In 1990, Cuyahoga County voters approved a 15-year sin tax on cigarettes, beer and wine to pay for what became Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse and Progressive Field. In 1995, residents voted to add another 10 years of taxation to pay for Cleveland Browns Stadium. That was on top of the Cleveland admissions tax, passed in 1976, a parking tax in 1995, and bed tax in 1983. Not to be confused with the Cuyahoga County bed tax, passed in 1989, and added to in 1990 and 2010. This stack of taxes adds up, but it’s pretty standard for cities with professional sports stadiums. So with hands outstretched from Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, who want $1.2 billion in tax dollars to build a dome in Brook Park, and the Cleveland Soccer Group, who want $90 million to build a women’s soccer stadium downtown, we thought we should remind you of what we’re already paying for projects.
— Laura
|
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Guardians at Colorado Rockies: Guardians’ nine-game winning streak ends in 8-6 loss to Rockies Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Showers and thunderstorms |
|
|
Many of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County's taxes are maxed out under state-imposed limits, as local leaders weigh two requests for publicly financed stadiums. (John Pana, cleveland.com file photo) |
|
|
Tax sources: Cleveland and Cuyahoga County largely rely on income taxes and property taxes for the bulk of routine government services, like policing and the social safety net. But a host of other oddball local taxes have been ripe for the picking on past stadium deals or other large-scale specialty projects. Courtney Astolfi is talking sales tax, bed tax, sin and cigarette taxes, and others levied in Cleveland for admissions, car rentals and parking. LifeWise: Public schools around Ohio are releasing students from music, art, physical education and library classes during the school day to attend off-site religion lessons. Soon, schools could be forced to adopt policies that allow it. As the state’s largest released-time program, LifeWise Academy has supporters who believe it’s an opportunity for children to become grounded in the Bible and traditional values, reports Laura Hancock. But its detractors believe the program conflicts with many families’ values in today’s more secular times, is too exclusionary, is too conservative and robs children of time they should spend learning in a regular classroom. Balloonfest: Watch the YouTube documentary on Balloonfest by videographer John Pana, which conclusively slams the door on the absurd narrative that developed over the past decade about how the event was a disaster that killed people. Today in Ohio: Gov. Mike DeWine lost his patience with state legislators, who have failed to fix the problem of President Joe Biden being left off the November ballot. On Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast, we’re talking about how DeWine took the rare step Thursday of calling a special session of the Ohio legislature. |
|
|
Biden ballot: Ohio lawmakers’ special session to put President Joe Biden on the ballot in November already is fraught with uncertainty and disagreement, including the real deadline to pass a ballot fix. And Jeremy Pelzer reports that even if state lawmakers agree on a course of action – which they haven’t been able to do up until now because of Republican disagreement over what, if any, political price to charge for it – the legitimacy of such a fix would rely on an untested theory of state constitutional law. Bipartisanship: Ohio’s Jim Jordan – whose House Speaker bid last year was torpedoed by more moderate colleagues – is the least bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a study. The Lugar Center and the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy Bipartisan Index (BPI) rankingsmeasures the degree to which senators and representatives work across party lines on legislation by quantifying how often they introduce bills that attract co-sponsors from the other party, and how often they in turn co-sponsor a bill introduced from across the aisle, Sabrina Eaton reports. WWII Memorial: It took six years for Allied troops to triumph over Germany and Japan in World War II. Decades later, it took Toledo Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur 17 years to surmount the legislative and bureaucratic hurdles necessary to build a World War II Memorial on the National Mall. On Saturday, the National Park Service and Friends of the National World War II Memorial marked the 20th anniversary of the memorial’s 2004 dedication, Sabrina Eaton reports. Constitution violation: An appeals court has held that Ohio legislators violated the state constitution when they added items to the 2020-21 budget that were meant to restrict healthcare facilities’ ability to solicit people involved in car crashes. Cory Shaffer reports a unanimous three-judge panel at the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals ruled the provisions constituted illegal riders that ran afoul of the state’s so-called “one-subject rule.” |
|
|
Graduating class: They finished high school in 2020 with a pandemic blanketing the world. Instead of prom and walking across a stage, they waved goodbye to their classmates over Zoom or drove past their homes honking in celebration. The coronavirus changed their perception of what life, let alone classes, would look like for their first year of college. Since then, the members of the class of 2024 have stood as witnesses to major events impacting the world and their campuses, reports Molly Walsh. Kindland: The month of May marks ALS Awareness Month, dedicated to raising awareness about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a debilitating neurodegenerative disease. Dr. Anthony G. Polito, who was diagnosed in 2018, and his family were motivated to help other families faced with the same situation that they were, so Polito has served as ALS Association co-chair for the Cleveland/Akron Walk to Defeat ALS. Then his sister was diagnosed, Peter Chakerian reports in his Kindland series. Shaker lake: Big changes are coming to Lower Lake, a beloved scenic and natural amenity sandwiched between Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights just east of Cleveland. Steven Litt reports the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District on Monday unveiled early-stage concepts for replacement of the 177-year-old earthen dam at the lake, which doesn’t