Cuyahoga County Council approves $7 million for Centers' behavioral health facility after contentious debate

Cuyahoga County Council on Tuesday adopted Resolution 20250241, authorizing up to $7,000,000 in county capital funding to the Centers for Families and Children to construct a comprehensive behavioral health center, with a priority for a detoxification unit. The measure passed by a 6-5 roll call vote.

Supporters told the council the center would expand local crisis capacity and provide a 24-hour, low-barrier option for people with acute behavioral-health needs. Eric Morris, president and CEO of the Centers for Families and Children, said, "People in our community are suffering," and urged council to accept state and other outside funding tied to the project.

The council debate centered on where operational funding would come from after construction and whether the new center would duplicate services currently provided by MetroHealth. Dr. Christine Alexander Rager, president and CEO of MetroHealth, warned that cuts to the Adams Board funding Metro receives could force Metro to close its psychiatric emergency department in Cleveland Heights, and said she "could not justify duplicating services of other providers" if that funding were diverted.

Council members described competing pressures. Councilman Gallagher and others laid out a history of the project and noted a state-administered award of roughly $6,800,000 (state ARPA funds administered through the Adams Board) that must be spent by Sept. 30, 2026; council staff said about $2,000,000 of that award has already been spent. Gallagher said if council did not act to enable the project now, the Adams Board would likely have to return the spent funds to the state and construction would stop.

Opponents, led by Councilwoman Simon and Councilman Kelly, argued the plan risks weakening MetroHealth, the county's…