Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb Seeks to Eliminate Vacancies in Police and City to Balance Budget

Bibb’s $1.9 billion budget proposal includes $711 million in Common Fund spending. More than 250 unfilled city posts will be eliminated.

CLEVELAND — Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has released his 2023 budget estimate, which calls for the elimination of more than 250 vacancies in city departments, including 140 vacant positions in police divisions.

The proposed budget of $1.9 billion includes nearly $711 million in General Fund spending. Unlike last year, Bibb plans to achieve a structurally balanced budget that will give the city a $225,000 surplus. In 2022, the city used federal COVID-19 funds to correct budget imbalances.

Specifically, the budget estimate provides funding for 1,498 uniformed Cleveland Police Department police officers, up from 1,640 in 2022. The city notes in its proposal that at the end of 2022, the actual number of uniformed troops was 1,292.

The Cleveland Police Department’s budget is slated to increase from $211 million last year to $217 million in 2023 after the city and police union agreed on a new contract last fall. In an email to 3News, Bibb’s administration noted that the agreement provides for a 7% increase in officer salaries by 2022. “Given the financial constraints of the city, this increase would not have been possible without a reduction in the number of budgetary but vacant positions. Sarah Johnson, director of communications for Mayor Bibb, said.

Administration officials say city safety remains Bibb’s “number one priority,” adding that the Cleveland Police Department’s staffing table “reflects the division’s strategic operations but is financially responsible for taxpayer dollars.”

“Over the past year, we have made significant progress and investment in our residents, technology, and infrastructure,” Bibb wrote in a letter to the City Council and the people of Cleveland in his budget estimate. “In 2022, together we built the foundation that will support big things in 2023 and beyond.”

Bibb added that his administration is targeting several initiatives for 2023, including revitalizing the city’s east side, waterfront development, public safety, and choosing the next Cleveland school district CEO after Eric Gordon’s departure in June.

The budget must be approved by the Cleveland City Council by April 1.

You can see Mayor Bibb’s full 2023 budget estimate below:

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