Analysis
The bus hasn鈥檛 yet left the station on Mayor Justin Bibb鈥檚 picks for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority board.
This week, Bibb named two appointments to the body: Jeff Sleasman, a startup founder and Downtown resident, and Lauren Welch, the assistant director of communications at Say Yes Cleveland. Both were supporters of the mayor鈥檚 campaign.
Technically, these aren鈥檛 appointments. They鈥檙e nominations. Cleveland City Council must approve the mayor鈥檚 picks.
Council鈥檚 role in the process wasn鈥檛 noted , nor in the initial versions of journalists鈥� stories. But after publication, council made sure to remind reporters that the legislative branch has a say here.
Approving the mayor鈥檚 board picks is usually just a formality. But there鈥檚 something that could make this ride bumpier.
Bibb intends to remove board member Valarie McCall before her term is over, according to Chief Government Affairs Officer Ryan Puente.
McCall was a top aide to former Mayor Frank Jackson. She was also one of the Jackson administration鈥檚 liaisons to the Bibb team during the transition.
She has been on the RTA board since 2006 and served alongside Bibb during his tenure on that board from 2018 to 2021. McCall also served a term as chair of the American Public Transportation Association.
McCall is also a constituent of Council President Blaine Griffin, who represents Ward 6. Griffin said he considers McCall a friend.
鈥淪he is a very competent and capable person,鈥� Griffin told 91福利, saying her departure from the board would be 鈥渁 huge loss.鈥�
City Council is still researching the law around the mayor鈥檚 appointment powers, Griffin said. The Bibb administration maintains that it has the power to relieve a board member of his or her duties.
An RTA spokesman, when asked about the situation, said the agency wasn鈥檛 ready to comment. McCall, reached yesterday by phone, said she would call 91福利 back but has not yet done so.
The state law governing regional transit authorities says that board members can be fired. But the power isn鈥檛 a blank check. The law reads: 鈥淭he appointing authority may at any time remove a trustee for misfeasance, nonfeasance, or malfeasance in office.鈥�
It鈥檚 not clear whether Bibb plans to invoke any of the three 鈥渇easances鈥� against McCall.
The administration has not brought up a 2020 state auditor鈥檚 report telling McCall to return $57,200 in pay she鈥檇 received from RTA over the years. Her appointment letter from Jackson in 2006 said she would not receive board members鈥� typical stipend. At the time of the auditor鈥檚 finding, McCall鈥檚 attorney laid the blame at the feet of RTA leaders who had approved those payments.
Politically, Bibb鈥檚 move looks like an attempt to uproot the remnants of his predecessor鈥檚 16-year administration. No doubt the mayor鈥檚 supporters see bringing new blood to the RTA board as just the kind of change for which Cleveland couldn鈥檛 wait.
But if Bibb wanted to avoid a backfiring legislative or court fight, he might have waited. Or he might have found a way to usher McCall off the board quietly while allowing her to save face.
That鈥檚 because there鈥檚 a political risk here, too. If Bibb digs himself into a conflict with City Council so early, the results could be paralyzing for the rest of his agenda.
The mayor, as a relative newcomer to Cleveland politics, doesn鈥檛 have a long history with many council members. Griffin has leverage over his colleagues; he鈥檚 redrawing their districts this term as required by city law.
On Feb. 22, Bibb will present his budget proposal to council. He鈥檚 asking them to fund his cabinet reorganization and a team of issue-focused strategists.
Before then, it might be to his advantage to avoid doling out too many headaches to the other side of City Hall.
