Uncertainty in President Donald Trump’s ever-changing federal landscape loomed over Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb’s head as he presented his 2025 annual budget before City Council members on Tuesday.
“These are all things keeping me up at night right now,” Bibb told council members. “I am looking forward to working with this council and making sure we have the right level of coordination with our business community, county and our state [officials] as well to do whatever we can do to mitigate those impacts.”
Last week, Trump made sweeping cuts across the federal government, firing thousands of employees from agencies like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security. The administration has said Trump aims to cut 10% of the federal workforce.
“I worry about the gutting of federal agencies that have a large role in our core programs,” Bibb said.
Bibb pointed to the administration’s work to support affordable housing, bolstered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and rising interest rates affecting homebuyer programs.
Council members also expressed concern over how Trump’s tariffs imposed on foreign imports will affect businesses, as Bibb aims to “attract and retain” both employers and residents across the city.
Bibb pointed to small business and development programs funded by the budget, such as the Storefront Renovation Program, which helps business owners improve retail exteriors.
“No one is coming to save us,” Bibb said. “So we have to do it ourselves.”
In January, Trump signed an executive order that froze federal grants already approved by Congress before he reversed course. That kind of tumult is alarming for Bibb.
“With a lot of uncertainty on the federal level, we need to have a unified voice in D.C. and Columbus,” Bibb said.
Council recently re-upped a contract with federal lobbying firm Holland Knight, which helped secure more than $150 million in federal grants over two years.
Budget and spending increase alongside tax revenue
The budget’s general fund outlines about $805.7 million in spending — a more than $26 million increase over last year.
That’s largely in part due to income tax collections, which is up about 3%, and property tax increases. Last year, Cuyahoga County completed its sexennial appraisals, which saw an average of 32% in property value increase.
City officials project $806.7 million in revenue. That means the budget is balanced by a margin of about $1 million.
Police officer budget remains the same for first time in two years
In years past, City Council members have raised the alarm on a decrease in budgeted uniformed officer positions: Bibb proposed cutting 142 positions in 2023 and 148 in 2024. Those were already vacant positions.
This year, the uniformed officer budget remains steady at 1,350, though the actual number of employed officers in 2024 was 1,142.
Bibb said he intends to continue to invest in public safety, which community members and council members alike have asked for. Under Bibb, police officers have experienced a 14% salary increase and other retention-driven benefits that Bibb said reducing those vacant positions in previous years helped achieve.
The Department of Public Safety’s budget makes up more than half the city’s general fund budget.
In addition to traditional public safety services like fire, police and EMS, Bibb is dedicating $3.5 million to violence prevention programs, like mental health crisis responses and other grassroots efforts.
