CLEVELAND — Tensions ran high at Wednesday night’s Cleveland City Council meeting, the first since the mass shooting in the downtown Warehouse District, with some councilmembers voicing concern over the absence of Mayor Justin Bibb or anyone from the administration.
"In all my time in this body, 13 consecutive terms, I have never ever seen a time when no one from an administration has shown up to a council meeting. Not one person,” said Ward 8 Councilmember Michael Polensek.
“We can't even look to our right to get any answers,” said Ward 5 Councilmember Richard Starr. “We've asked for press conferences, we asked for every possible different solution on how we can work together, but still, they don't show up to work."
City Council President Blaine Griffin commented and said he would call Bibb's administration about its absence.
We reached out to Bibb’s office, which provided this statement:
The administration has been working tirelessly, every single day to push Cleveland forward. The city’s problems and violence do not get a summer recess like Council. The Administration works around the clock, showing up every day and doing everything we can to keep our residents safe and ensure they receive the services they need.
We were informed of the political grandstanding that was going to occur last night. The Mayor will not subject his cabinet to sit politely for yet another monologue attacking their integrity, ethics, and basic functionality. Real progress takes place with hard work and action, not expressing frustration in front of an audience.
Continued attacks like these rip at the fabrics of collaboration, are unproductive, and hinder progress, hurting those who need help the most – our residents. We look forward to genuine collaboration with council in the near future, so we can work together to find solutions for our residents. They deserve nothing less.
Nine people were injured in a mass shooting in Cleveland’s warehouse district on Sunday, July 9. The suspected shooter, Jaylon Jennings, was arrested Tuesday morning and has been charged with nine counts of attempted murder.
View previous coverage below:
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