Charter Amendment to Go to Voters

Aug 19, 2021

A major change to the City Charter will go before voters this November, including adding a new Community Police Commission whose members will have final authority over much of the police department operations, after Council passed legislation to submit the amendment to the Board of Elections.

Among the major changes

• Moving the citys Office of Professional Standards under the Civilian Police Review Board so that the OPS reports to CPRB, not to the Safety Director. Currently the OPS is an independent agency composed of civilian employees. Its responsibility is receiving and investigating non-criminal complaints filed by the public against sworn and non-sworn employees of the Cleveland Division of Police.
• Supplies the board with a budget of at least 1% of the budget allocated to the police force this means approximately $2.18 million based on this past years budget. (The current budget is less than $173,000.)
• CPRB members, complainants and any City taxpayer may sue the City to enforce Charter sections related to the CPRB.
• Termination is presumed if the officers or employees language is on a matter of public concern, where that officer or employees interest in commenting on matters of public concern does not outweigh the Citys interests in promoting efficiency of public services
• Would authorize the CPRB to engage outside lawyers without legislative or executive branch authority and can overrule any disciplinary decision by the Chief of Police.

The new amendments to the charter supersede all other charter sections that may conflict.

Read the full charter amendment. (Ord. No. 650-2021)

Supporters ultimately gathered the necessary signatures in two rounds. A D.C.-based organization named The Fairness Project reported contributing a total of $63,169.13 to local, suburban and out-of-town circulators to gather the signatures. A Youngstown-based group called Ohio Organizing Campaign reported contributing a total of $48,960.02 to the circulators to gather the signatures.

Smaller amounts were paid to circulators by other groups. The attached statements list who provided the money to gather the signatures and those who received the money. (Original Statement of Circulators and Second Amended Statement of Circulators for the two rounds of gathering signatures.) Circulators came from as far away as California, Colorado and Kentucky.