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Council Adopts Ordinance Requiring Publication of City Contracts Between $7,500 and $50,000
Summary
Cleveland Heights council amended and adopted an ordinance on May 19 that increases transparency by requiring publication of city contracts in the $7,500–$50,000 range after members said some contracts were passed just below council-review thresholds.
Cleveland Heights City Council on May 19 adopted an amended ordinance (084-2025) that requires the publication of city contracts between $7,500 and $50,000, a change council members and authors said will increase transparency and prevent contracts being structured to avoid routine council review.
The ordinance establishes a posting requirement so residents and council can see contracts in the specified dollar range. Vice President Russell, who sponsored the measure, said council—s review threshold had allowed some contracts to be passed "just below the threshold to skirt our knowledge," and that the new ordinance would make smaller contracts visible to the public and council.
"This legislation is critically important because it will provide transparency to not just us, but all residents of this city of contracts between $7,500 and $50,000 so that there won't be any more getting snuck through," Russell told council during the discussion. Council members adopted a committee-substituted amendment to the ordinance, then voted to pass the amended version.
Council discussion highlighted recent instances in which members learned of contracts after execution and expressed a desire for clearer, routine notification. The ordinance passed after an amendment was substituted into the packet and approved by voice vote; councilmembers thanked the law department and staff for producing the amended language.
The ordinance was presented as a second-reading, amended and adopted measure; councilmembers said staff will publish contract summaries moving forward and that the ordinance should improve public access to procurement information. No changes to existing procurement thresholds were recorded; the ordinance focuses on publication and transparency rather than altering the council—s approval thresholds.
