Cleveland City Council Conducting Community Meetings to Collect Feedback on Redistricting (Updated)

Oct 08, 2024

Cleveland City Council must cut two seats ahead of the 2025 municipal elections to population decline.

Cleveland City Council is eager to hear community members' thoughts about the upcoming Redistricting process. The Redistricting consultants include Bob Dykes of Triad Research Group, Dr. Mark Salling, a prominent demographer and former Cleveland State University professor of Urban Affairs, and Kent Whitley, an urban planner, political consultant, and community organizer. The consultants will host three community meetings on October 15, 16, and 17 to share redistricting goals, collect community feedback, and ask residents to share their own maps.   

It is believed this is the first Cleveland City Council to seek public feedback on the reapportionment process.  

The consultants will host meetings from 5:30 pm to 7 pm near downtown and the city’s east and west sides at the following locations: 

•  Oct. 15, Jerry Sue Thornton Center, 2500 East 22nd St.
• Oct. 16, Glenville Recreation Center, 680 E. 113th St.
• Oct. 17, Estabrook Recreation Center, 4125 Fulton Rd.

The City Charter mandates the city use Census data to determine how many members will be seated on City Council. As of the 2020 US Census, the city of Cleveland has a population of 372,624 people, compared to 396,815 people in the 2010 US Census – a 6.10% decline over ten years. Having just fallen under the 375,000-population threshold, per US Census reports, the City Charter mandates that the Council be comprised of 15 members – two less than the current member count of 17. 

Feedback collected from these sessions – in addition to US Census data, natural landmarks, and fair distribution of city properties, including but not limited to fire stations, parks, recreation centers, will aid the consultants in draft a map for City Council to approve.