/punk music scene during the late 1970s to early 1980s will be spotlighted at a forum Read more NBC’s upcoming spinoff of “The Office” will follow a documentary crew into the chaotic world of a struggling newspaper in Toledo, Ohio. Read more Sagamore Hills police are investigating the slaying of a 31-year-old man Read more |
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