Justin Bibb | |
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| 58th Mayor of Cleveland | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Frank G. Jackson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Justin Morris Bibb April 26, 1987 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | American University (BA) Case Western Reserve University (JD, MBA) |
Justin Morris Bibb (born April 26, 1987) is an American politician and former non-profit leader serving as the 58th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio since January 2022. Prior to serving as mayor, Bibb was the Co-Chair of Teach for America – Ohio, and a board member for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Destination Cleveland, and LAND Studio.[1]
On January 12, 2021, Bibb announced his candidacy in the 2021 Cleveland mayoral election.[2] In the crowded eight candidate primary, Bibb came in first with 27% of the vote in the September 14th primary, advancing him to the general election alongside the President of Cleveland City Council, Kevin J. Kelley.[3][4] On November 2, 2021, Bibb won the city's mayoral election, defeating Kelley with a decisive 62% of the vote, becoming Cleveland's 4th African American mayor, and its 2nd youngest.[5]
Bibb was born in Cleveland and grew up in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood on the southeast side. He attended American University in Washington, D.C. where he earned a B.A in Urban Studies. During his undergraduate degree, he studied abroad at the London School of Economics where he completed The General Course program in Social Policy and Economics. In 2014, he returned to Cleveland and attended Case Western Reserve University School of Law and received his JD and MBA.[6][7]
Bibb interned for Senator Barack Obama in 2007 and began working in local government in 2011 as Special Assistant for Education & Economic Development for Cuyahoga County, where he established the Cuyahoga County Public Policy Fellowship Program.[7][8] Bibb spent two years working in corporate strategy for Knowledge Generation Bureau before taking senior positions at Gallup (company), becoming the Head of Global Cities Practice in 2015. After working in New York and Washington, D.C, he returned to Cleveland to serve as Vice President at KeyBank in 2019. He worked as the Chief Strategy Officer at Urbanova, a business focused on technology for cities.[6]
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Main article: 2021 Cleveland mayoral election |
Bibb formally announced his candidacy for mayor of Cleveland in early 2021, promising to bring new leadership and a sense of urgency to Cleveland's problems.[9][10] He pledged to make public safety his number one priority.[11][12][13] Three months after launching his committee, Bibb's campaign announced that it had raised $180,000, a significant sum for a first-time candidate and more than other candidates in the 2017 primaries.[14]
Bibb had a strong showing at the Cleveland Mayoral Candidates Forum on Criminal Justice held on April 28, 2021.[15] 3,000 valid petition signatures are required to make the ballot for the 2021 Cleveland mayoral election, known as a relatively high hurdle.[16] Bibb filed his petition to run for Cleveland Mayor at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on June 10, 2021.[17] Bibb was announced as one of seven candidates to make the ballot on June 16, 2021.[18]
On August 8, 2021, Bibb was endorsed by the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, Cleveland's major newspaper.[19] On August 18, 2021, Bibb was then endorsed by two former Cleveland mayors, Michael R. White and Jane Campbell.[20][21][22][23][24]
On September 14, 2021, Bibb placed first in the mayoral primary, advancing him to the November 2 general election alongside City Council President Kevin Kelley.[4] On November 2, 2021, Bibb defeated Kelley in the general election, receiving 62.86 percent of the vote.[25] The voter turnout was at 23%.[26]
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On January 3, 2022, Bibb was sworn in as the 58th Mayor of Cleveland.[citation needed]
On January 31, 2022, at a press conference at Tower City Center, Bibb announced that for the NBA All-Star Game, hosted in Cleveland that year, all in attendance would have to be vaccinated against COVID-19.[27]
In May 2023, an investigation by WEWS-TV reported that Bibb's office had not been reporting city-funded travel expenses, estimating to be over $50,000, in contrast to his mayoral campaign highlighting a run on expediting requests for public records and the necessity for transparency.[28]
In February 2022, Bibb endorsed Shontel Brown for US Congress, against Nina Turner, who he first met on a funded trip to Israel, citing Brown having the "right relationships" with members of the Biden Administration for federal support to Cleveland.[29]
