The two candidates for Cuyahoga County executive tried to contrast each other鈥檚 visions for county government at Tuesday鈥檚 City Club of Cleveland debate, but largely avoided sparring during the hourlong exchange.
Democratic candidate Chris Ronayne and Republican hopeful Lee Weingart met at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel at noon, answering questions from county residents .
Weingart, a former county commissioner in the 1990s who runs the lobbying firm LNE Group, reiterated his proposals to build new housing and sell the publicly owned Hilton Downtown Cleveland and Global Center for Health Innovation.
In one of the debate鈥檚 only contentious moments, Weingart tied Ronayne to the outgoing administration of Democratic County Executive Armond Budish, accusing his opponent of lacking a plan to attract employers to town.
鈥淭he administration that currently exists, and (would) under Mr. Ronayne, doesn鈥檛 value jobs, doesn鈥檛 understand the impact of working the private sector,鈥� Weingart said as Ronayne grimaced and shook his head. 鈥淚 understand that. I鈥檝e been in the private sector for the last 20 years.鈥�
A former official in Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell鈥檚 administration, Ronayne ran University Circle Inc. for 16 years before announcing his bid for county executive. Shortly after Weingart鈥檚 remark, Ronayne pitched himself as a county executive who could make use of longstanding relationships with the region鈥檚 civic leaders.
鈥淥ne of the defining themes of my campaign is I鈥檝e been there. I鈥檝e worked with you,鈥� Ronayne told the City Club audience. 鈥淟ee, I sometimes wonder where you鈥檝e been these last 20 years.鈥�
Both candidates signaled their opposition to Budish鈥檚 plan to build a new county jail near the Cuyahoga River at the site of a former Standard Oil refinery. The estimated project cost , and builders would need to take steps to protect the facility from the site鈥檚 environmental contamination.
Weingart pledged to sell the land if the county buys it and to fight the extension of a quarter-percent sales tax to pay for the facility. He said the county should retain part of the current jail complex at the Justice Center while building a second, smaller jail to supplement it.
Ronayne called for a review of plans to renovate the Justice Center and said he would look for a new site for any construction. He said he would also work to make better use of the new 鈥� but underused 鈥� diversion center, which the county built as an alternative to jail.
The two candidates also debated novel tax proposals that would reshape how local governments collect revenue from individuals and healthcare systems.
Weingart wants to ask Cuyahoga County voters to allow county government to collect and distribute income taxes on behalf of the county鈥檚 57 municipalities. A single, countywide income tax rate would replace cities鈥� individual rates, simplifying the filing process for taxpayers who live and work in different cities.
Ronayne said Weingart should heed local mayors鈥� concerns about that plan.
鈥淚 think the mayors, many of whom are out here today, need to be listened to and spoken with first,鈥� Ronayne said, adding, 鈥渕y leadership style is collaborative, listener, leader.鈥�
Ronayne has called on the county鈥檚 hospital systems, which as nonprofits largely do not pay property taxes, to pay instead into a health equity fund. that the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals would pay $112 million annually if their land were taxed.
Weingart dismissed the idea, saying no hospital chief executive would go for it. To that, Ronayne accused Weingart of acting as a 鈥渟huttle diplomat鈥� on behalf of the hospitals. Weingart said he wasn鈥檛 defending the hospitals, but merely pointing out that it was a 鈥渢errible time鈥� to ask them to pay up.
鈥淗ad you called [the hospital CEOs], they would have told you, 鈥榃e鈥檙e not going to do that,鈥欌�� Weingart said. 鈥淏ecause right now the hospitals are on their backs financially, because of supply chain challenges, inflation and staffing, they are really hurting.鈥�
The two men are competing to become the county鈥檚 third elected executive since the 2009 overhaul of county government following a string of federal corruption prosecutions. Democrats have won each of the three elections since then, elevating Ed FitzGerald and later Armond Budish to the job.
Weingart and Ronayne will appear on Cuyahoga County ballots in the Nov. 8 general election. Early voting begins Oct. 12.
