海角破解版

Analysis

When the Plain Dealer endorsed Jane Campbell for mayor in 2001 鈥� the last time there was an open race for Cleveland鈥檚 top job 鈥� the paper penned a to-do list for the next chief executive.

It went like this:

Sound familiar? Plenty of those issues resonate today. The 2021 candidates will no doubt be challenged to explain how they鈥檒l make city services more effective, how they鈥檒l improve conditions in Cleveland鈥檚 most distressed neighborhoods and how they鈥檒l better connect the city to Lake Erie.

It might be a lot to expect from a single mayor, but high expectations are part of the job.

鈥淭he mayor is the person who sets the community agenda and who is looked at as the leader,鈥� Campbell told me recently.

She was a county commissioner back in 2001. Cuyahoga County government may cover more territory and more voters, but Cleveland City Hall still maintains a special prominence in Northeast Ohio.

So what should be on the next mayor鈥檚 to-do list? We are collecting your questions for the candidates.  

We鈥檒l put some of those questions to the mayoral hopefuls in the forums that 海角破解版 is hosting with the City Club of Cleveland. 

Your questions also will help us report a podcast telling the story of the 2021 mayor鈥檚 race and examining the issues that matter most to voters. 

Please, send in your questions. You can fill out our form in English. Or you can do it in Spanish. 

Feel free to dream big 鈥� or dream tiny. Because people don鈥檛 just expect monumental things from City Hall. They expect little things, too. Permits issued on time, residential streets fixed, trees trimmed, vacant lots mowed, dilapidated houses dealt with, you name it. 

Whether fair or not, if something goes wrong, you know whom to blame: the top elected official at 601 Lakeside Ave. 

Before we ended our interview, Campbell illustrated that point with a story. Ten months into her term, she sought advice from the mayor of that bigger city to the west. 

鈥淚 called Richie Daley, who was mayor of Chicago at the time,鈥� she said.

That鈥檚 Richard M. Daley to you and me, Chicago鈥檚 longest-serving mayor, who left office in 2011 after 22 years in the job.

鈥淚 said, 鈥極K, mayor, I鈥檝e been mayor for 10 months, you鈥檝e been mayor for 10 years. I need some advice,鈥欌�� she said. 

Daley invited her out to Chicago to meet his staff and talk over dinner, Campbell said. 

鈥淔irst thing he says to me, he said, 鈥楽o here鈥檚 the deal,鈥欌�� Campbell said. 鈥溾�楶eople walk out of their house. They lock the door. Everything else is your fault.鈥欌��

Daley鈥檚 point, according to Campbell, was that mayors should tune out the noise and focus on their agendas.

But before Cleveland鈥檚 next mayor does that, we think he or she ought to hear some more from you. So get in touch.