In March 2023, Bibb appointed Calley Mersmann and Jeffrey Weston Sleasman to the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.[30]
In June 2023, Bibb appointed two new members to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District Board of Education, Robert Briggs and Diana Welch Howell. He also reappointed three existing members to the board, Sara Elaqad, Leah Hudnall and Denise Link. Elaqad serves as the new board chair with Hudnall as the new vice chair.[31]
In July 2023, Bibb appointed Andrew Sargeant to the Cleveland City Planning Commission. He named Michael Sanbury and Dr. Regennia Williams to the Cleveland Landmarks Commission. Bibb also announced the appointment of Luz Pellot, Robert Render III and Jay Westbrook to the Cleveland Community Relations Board. Additionally, Roland Muhammad and Rev. Charles Lucas were reappointed by Bibb to the Community Relations Board.[32]
In a budget proposal which was released in 2023, the mayor proposed an estimated overall budget of $1.9 billion with roughly $711 million in general fund spending. The proposed budget would create a $225,000 surplus for the city.[33] Savings come from cutting hundreds of vacant positions, including 41 vacant positions in public works, 10 in building and housing, 7 in the division of health, equity and social justice, and lastly 28 in emergency medical services.[34] The mayor was an opponent of the People's Budget charter amendment that he previously supported, as a form of participatory budgeting.[35]
In May 2023, Bibb proposed a new policy that would provide parental leave to eligible Cleveland city employees. The policy would allow for 20 hours of leave prior to the birth or adoption of a new child and 480 hours of leave following. There would also be a provision to provide leave for employees who experience a loss of pregnancy.[36] The legislation was approved by the Cleveland City Council in June 2023 and will apply to approximately 7,000 city employees.[37][38]
On October 7, 2023, Bibb posted on Twitter in support of Israel, stating “Cleveland stands in solidarity with Israel in the face of terror and condemns these acts of evil.”[39] Critics of the Pro-Israel statements, including from within the Cleveland Palestinian community, called the Bibb's support for Israel "self-serving", citing his support from Israel Bonds supporters.[39] On October 31, Pro-Palestine Cleveland demonstrators attended a City Council meeting to call for the city to support a ceasefire. [40][41]
In September 2023, Bibb introduced the "Residents First" plan intended to address housing issues. The plan would tighten housing codes and introduce civil penalties for code violations. The plan also focuses on vacant properties, introducing systems in an attempt to prevent livable properties from sitting empty.[42]
One of Bibb's public policy initiatives has been focusing on reforming the Cleveland Police Department.[43] With the goal of promoting accountability throughout the department, Cleveland voters passed Issue 24, a ballot initiative that created a commission made up of 13 Cleveland community members.[43] The implementation of Issue 24 allows for citizens selected to the commission to make decisions surrounding the department's training, recruitment, and disciplinary action.[43] The commission also takes power away from the city's public safety director and chief of police while putting it in the hands of Cleveland citizens.[43]
In October 2023, Bibb announced a plan for a ten million dollar Neighborhood Safety Fund in hopes of improving public safety in Cleveland.[44] Bibb seeks to use the funds to help foster education and mentorship in an effort to combat the root causes of crime in the city.[44] In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, cities across the country, including Cleveland, received funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).[44] Bibb is able to use the funding from the ARPA stimulus relief for Cleveland's Neighborhood Safety Fund and must allocate the funds before the end of 2026.[44]
Bibb also unveiled a plan to generate a new deal with the city of Cleveland and the Cleveland Police Patrolmen's Association.[45] Bibb's office, along with the Cleveland Police Union, agreed to shorten officer shifts to 12 hours and offer a pay increase to Cleveland officers.[45] With these changes, the Cleveland Police Department will be in the 75th percentile for officer salary in Ohio.[45]
In November 2023, Bibb proposed to amend a September 2012 ordinance that set the maximum age to join the police force in Cleveland at 40 years old. Bibb would raise the age to 55 in an effort to encourage more citizens to join the police force. Cleveland had recently experienced a shortage of police officers and Bibb believes increasing the maximum age gives more opportunity for an increase of officers.[46]
Bibb's father was a police officer and firefighter.[47][48] His first cousin-once removed is journalist, Leon Bibb.[48][49]