Latest news with #Ronayne
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Confronting county leader on claims about unclaimed funds for Browns: I-Team
CLEVELAND (WJW) — The FOX 8 I-Team is now taking hard questions to a local leader after his latest claims about unclaimed funds to help the Browns build a dome. Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronanye calls it picking your pocket. Monday, the I-Team questioned the county executive. State lawmakers may help the Browns build a dome in Brook Park with $600 million from the Unclaimed Funds Account. The Browns would pay back that money. Watch: Residents called 911 for hours about crowds filling streets — where was Cleveland police? Chris Ronayne believes giving that money to the Browns would be unfair to taxpayers. But, the I-Team discovered state lawmakers have often raided that fund for big money to balance the budget. And, while the Browns would pay back that money from unclaimed funds, state lawmakers have not paid back money taken out of the same account. Sometimes, hundreds of millions of dollars at once. We asked Ronayne questions about lawmakers not paying the money back, yet he's opposed to money from the same fund for the Browns which would be paid back. He kept resorting to telling citizens to check and see if they have any money in the account and talking about how the Browns plan for a dome would hurt downtown Cleveland. Chris Ronayne also said, 'We have said, over and over, again, this proposal by the Cleveland Browns is, too, risky.' The I-Team also found, back in 2018, Cuyahoga County leaders took $7 million out of a local unclaimed funds account. So, we asked if county leaders ever paid that back. Ronayne reminded us, that happened before he took office. 'You'd have to look further,' he said. 'You'd have to look back on what prior administrations did.'Last week, Browns Chief Operating Officer Dave Jenkins said, 'I think we've been pretty clear since the outset that it's going to take a public-private partnership to enable this project.' The Browns argue they'd put more than a billion dollars into the dome, and, again, pay back any state funds. State leaders are kicking around three plans to help the Browns with public money. That includes using unclaimed funds. Senate leaders promise, even if the Browns get unclaimed funds, when you go on-line to apply for your money, you'll also get yours. 'I think the State of Ohio has to find a different solution than unclaimed funds,' Ronayne added. When we asked state officials about lawmakers repaying the unclaimed funds, we received this response from a spokesperson with the Office of Budget and Management: Any payment from a state fund, including the General Revenue Fund, to Unclaimed Funds would require an authorizing appropriation from the General Assembly. Such appropriations have generally not occurred. For example, the budget bills mentioned (last week) that directed transfers from Unclaimed Funds to the state GRF (general fund) did not include appropriations from the GRF (general fund) to make payments back to Unclaimed Funds. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Irish Examiner
06-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Cork McDonald's operator aiming for €32m in revenues this year
A Cork based McDonald's franchisee said on Friday drive-thru revenues at one of his restaurants now accounted for 64% of annual revenues. Jim Ronayne oversees the operation of six McDonald's in Cork and Tipperary and said he was aiming to generate revenues of €32m from the restaurants this year. He said the six outlets last year made revenues of €30m. Mr Ronayne operates McDonald's at Douglas, and Mallow along with others at Commons Road, Blackpool, and Musgrave Park in Cork City, and one outlet in Clonmel, Co Tipperary. All of McDonald's 95 outlets across Ireland today are operated by 19 local franchisees. Mr Ronayne said drive-thru revenues across his six restaurants accounted for 50% of revenues, with drive-thru revenues reaching 64% at his Commons Road outlet. He said people enjoy the convenience of being in their cars and, 'of course, you have more cars on the road now'. Mr Ronayne confirmed he was looking to expand in the Cork area and employ 500 people by year end. The business currently employed 475, comprising 20 different nationalities, and Mr Ronayne said: 'I have a very good team around me and we are ambitious for growth." He said McDonald's Ireland currently had a planning application before Cork County Council for a new outlet in Carrigaline. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of Mr Ronayne's McDonald's Commons Road outlet. The outlet opened in 2000 with a crew of just 40, and it now employs more than 85 staff across full-time and part-time roles. He opened his first McDonald's in Mallow in 1998, following a career running three food businesses of his own. Mr Ronayne said 10% of revenues are online from the McDelivery service. The Big Mac and Quarter Pounder remain some of the best-selling items on the menu, while the sales of meals with chicken have surged in recent years. Mr Ronayne revealed McDonald's franchises in Ireland are self-insured and now operate their own common fund for insurance, which they set up in 2018, as 'the costs had completely gotten out of hand'. Mr Ronayne said his business was 'in good health', but margins are under pressure with the rising costs of the likes of beef and potatoes. He said the business had passed on some of the costs to the customer, with price rises of 8%-9% in the last year or so. He said 'it is not a case that if the price of beef rises by 30% that we will increase the price by 30%'. He said the rise in costs "is a serious challenge to our business'.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
