Latest news with #ChrisRonayne
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
The debate over using unclaimed funds to support Browns dome
CLEVELAND (WJW) — One day later, Clevelanders are still reacting to the news of the possibility of the state helping to finance a new Browns stadium by borrowing $600 million of unclaimed funds, potentially your money. 'That $600 million giveaway that's a pocket picked of your taxpayer dollars they're picking your pocket,' County Executive Chris Ronayne said Tuesday. 'That could actually support 50,000 persons on Medicaid.' I-Team: Governor reviewing proposal to use unclaimed funds to help fund Browns dome project And talk about perfect timing. Just weeks ago, Ohio's top money managers made it easier for residents to be reunited with their lost or forgotten money, even beyond state lines. Cuyahoga County Treasurer Brad Cromes said the website will help disperse the state's current balance of $3.7 billion in unclaimed funds, to their true owners. 'The main circumstances that lead to unclaimed funds at the state level, are forgotten rent deposits, bank remainders that may not have been claimed or older insurance claims that weren't fully completed,' Cromes said. And Ohioans are saying show me the money. Last year alone, more than $149 million were returned to rightful owners, through more than 26,000 claims. Since Tuesday's announcement from the statehouse about using state funds, the county treasurer said the volume of inquiry calls remain steady. He said the process is straightforward and free, ensuring people can reclaim assets that are rightfully theirs. Wayne Dawson talks about when he'll return to FOX 8 'For locally held funds, most of those are going to be held the Clerk of Courts office, so we encourage people to call 216-443-7982.' For unclaimed fund inquiries, click this link or email cocunclaimedfunds@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
2 days ago
- Business
- Axios
OH Senate proposes giving Browns $600M from taxpayers' unclaimed funds
The Ohio Senate passed its version of the biennial state budget this week, which includes a new method for publicly subsidizing the proposed Browns stadium in Brook Park. State of play: Under the proposal, the state would give the Haslam Sports Group $600 million in a cash grant siphoned from a pot of Ohioans' unclaimed funds. Per the Ohio Department of Commerce, the state currently holds roughly $4.8 billion in these funds: things like uncashed last paychecks, dormant bank accounts and rental and utility deposits. What they're saying: "It's dead on arrival," Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne said Wednesday in criticizing the proposal during a wide-ranging interview on ESPN 850. "This is not just robbing Peter to pay Paul," he earlier said at a press conference Tuesday evening. "It's robbing Bob and Betty Buckeye to pay Jimmy and Dee Haslam." Ronayne referred to the proposal variously as "a boondoggle," "piracy" and "the worst idea in the history of public policy." Between the lines: The House budget version calls for paying the Browns $600 million in money financed with state bonds, which would be paid back over 25 years with tax revenue generated by the project. DeWine prefers doubling an existing tax on sports betting companies to pay for the Browns stadium and other pro sports facilities. Ronayne likes that idea, too. In the meantime, Ronayne's on a campaign to publicize the pot of unclaimed funds and is urging Ohioans to collect.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cuyahoga County exec. addresses Senate's budget plan for Browns dome
CLEVELAND (WJW) – Cuyahoga County executive Chris Ronayne spoke out after state Senate leaders introduced a new proposal to assist the Cleveland Browns in getting $600 million in state funding to build a dome in Brook Park. 'When we look at what's being proposed by our state Senate, we see a proposed budget that will benefit billionaires to the expense of everyday working residents of Ohio and this county of Cuyahoga,' Ronayne said. The FOX 8 I-Team first learned about the proposal Tuesday afternoon. Senate leaders promised that the new plan would mean less risk to taxpayers. As the I-Team previously reported, the Browns have asked for $600 million in bond money to be paid back with profits made from the project. Ohioans can soon buy over twice as much nonmedical marijuana State Democratic senators told the I-Team the Senate Finance Committee is now proposing using money from Ohio's unclaimed funds to pay for the dome. Ohio's unclaimed funds are described as 'unclaimed or abandoned money and other assets,' which could include a bank account, rent or utility deposit, uncashed check and more. I-X Center one step closer to being repurposed — what it would mean for events The current total of unclaimed funds in Ohio is $4.8 billion, with $528 million received in fiscal year 2024 alone. 'Don't pick the pocket of hardworking Ohioans for the single purpose of a new stadium in Brook Park, but that's what you've done, state Senate, by proposing an allocation from the unclaimed funds department,' Ronayne continued. 'This is your money, this is your parents' money, this might be your grandmother's money, this might be your kids' future money.' Ronayne urged Governor Mike DeWine to veto those portions of the budget. 'We urged you to think about restoring some of that $600 million to our libraries, to our schools, to our Medicaid coverage for our citizenry,' he said. He also urged Ohioans to check for unclaimed funds on at unclaimedfund The final state budget must be approved by the end of the month. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘A pivotal moment': Greater Cleveland Partnership backs Browns dome plan
