Justin Bibb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Justin Bibb
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg) |
|
| 58th Mayor of Cleveland | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2022 |
|
| Preceded by | Frank G. Jackson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Justin Morris Bibb
April 26, 1987 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | American University (BA) Case Western Reserve University (JD, MBA) |
Justin Morris Bibb (born April 26, 1987) is an American politician and former non-profit leader serving as the 58th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio since January 2022. Prior to serving as mayor, Bibb worked with public officials, business leaders and community organizations across the country as the Chief Strategy Officer of Urbanova, a business that leads new initiatives to make cities safer, healthier and more resilient. Bibb was the Co-Chair of Teach for America – Ohio, and a board member for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Destination Cleveland, and LAND Studio.
On January 12, 2021, Bibb announced his candidacy in the 2021 Cleveland mayoral election. In the crowded eight candidate primary, Bibb came in first with 27% of the vote in the September 14th primary, advancing him to the general election alongside the President of Cleveland City Council, Kevin J. Kelley. On November 2, 2021, Bibb won the city's mayoral election, defeating Kelley with a decisive 62% of the vote, becoming Cleveland's 4th African American mayor, and its 2nd youngest.
Contents
Early life and education
Bibb was born in Cleveland and grew up in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood and on the southeast side in Garfield Heights, Ohio. Bibb is a graduate of Trinity High School. After high school, he attended American University in Washington, D.C. where he earned a B.A in Urban Studies. During his undergraduate degree, he studied abroad at the London School of Economics where he completed The General Course program in Social Policy and Economics. In 2014, he returned to Cleveland and attended Case Western Reserve University School of Law and received his JD and MBA.
Career
Bibb interned for Senator Barack Obama in 2007 and began working in local government in 2011 as Special Assistant for Education & Economic Development for Cuyahoga County, where he established the Cuyahoga County Public Policy Fellowship Program. Bibb spent two years working in corporate strategy for Knowledge Generation Bureau before taking senior positions at Gallup, Inc., becoming the Head of Global Cities Practice in 2015. After working in New York and Washington, D.C, he returned to Cleveland to serve as Vice President at KeyBank in 2019. He worked as the Chief Strategy Officer at Urbanova, a business focused on technology for cities. He also co-founded Hack Cleveland in 2014 following the death of Tamir Rice to advocate for criminal justice reform using civic technology.
Mayor of Cleveland
Election
2021
Bibb formally announced his candidacy for mayor of Cleveland in early 2021, promising to bring new leadership and a sense of urgency to Cleveland's problems. He pledged to make public safety his number one priority. Three months after launching his committee, Bibb's campaign announced that it had raised $180,000, a significant sum for a first-time candidate and more than other candidates in the 2017 primaries. According to a December 2020 poll, Bibb had just 2% support among likely voters.
3,000 valid petition signatures are required to make the ballot for the 2021 Cleveland mayoral election, known as a relatively high hurdle. Bibb filed his petition to run for Cleveland Mayor at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections on June 10, 2021. Bibb was announced as one of seven candidates to make the ballot on June 16, 2021.
Bibb gained momentum in the primary a strong showing at the Cleveland Mayoral Candidates Forum on Criminal Justice held on April 28, 2021. He also brought attention to a chronic issue of predatory property owners in Cleveland taking advantage of residents by calling out well-known out-of-town landlord, Holton Wise, at a press conference.
On August 8, 2021, Bibb was endorsed by the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer, Cleveland's major newspaper. On August 18, 2021, Bibb was then endorsed by two former Cleveland mayors, Michael R. White and Jane Campbell.
On September 14, 2021, Bibb placed first in the mayoral primary, advancing him to the November 2 general election alongside City Council President Kevin Kelley. Bibb was then endorsed by dozens of prominent Black pastors including Revs. Otis Moss Jr. and E. T. Caviness. He was also endorsed by previous primary opponents, Zack Reed and Sandra Williams.
On November 2, 2021, Bibb defeated Kelley in the general election, receiving 62.86 percent of the vote. The voter turnout was at 23%. Bibb won 12 of Cleveland’s 17 wards, included winning 9 of 10 East Side wards with 70% of the vote or more.
Tenure
.jpg)
.jpg)
On January 3, 2022, Bibb was sworn in as the 58th Mayor of Cleveland.
Housing policy
In September 2023, Bibb introduced the "Residents First" plan intended to address housing issues. The plan would tighten housing codes and introduce civil penalties for code violations. The plan also focuses on vacant properties, introducing systems in an attempt to prevent livable properties from sitting empty.
In February 2023, Bibb announced his "Home for Every Neighbor Policy" which focuses on helping the city’s unsheltered find permanent housing.
Economic Development
The Bibb administration utilized $50 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding for a Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund. The fund will revitalize thousands of acres of vacant lots and brownfields in the City of Cleveland into shovel-ready job sites, and has a potential to create 60,000 jobs.
Mayor Bibb also presented a new lakefront and riverfront plan with a "shore to core to shore" approach. In March 2024, City Council passed Mayor Bibb's legislation creating a tax-increment finance district in Downtown Cleveland. It is expected to generate between $3.5 billion to $7.5 billion in new revenue over the next 42 years.
The Bibb administration also announced new municipal income tax credits, a new economic development tool for the city.
Budget and Finances
Bibb has passed structurally balanced budgets in 2023 and 2024.
In September, 2022, Moody's Investors Service upgraded the City of Cleveland issuer rating to Aa3 from A1 for the first time in 12 years. The higher issuer rating enhances the city's ability to finance capital improvements.
Appointments
In March 2023, Bibb appointed Calley Mersmann and Jeffrey Weston Sleasman to the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority.
In June 2023, Bibb appointed two new members to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District Board of Education, Robert Briggs and Diana Welch Howell. He also reappointed three existing members to the board, Sara Elaqad, Leah Hudnall and Denise Link. Elaqad serves as the new board chair with Hudnall as the new vice chair.
In July 2023, Bibb appointed Andrew Sargeant to the Cleveland City Planning Commission. He named Michael Sanbury and Dr. Regennia Williams to the Cleveland Landmarks Commission. Bibb also announced the appointment of Luz Pellot, Robert Render III and Jay Westbrook to the Cleveland Community Relations Board. Additionally, Roland Muhammad and Rev. Charles Lucas were reappointed by Bibb to the Community Relations Board.
Family
Bibb's father was a police officer and firefighter. His first cousin-once removed is journalist Leon Bibb.
