Cuyahoga County leaders discuss formal application process and cap for Community Development Fund

Council President Miller told the Committee of the Whole on Feb. 11 that he wants a more defined process for the county’s Community Development Fund — supported by casino tax revenue — and proposed two immediate changes: a brief, ARPA-style application for applicants and an informal cap on 2025 allocations of $2 million.

Miller said the county’s casino revenue is “currently averaging about 8,800,000.0 per year,” and that historically the revenue has been split roughly equally between the Community Development Fund and the Economic Development Fund. He outlined standing commitments that constrain new awards: $1,500,000 per year for the $50,000 supplemental grant program, about $1,000,000 per year to the land bank for the county’s housing program (a commitment that ends this calendar year) and up to $1,400,000 per year in gateway debt service. “What remains in the Community Development Fund after these commitments is available for other projects,” he said, estimating a maximum sustainable annual amount of roughly $2,500,000, and noting the fund’s current balance would allow some flexibility this year.

Why it matters: Council members said projects already await funding and asked for clarity on process and fairness. Miller urged a two-stage approach: immediate collection of brief applications to understand the pipeline, and later in 2025 a possible scoring round should the council choose to codify a formal selection process.

Members raised practical and equity questions. Councilwoman Turner asked Miller to repeat the totals and the expected sustainable spending; Miller reiterated the $8,000,000 fund balance figure and the committed amounts, which he said permit an annual sustainable range near $2.9 million in the short term. Council members and staff named several projects that could seek funding, including Birthing Beautiful Communities, Westside Market, Cahoon Park (a lakefront project), a YMCA renovation and an item described as Studio West LGBTQ Center. Miller said applicants would ordinarily be the sponsoring organization — "the city of Brook Park, the city of Bay Village, the Cleveland Public Theater, the West Side Market or the YMCA" — with a council member sponsoring the application from the applicant’s district.

Several members sought assurances about equitable access. An unidentified member (labeled in the transcript as speaker 5) asked whether funds could be divided by council district, similar to past ARPA distributions; Miller said the county charter limits individual members’ authority to direct county funds and he opposed a formal per-district split though he urged committee consideration of historical allocations so the committee could weigh equity. Councilman Sweeney and others encouraged prioritizing projects with countywide draw while accepting that some worthwhile projects would be district-level in impact.

Next steps: Miller asked staff to collect and maintain applications (he specifically asked "Trevor" to keep a file) and urged interested council members to introduce legislation for projects that are ready; he said the Community Development Committee would review applications and recommend items to the full council. Miller also said a formal scoring process, if the council chooses it, could begin in the second half of 2025.

Miller’s comments and members’ questions were all made during committee discussion; no formal allocations or changes to the fund were voted on at this meeting.