Community Forum of Citizens, Students and Policymakers in Cleveland, Ohio Ignites Debate About Regional Collaboration And State Legislation

Ohio House Speaker Promises to Look Into Merits of New Growth Tax Sharing

A standing-room only audience of citizens, public officials, and scholars attended the public forum "Regional Prosperity for Northeast Ohio: Growing Together" to talk about the region's future prosperity. Filmmaker Andrea Torrice opened the forum with clips from her movie The New Metropolis to launch the discussion. The forum was then followed by a panel of mayors who described the dire conditions of their communities and the need for tax structure reform, strategies for regional cooperation and strengthening city-suburban ties.

After the panel, citizens in the audience discussed with public officials in a round table setting a series of questions, focusing on regional collaboration already in place, what collaboration would be needed, and the role that tax revenue growth sharing could play in revitalizing the region. 

Newly elected Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, William G. Batchelder then listened to the audience's suggestions on strategies for the prospects of regional collaboration and engaged in a vibrant exchange of ideas.

Batchelder, who often is on the other side of the issue, conceded that the dire state of Ohio's governments required the consideration of new strategies for collaboration, including tax revenue sharing. He invited members of the Northeast Ohio First Suburbs Alliance to bring him study their proposal and to immediately begin addressing legal issues currently hindering regional collaboration. 

The forum was sponsored by The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, together with Ideastream, the Civic Commons, Northeast Ohio First Suburbs Consortium, Torrice Productions, Greater Ohio, the Center for Community Solutions and the Regional Prosperity Initiative. 

Growing Together was held in tandem with the public television broadcasts of The New Metropolis in the Cleveland region. It is also part of a national series of The New Metropolis civic engagement dialogues now taking place across the country. 

To see video excerpts of the forum click here.

Panelists:

• Mayor Michael Lyons, Richfield, Ohio – Overview of Regional Prosperity Initiative and focus of 2011 priorities
• Lavea Brachman, Executive Director, Greater Ohio Policy Center & Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program – State policy recommendations, incentives and barriers
• Gary Norton, Mayor of East Cleveland – An inner-ring suburb’s perspective
• Steve Hambley, Medina County Commissioner – A developing County’s perspective
• Jason Segedy, Director of Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS)
• Dan Moulthrop, Civic Commons – Moderator
• William G. Batchelder, Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives

This forum was part of The New Metropolis national civic engagement dialogue series on revitalizing America’s older communities. It was made possible through the generous support of the Ford and Surdna Foundations.

Broadcast Schedule

The New Metropolis on WVIZ/Ideastream,
Public Television Channel 25



Episode 1: A Crack in the Pavement
Sunday, January 23, 4 pm
Friday, January 28, 10:30 pm

Episode 2: The New Neighbors
Sunday, January 30, 4 pm
Friday, February 4, 10:30 pm

Website Resources

Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs
Cleveland State University
Ideastream
The Civic Commons
Northeast Ohio First Suburbs Consortium
Torrice Productions
Greater Ohio