I-Team: Governor reviewing proposal to use unclaimed funds to help fund Browns dome project
[Watch previous FOX 8 I-Team coverage in the player above.] CLEVELAND (WJW) — Gov. Mike DeWine's office confirmed to the FOX 8 I-Team that the governor is reviewing a proposal by Senate Republicans to use unclaimed fund money to help the Cleveland Browns pay for a new enclosed stadium project. Dan Tierney, spokesperson for the governor, also added that he looks 'forward to continuing the budget process with the Ohio General Assembly.' Ground beef sold nationwide possibly contaminated with E. Coli DeWine has proposed increasing the tax on the state's sports gaming tax to help fund stadium projects and youth sports programs. The Browns requested $600 million in bonds from the state. That money would be paid back with profits from the project. The Browns are also contributing $1.2 billion toward the stadium and another $1 billion to the mixed-use development. State Sen. Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) told the I-Team he believes the plan to use unclaimed funds is better for taxpayers. Cirino said the proposal is to use money from Ohio's $3.7 billion in unclaimed funds. Cirino added that $1.7 billion of that amount would be used to create a sports and cultural facilities fund. The Browns would be given a $600 million 'performance grant' that would be paid back with profits from the project. Cirino added the Browns would put $100 million in an escrow account that would be used to pay back the state if the project falls short. 'This is a forward-thinking plan that acknowledges the economic impact professional sports has on our communities,' Cirino said. 'This program protects taxpayers, promotes growth and is positive for the general fund, while putting idle dollars to work that have been sitting in the state treasury, often for decades.' Some state lawmakers disagree, including state Sens. Casey Weinstein (D-Hudson) and Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood). 'I've already heard from Ohioans I serve about the difficulty they've encountered in accessing their unclaimed funds,' Weinstein said. 'But apparently it's been easy for the Haslams. Taking money owed to Ohioans, while cutting funds for libraries and schools sends the exact wrong message about our priorities.' LIVE: All the Goodyear blimps together over Cleveland Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne and Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb also are against the proposal. Both Ronayne and Bibb want the Browns to continue playing football games in downtown Cleveland. 'I have been clear from the beginning that if we're talking Browns, we have a doable plan for downtown,' Ronayne said. 'We have a plan that does not rely on the state Senate giving away your funds. Don't pick the pocket of hard-working Ohioans for the single purpose of a stadium in Brook Park.' Senate officials are expected to vote on their version of the budget bill sometime next week. A final state budget must be approved by the end of this month. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
04-06-2025
- 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
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Senate GOP targets unclaimed property fund to help pay for Browns, Bengals stadium projects
The Browns hope to pay for their new stadium in part with state-issued bonds. Senate Republicans have a different idea. Via the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the initial budget of the Senate GOP's initial proposal for the state budget would include 'raiding' the unclaimed property fund. It currently has $4.8 billion. A total of $1.7 billion would be removed, with $600 million going to the Browns and $1.1 billion devoted to other stadium projects — including proposed upgrades to the Bengals' stadium. For the Browns, the $600 million would be repaid to the unclaimed property fund with tax revenues. It's unclear whether the Ohio House or governor Mike DeWine will support the proposal. The House has endorsed a bond issuance. DeWine wants to increase the taxes on sports books. Meanwhile, Cuyahoga County executive Chris Ronayne, who has been squabbling with the Browns lately, opposes using any state money for a stadium in Brook Park. 'This is a sad day for the state of Ohio and a sad day for the residents of Cuyahoga County,' Ronayne said. He added that the money would cover Medicaid for 50,000 Ohio residents. 'Put your own money in this, Haslams,' Ronayne said. It's just another example of the current mood held by many regarding whether NFL teams should pay for their own stadiums, or whether they're entitled to public funding. And it's currently playing out for multiple teams — the Browns, Bengals, Chiefs, and Commanders.
