Petition Presented to Council

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Presented to Cleveland City Council March 2, 2026 by Juan Collado Diaz

Petition for the Accountability and Removal of Mayor Justin Bibb

To the Honorable Cleveland City Council and the Clerk of Council,

We, the undersigned citizens and taxpayers of the City of Cleveland, hereby submit this formal petition to initiate accountability and removal proceedings against Mayor Justin Bibb. This petition is rooted in our deep concern regarding recent financial decisions and the allocation of municipal resources by the Mayor’s administration. As constituents, we expect our elected officials to exercise the utmost prudence and fiduciary responsibility with public funds. The expenditures outlined in this petition demonstrate a concerning pattern of fiscal prioritization that we believe compromises the public trust.

The foundation of municipal governance relies on the responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The residents of Cleveland face numerous economic and structural challenges, from infrastructure needs to public safety concerns. In this context, any frivolous or excessive spending by the highest office in the city is not merely an administrative oversight; it is a direct affront to the hardworking citizens who fund the city's budget. It is the duty of the City Council to hold the executive branch accountable when spending deviates from the essential needs of the community.

Our first specific grievance pertains to the acquisition of office furnishings, specifically the reported purchase of an office chair costing in excess of $2,200 (CLE_Maximus, 2026). While maintaining a functional work environment for city officials is necessary, spending thousands of dollars on a single piece of seating is perceived as an unnecessary luxury at the taxpayers' expense. Such expenditures signal a disconnect between the Mayor's office and the financial realities faced by the average Cleveland resident.

Furthermore, this single purchase is part of a broader pattern of questionable spending on administrative aesthetics. Reports indicate that approximately $65,000 has been allocated for office furniture upgrades. During recent city budget hearings, questions were explicitly raised by council members regarding these furniture allocations while other vital city departments remain understaffed or underfunded (Castele, 2026b). Allocating tens of thousands of dollars to redecorate offices while the city grapples with substantial civic issues represents a misprioritization of municipal funds.

Beyond office furnishings, we are profoundly troubled by the exorbitant costs associated with the Mayor’s travel. Recent investigations have revealed that Mayor Bibb's office spent in excess of $50,000, , and by some accounts over $55,000on a single trip to a conference in Martha’s Vineyard (Hoodline, 2026). This extravagant travel expenditure reportedly included luxury room accommodations, SUV rentals, and chauffeur services. Such junkets provide questionable value to the everyday residents of Cleveland and represent an unacceptable drain on the city's financial reserves.

Compounding the severity of this travel expense is the associated use of police funds and resources. Of the massive sum spent on the Martha’s Vineyard trip, approximately $35,000 was utilized to cover the costs of Cleveland Police Department security details accompanying the Mayor (CLE_Maximus, 2026). Transporting local law enforcement officers across state lines for a conference is a highly questionable use of the police budget, particularly when our local neighborhoods require robust police presence and resources.

The diversion of police funds for executive travel security directly impacts public safety within Cleveland. The Cleveland Police Department operates with finite resources, and every dollar spent guarding an official at an out-of-state retreat is a dollar removed from community policing, crime prevention, and emergency response initiatives within our city limits. The prioritization of mayoral travel security over community safety warrants immediate intervention and review by the City Council.

These expenditures must be viewed against the backdrop of Cleveland’s pressing municipal crises. Recent news has highlighted significant administrative hurdles, such as the handling of $3.3 million in funding intended to protect children from lead poisoning (Castele, 2026a). When the administration faces challenges with crucial public health funding while simultaneously engaging in high-cost executive travel and office upgrades, it damages public confidence in the administration's leadership and competence.

Transparency and accountability are not optional components of public service; they are mandatory. The reluctance to readily disclose these expenses until pressured by media investigations and public records requests further erodes our confidence in Mayor Bibb’s leadership. The citizens of Cleveland deserve an administration that operates in the light, prioritizes the city's urgent needs, and respects the financial contributions of its taxpayers.

In conclusion, we, the undersigned, formally petition the Cleveland City Council and the Clerk of Council to investigate these matters and initiate appropriate proceedings to remove Mayor Justin Bibb from office, whether through formal censure, a demand for resignation, or supporting administrative recall efforts. We urge the Council to conduct a thorough and public investigation into these expenditures, reclaim any misused funds where possible, and enact stricter oversight on executive spending. The city of Cleveland requires leadership that prioritizes public duty over discretionary spending.