CLEVELAND — A vote in November by Cleveland residents on whether or not they want a "People's Budget" or participatory budget in their city may be in jeopardy if Ohio Senate Bill 158 is approved in the coming weeks.
Voters are set to cast their ballots on Issue 38, which, if approved, would allow residents to decide how 2% of the Cleveland city budget, or roughly $14 million, would be spent.
However, Senate Bill 158, introduced by state senator Jerry Cirino, would stop residents from voting on how public funds are used in Cleveland and cities across the state. On Cirino's state senate web page, he explained why the legislation is needed, and why Issue 38 and participatory budgeting should be stopped.
"It is essential to safeguard the budgeting authority of city councils and city financial stability," Cirino said. "Senate Bill 158 strengthens the law, ensuring that the statutory budgeting authority of these governing bodies cannot be circumvented."
But People's Budget Cleveland Campaign Manager Molly Martin told News 5 she believes Senate Bill 158 is suppressing voters and is taking away the opportunity for residents to decide on some key city projects.
“And now we’re having a statehouse that’s stepping on our neck saying we’re going to rush to do everything we can to make what you’re doing illegal, which is a suppression of voters," Martin said. "With People's Budget, we can fund money to prioritize projects that residents who live in these neighborhoods know that their neighborhood needs, and so we’re encouraging people to vote yes on Issue 38 for that."
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Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin told News 5 that the vast majority of council members are against both Senate Bill 158 and Issue 38. Griffin said he believes Senate Bill 158 gives the state too much control over Ohio cities under Home Rule. At the same time, Griffin said Issue 38 could cause a series of issues in giving voters control over a part of the city budget.
"I’m always for local control; we are here trying to protect the taxpayer dollars, that’s why I’m really encouraging everybody to vote no,” Griffin said. "I think with Issue 38, there’s legal challenges with this; it’s not written well, it doesn’t have the accountability and the guardrails that we have as city council.”
District 13 Ohio Representative Michael Skindell told News 5 said he too is concerned about Senate Bill 158, that's why he's looking to introduce an amendment to the proposed legislation that would allow participatory budgets in Ohio, but would give city councils across the state final approval on all city projects approved by voters and the participatory budget committee.
"A people’s budget can work effectively, but I do think that you have to have council weigh-in at the end to make sure it’s an appropriate allocation of people’s taxpayer dollars," Skindell said. “It’s worked successfully in Grand Rapids, it’s worked successfully in Boston and in other communities.”
Skindell said it's not clear if a house vote on Senate Bill 158 will happen before the vote on Issue 38 in November.
Meanwhile, Griffin said the city council legal team is looking into whether a section of the Ohio Revised Code could render a participatory budget unconstitutional.
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