Cuyahoga County Population
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Message from Commissioners To all Citizens of Cuyahoga County: The 2007 budget sustains, and in some cases, expands ini- tiatives that support the priorities of County government. The We are pleased to present the balanced 2007 budget of budget emphasizes three main themes: $1.48 billion. This budget offers a fiscally responsible plan that balances the needs of the citizens of Cuyahoga County Fiscal integrity; with the level of available resources while maintaining a The health and safety of residents; and strong fiscal position to meet future demands. Economic vitality and self-sufficiency. We were confronted with a variety of challenges and difficult The County’s maintenance of its AAA, Aa1 and AA+ bond decisions during the budget process. General Fund reve- ratings respectively, by Fitch Ratings, Moody’s and Standard nues have been declining since 2001 and we have taken & Poor’s, respectively, clearly evidences the effective stew- positive steps by “doing more with less” through automation ardship of the public’s funds. Only one of Ohio’s 88 counties and the implementation of operational efficiencies throughout has a superior bond rating. The 2007 budget continues to the County. The size of County government has been re- support programs that respond to the County’s legal and duced by almost 1,100 full-time equivalent positions since moral responsibilities to assist the truly needy and to help 2001, via attrition and an aggressive employee retirement provide a safe place in which our citizens can reside and incentive program. Unfortunately, the declining revenue raise their families. The most immediate challenge confront- trend continues into 2007 and beyond as program costs and ing the County, however, is the revitalization of our regional demand for services increase. economic base. In addition to declining revenues, the County will continue to Economic Vitality face chronic financial pressures posed by escalating health- care costs, volatile energy prices, unfunded state and federal Following are some of the key job creation/attraction/ mandates, justice and homeland security obligations, in- retention initiatives which the 2007 budget will fund: creases in mandatory retirement contributions and the fact that our local economy trails the nation’s economic perform- CuyahogaNext Advisors’ forums that allows the region ance. to align and coordinate economic activities which will aid in leveraging resources; Despite these fiscal challenges, we have accomplished many North Coast Opportunities that will enable the County to goals, received national acclaim and awards for our innova- co-invest with other private sector entities in emerging tive efforts and were still able to provide additional dollars to: technology-based opportunities; support the operating expenses of arts or cultural organi- Cuyahoga Innovation Zones that will stimulate and lev- zations located in Cuyahoga County to promote economic erage the economic development capacity of the re- benefits. gion’s institutional and industrial strengths; continue our efforts to create and retain good jobs and An economic development strategy comprised of vari- attract public and private investment to our community; ous low interest loan, brownfield redevelopment, and ensure the health and safety of our children, frail elderly the manufacturing initiatives, including the New Product and those citizens needing temporary assistance; Development and Entrepreneur Fund; provide access to healthcare coverage, mental health The Destination Cleveland Program, which attracts services and drug and alcohol treatment; special economic impact events to our community; address the ever increasing number of home foreclosures The Arts and Culture Fund, which through grant mak- in our county and to implement several prevention initia- ing, utilizes arts and culture to attract visitors to the re- tives; and gion; and centralize administrative and youth service oriented op- Efforts that promote Cuyahoga County to the film indus- erations by planning and beginning construction on two try and increase the number of films and commercials (2) new best practice and highly efficient facilities. that are produced in the area. 1 Conclusion Fortunately, we have a corporate sector that is actively in- volved with community issues, a generous philanthropic sec- Developing a budget is always challenging and demanding. tor which includes the second largest community foundation in The $154 million of additional funding requests received far the country, a well-developed nonprofit sector to assist us in exceeded our financial capacity. The relationship we enjoy service delivery, educational institutions that help us improve with our various community partners is critical to the continued our workforce and dedicated Cuyahoga County officials and effective provision of critical County services. Cuyahoga employees. We sincerely thank our partners for their commit- County will continue its efforts to improve