Cleveland, Ohio: City Council Votes 7 to 6 to Reject $1.1 Million Browns Stadium Reimbursement

Cleveland City Council voted on Monday to reject a $1.1 million reimbursement to the Browns for repairs at Huntington Bank Field, a 7 to 6 vote that members tied directly to their frustration over the team's planned move from downtown Cleveland to Brook Park.

The resolution failed on Monday, October 26, with Kevin Bishop, Stephanie Howse-Jones, Nikki Hudson, Brian Kazy, Michael Polensek, Tanmay Shah and Richard Starr voting against it. Council President Blaine Griffin voted for the measure, siding with Mayor Justin Bibb's administration, but he could not assemble a majority.

What the money was for

The Browns had already made repairs that were described as essential at the city-owned stadium. The work included repairs tied to a failed sanitary pump, a sewer ejector pump failure, failed pipe insulation and an overhead door, among other projects. Bibb's administration said the repairs were necessary to safely operate the stadium and that the city is required to repay the Browns for such maintenance under the terms of the existing lease.

According to Signal Cleveland reporting shared by journalist Nick Castele, this was the first time in recent history that council has rejected a stadium reimbursement request. Last year council reimbursed the Browns for work that included large commercial air conditioning units, and the year before it approved a larger $2.6 million package for a backlog of health and safety repairs.

Frustration over the Brook Park move

Members who spoke after the vote made the wider dispute plain. Polensek expressed sympathy for Griffin's position and took aim at Bibb's team, blaming the administration for what he called a bad deal for the city to accept $100 million from the Haslam Sports Group in exchange for dropping all lawsuits related to the Brook Park move. He said people feel the city was sold out and that members are frustrated about losing the Browns and losing the stadium.

Griffin warned after the vote that the legal bills that follow should also be explained to the public, saying people may be giving each other high fives now but the costs will arrive. Kazy said he wished someone would stand up to the sports group, refuse to pay, and see the team in court.

The vote comes while the Browns prepare to leave the lakefront stadium, which is expected to be demolished within five years after the club moves to a new domed stadium in Brook Park. Cleveland had offered a $1.1 billion package to renovate Huntington Bank Field, but owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam chose the Brook Park plan, and a $100 million settlement cleared the way for a $2.4 billion domed stadium there.