[Watch previous FOX 8 I-Team coverage in the player above.] CLEVELAND (WJW) — Members of Greater Cleveland's regional chamber of commerce, which fosters development in the region, said they support the Cleveland Browns' move to Brook Park. In what it called 'a pivotal moment for Greater Cleveland,' the Greater Cleveland Partnership's executive committee said it 'endorses a domed stadium that anchors a mixed-use development in Brook Park as well as support for all our professional sports facilities,' reads a statement found Tuesday on the partnership's website. 10-year-old boy killed in crash on US Route 422 in Solon identified 'GCP also asks all parties to work together for accelerated development of a vibrant downtown lakefront and riverfronts,' reads the statement. 'The business community has and will continue to support the success of our public officials. We will continue to work with them on these transformational opportunities to provide long-term and lasting benefits to support the growth of downtown, Cleveland and the region.' Executive committee members with conflicts of interest recused themselves from the endorsement, according to the statement. That presumably refers to Browns co-owner Dee Haslam, one of the numerous local and Ohio-based executives who sits on the committee. Huntington National Bank, Sherwin-Williams and FirstEnergy are also represented. 'Professional sports are an economic engine,' reads the statement, and a domed stadium in Brook Park means a 'transformative' $3.4 billion investment in the region. Domed stadiums in regions similar to Cleveland can draw up to three times as many visitors per year, and the demand for large-scale, live entertainment is expected to continue growing, according to the partnership. A domed stadium in Brook Park could also synergize with new development at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. 'While a downtown dome is ideal, financial and development constraints have been challenging; the Brook Park option is more practical to move forward,' reads the statement. Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne disagreed, calling the plan a 'boondoggle' when speaking to reporters on Monday. He and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb want to keep the Browns playing downtown. 'The truth is simple: You're pushing a costly, risky and poorly conceived plan that uses public subsidy to diminish our region, our communities and our businesses,' he said. City leaders issued a statement to the FOX 8 I-Team on Tuesday that reads: 'The city of Cleveland is focused on delivering a world-class lakefront for Cleveland's residents, visitors and businesses. It's disappointing to see a small number of individuals from the regional chamber supporting the financial interests of the Haslams at the expense of Cleveland and taxpayers.' The Browns sought $600 million in state bonds, to be repaid with profits from the new stadium, and planned to put up more than $2 billion on their own for the stadium and surrounding development. When the county wouldn't get on board, Haslam Sports Group said they'd go on without them. Haslam Sports Group Chief Operating Officer Dave Jenkins, in a statement to the I-Team, said the Browns' open-air lakefront dome is 'a short-term solution' and that there's a bigger upside with the county's participation. 'We have had extremely positive and constructive collaboration within our community, with corporate leaders and with state officials who understand and support the transformative nature of this opportunity,' Jenkins wrote. ' … By not participating, [Ronayne] is not impeding this transformative solution, he is negatively impacting the growth of Northeast Ohio and the several hundreds of millions of excess dollars generated on the public side that could go towards lakefront redevelopment, the city of Cleveland and other Cuyahoga County needs.' 'Saw a little purple jacket': Teen rescued child from river after deadly Fremont train accident A vacancy at Huntington Bank Field could also lead to new mixed-use development that 'supports a more vibrant downtown and activated waterfront,' reads the statement. It could also mean the closure of Burke Lakefront Airport to make more room. 'Once the stadium decision is settled, GCP asks the team, Cleveland and Brook Park and county to collaborate on accelerating the lakefront development,' reads the statement. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
NBC Sports
19-05-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Cuyahoga County executive accuses Haslam Sports Group of "greed and opportunism" in stadium effort
It appears that the Bengals and the Browns are in a competition to have the most contentious relationship possible with the counties where they currently play their home games. And they're both winning. Not to be outdone by the current hostilities between the Bengals and Hamilton County over a new lease at Paycor Stadium, the Browns are battling with Cuyahoga County over the team's determination to leave Cleveland for a domed stadium in Brook Park. The latest escalation came on Monday, when Cuyahoga County executive Chris Ronayne sent a letter to Haslam Sports Group accusing Browns ownership of 'greed and opportunism.' The one-page correspondence also says Jimmy Haslam and company are 'distorting the facts' and 'attempting to bully the public and fleece County taxpayers for [Haslam Sports Group's] private gain.' Ronayne accuses Browns ownership of 'pushing a costly, risky, and poorly conceived plan that uses public subsidy to diminish our region, our communities, and our businesses.' He calls the team's effort to build a $3.4 billion facility a 'boondoggle.' Last week, Haslam Sports Group COO Dave Jenkins sent a letter to Ronayne accusing him of 'communicating misleading information' about the Brook Park project and describing the opposition to the domed stadium 'truly disheartening.' The exchange of nastygrams comes at a time when the Browns are trying to secure $600 million in Ohio funding through the issuance of bonds. Separate from the funding fight is pending litigation between the Browns and the city of Cleveland regarding the application of Ohio's Art Modell Law to the team's effort to leave its downtown stadium. Even if both teams end up getting what they want, there's an ugliness to the process that is unhelpful and unbecoming to everyone involved. And while public unpleasantries are hardly unprecedented when it comes to stadium politics (e.g., the time the Browns left Cleveland 30 years ago), the two fronts of animosity in the Ohio cities that currently host NFL teams invite speculation as to one or both situations will eventually catch fire like the Cuyahoga River once did. A dozen times, apparently.