the efficiency of ment to provide excellent service to our community. Our service delivery along with continual updating and improve- pledge is to continue our efforts to deliver county services in ment of internal functions. The County is at a critical cross- as cost-effective a manner as possible. road: traditional methodologies for financing our operations will not, with our major sources of revenue flat or declining, be We think you will agree that the advances Cuyahoga County adequate for the future. The past six years have proven this has made in partnership with our community are evident revenue trend is not temporary. Through creativity, efficiency throughout this budget document. As you review the 2007 and visionary service delivery methods, we will do everything budget, we hope you will also agree that our ongoing commit- possible to bolster the local economic environment. ment to improve the quality of services we provide has trans- lated into a better quality of life for all Cuyahoga County citi- zens. Respectfully submitted, Timothy F. Hagan President Peter Lawson Jones Jimmy Dimora Vice President Commissioner 2 Cuyahoga County Profile Location Located on the shores of Lake Erie, Cuyahoga County is the most heavily populated county in Ohio, is 458.3 square miles and the 20th largest county in the U.S. On January 16, 1810, the State of Ohio established the county and its resi- dents took the county’s name for the Indian word “Cuyahoga “ or “crooked river”. It was originally part of the Connecti- cut Western Reservation and Moses Cleveland brought the first white settlers to the area in 1796 and established the City of Cleveland that same year. With completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal and its location on Lake Erie, Cleveland prospered as a trade center and the city also became a major industrial site in the late 1800’s. Government The county seat is located in the City of Cleveland and is a commission form of government headed by a three person board of commissioners. The County consists of: • 38 cities • 19 villages • 2 townships • 36 school districts • 9 library systems • 1 port authority • 1 park district 3 Cuyahoga County Profile Population The County’s population has been steadily declining since its peak in 1970. Like other industrial regions, Cleveland- Cuyahoga County’s population has declined due to urban sprawl to other counties in the region and the loss of manu- facturing jobs. The 2006 population estimate derived by the Ohio Department of Development is 1,335,317. Cuyahoga County Population 2006 1,335,317 2000 1,393,978 1990 1,412,140 1980 1,498,400 1970 1,721,300 1960 1,647,895 1950 1,389,532 1940 1,217,250 * Ohio Department of Development, Office of Strategic Research Economy Households The Greater Cleveland area is the largest economic There are a total of 617,664 dwellings in Cuyahoga area in Ohio and home to six Fortune 500 corpora- County of which 61% or 341,513 are owner occupied. tions which include Progressive Insurance Corpora- In 2005, there were 557,799 households and provided is tion, National City Corporation, Eaton Corporation, the 2005 household income distribution: Parker Hannifin Corporation, Sherwin-Williams Com- pany and KeyCorp. The top ten employers (public <$10,000......................... 61,084 11.0% and private) include: $10,000 -$20,000............ 68,824 12.3% $20,000-$30,000............. 67,281 12.1% • Cleveland Clinic Health Systems $30,000-$40,000............. 64,576 11.6% • University Hospital Health Systems $40,000-$50,000............. 57,251 10.3% • U.S. Office of Personnel Management $50,000-$60,000............. 45,605 8.2% • Cuyahoga County $60,000-$75,000............. 54,898 9.8% • Progressive Insurance Corporation $75,000-$100,000........... 60,624 10.9% • City of Cleveland >$100,000....................... 77,656 13.9% • Cleveland Municipal Schools • National City Corporation • Key Corp • Case Western Reserve University 4 Cuyahoga County Profile Cuyahoga County Unemployment Rate 6.7% 6.8% 7.0% 6.2% 6.2% 6.1% Unemployment Rate 5.8% Due to the regions sluggish economy 6.0% 5.2% 4.8% 4.6% 4.5% 4.5% and slow economic recovery, the 5.0% 4.4% County’s unemployment rate is higher 4.0% than the State of Ohio’s rate of 5.6% 3.0% (12/2006) and the national average of 2.0% 4.5%. (12/2006) 1.0% 0.0% 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Arts & Entertainment Playhouse Square Center is the largest performing arts center in the country outside of New York City. Its five mag- nificently restored theaters include the State, Palace, Allen, Ohio and Hanna Theaters. These theaters are home to the Cleveland Opera, the Great Lakes Theater Festival and many Broadway performances. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is the world’s only museum dedicated to rock and roll music and fea- tures exhibits honoring music legends and pioneers. The Great Lakes Science Museum is one of America’s largest interactive science museums with more than 375 hands on exhibits, daily demonstrations and educational programs.