meet safety requirements specified by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Delinquent: Some kids defy the odds and the expectations of prosecutors, who sought to lock them up in adult prison. Carter was one of those kids. Kaitlin Durbin and John Tucker report in their Delinquent series that Carter was transferred to a therapy-focused alternative, where he excelled. His story shows us that some kids are worth a second chance. The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com also spoke to some victims about their views on the system. “We didn’t get any justice,” says the stepfather of Bobby, a motorcyclist killed by teenagers who were drag racing. Memorial Day: People gathered Monday at Lake View Cemetery at the edge of Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood to honor fallen soldiers in a ceremony for Memorial Day, Paris Wolfe reports. Best Life: By the time you’re in your 40s, you generally know what you like. It’s rare to find new things that exhilarate you. You might as well embrace them. Laura Johnston recently embraced hiking. |
|
|
Skin cancer: A family history of skin cancer may be an even bigger risk factor than sun exposure, a new study found. Up to 1-in-7 melanoma patients are genetically predisposed to the disease, suggesting that genetics may play a larger role in the disease than is often recognized, Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports. Mortgage rates: U.S. mortgage rates have dropped back below 7% after more than a month of being above that mark, reports Sean McDonnell. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 6.94% Thursday, according to Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored home-loan agency. The last time the average rate was below 7% was the week of April 11, when rates were at 6.88%. Healthy vacations: It can be hard to know which destinations are good for us and which are more likely to provide smog, fast-food, and pollution. If you’re still trying to decide where to go to ensure you come back rested and refreshed, Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports you might consider consulting the Healthy Vacation Index when making your choice. |
|
|
Sheriff lawsuit: The brother of an Elyria woman has sued the Lorain County sheriff and a local hospital over her death from an opioid overdose, reports Adam Ferrise. Joan Ayala Diaz, 28, died May 19, 2023, after she ingested a fentanyl pill believing it was a prescription opioid. Pink flamingo heist: Parma police are still searching for the vandals who ripped the city’s 7-foot pink flamingo from its concrete pad near the script Parma sign early Saturday morning. A resident has posted to YouTube surveillance video footage showing three males attempting to steal the pink flamingo at 2:21 a.m. Pedestrian threatened: An arrest warrant has been issued for a man accused of picking up a pedestrian in Kamm’s Corners and threatening to shoot him, reports John Tucker. Joseph Knight, 37, was charged Tuesday in Cleveland Municipal Court with aggravated robbery. Bus crash: Three people were injured after a vehicle collided with an RTA bus and then crashed into a church in East Cleveland early Friday morning, reports Molly Walsh. |
|
|
Dog travels: Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer road trip season. And for many dog owners, a road trip adventure isn’t complete without their furry four-legged companions by their sides. About 53% of those surveyed said they’d rather take a long road trip with their dog than a family member – and 34% of them do, reports Hannah Drown. CMA: The Cleveland Museum of Art has a new top educator. On Friday, the museum announced it has appointed Jacquelyn Sawyer, former vice president of education and engagement at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., as its new chief learning officer, reports Steven Litt. Black keys: Days after mysteriously canceling their entire fall tour, The Black Keys have reached out to fans on social media to explain. Patio dining: Alex Darus lists 15 rooftop patios at bars and restaurants to enjoy in Greater Cleveland this summer. This list can serve as a checklist for those looking to explore all of them before the end of the year. House of the Week: Built in 1971, a Gates Mills estate brings old-world-style architecture and luxurious living to 10 acres just 30 minutes east of downtown Cleveland, reports Joey Morona. Priced at $3,295,000, the home has seven bedrooms, 11.5 bathrooms, a four-car garage and partially finished basement. |
|
|
Lorain County man accused of killing 29-year-old woman Read more Suspect claims self-defense after two people shot in Akron Read more North Ridgeville dedicates veterans memorial on Memorial Day Read more Shaker Heights honors fallen heroes, strikes up the band in Memorial Day parade Read more Brook Park pays tribute to fallen heroes with Memorial Day parade, ceremony Read more Flagging a memory: Veterans not forgotten in Rocky River Read more Solon Mayor Ed Kraus: Memorial Day is ‘a day to remember’ Read more Threat of rain can’t stop Brunswick Memorial Day parade Read more Berea, Middleburg Heights honor the fallen on Memorial Day (photos) Read more Mayfield Village holds Memorial Day Ceremony at Whitehaven Memorial Park (photos) Read more |
|
|
NEW! Terry's Talkin' with Terry Pluto Newsletter |
Connect with Northeast Ohio’s favorite sports columnist as Terry shares his exclusive thoughts and insights on Cleveland sports teams, as well as issues on personal faith like in his popular weekly Faith & You column. There's one caveat, though. This is an exclusive newsletter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer loyal subscribers. Not a subscriber? That's ok. You can receive a few weeks of Terry’s newsletter as a free trial. In either case, click here sign up. |
|
|
Want the top headlines but don't have time to read? Listen to cleveland.com’s Today in Ohio podcast on Spotify, Google or Apple Podcasts. |
|
|
WANT TO SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER WITH A FRIEND? |
Did someone share this newsletter with you? Click here to never miss a day! |
|
|
To contact the newsrooms for any of our publications regarding technical support, news tips, classified ads and other inquiries, please click here. |
|
|
| Every story. Every day. Your local news is on cleveland.com Unlimited Digital Access. |
|
|
Start today for $1 (cancel anytime) |
| |
|
Start today for $1 (cancel anytime) |
| |
|
INTERESTED IN ADVERTISING
OR SPONSORING OUR NEWSLETTERS? |
|
|
|
