The City of Cleveland Economic Development Corporation held a public hearing during its August meeting and designated several projects for the EDC’s fiscal year 2025–26 budget, including a wayfinding and gateway-signage program, improvements at Cleveland Municipal Airport tied to a recently acquired hangar, park beautification and public‑art initiatives, holiday décor, and job‑training collaborations with Cleveland ISD.

Emilio Labarreal, the city’s community director of development, said the funding will allow the EDC to begin implementing signage and streetscape work and to erect an airport hangar acquired from another regional airport. “These dollars will be able to help put towards those actual projects,” Labarreal said during the public hearing.

Board members voted on consent items and the budget elsewhere on the agenda. The board unanimously approved items 9 and 10 (meeting minutes from a special meeting on July 21, 2025, and the monthly financial statements and quarterly investment report). The motion to approve those consent items passed with all members voting in favor.

Later in the meeting the board voted to approve the EDC’s 2026 budget as submitted; a motion to accept the budget passed and will be forwarded to the city council for final consideration as part of the city’s budget process. EDC staff said the EDC budget is incorporated into the city’s proposed budget, which is available on the city website.

The board also considered amended EDC bylaws but voted to table that item to the next meeting so members can review the redlined and clean copies before final action.

No specific project cost allocations or vendor contracts were approved during the public hearing; Labarreal said detailed figures are in the annual packet and were discussed in two prior workshops. The public hearing and budget vote were procedural steps to designate projects and allow staff to begin implementation work after the fiscal year begins in October.

The board adjourned to a closed executive session under Texas Government Code provisions and reconvened before adjourning the meeting.