A high-stakes power struggle is unfolding at Cleveland City Hall over who gets the final say in the city’s settlement with the Browns, and Friday’s episode of Today in Ohio dives deep into the showdown between branches of government.
Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin has sent a letter instructing the city’s law director not to dismiss any lawsuits against the Browns until council formally approves the settlement through legislation. This move directly challenges Mayor Justin Bibb’s authority to finalize the $100 million deal that would allow the team to relocate to Brook Park, a deal that calls for Bibb to dismiss the city lawsuits.
Podcast panelist Leila Atassi said Griffin argues that the law director represents both the mayor and council.
The podcast hosts express significant skepticism about Griffin’s legal authority to issue such directives. “Griffin is just one of 17 council members who was chosen to be the leader of that body, but it doesn’t give him any power to tell departments in the city what to do,” said Chris Quinn.
Allowing council to direct city departments would undermine fundamental governmental structure, Quinn saod: “If you started to allow the council to push around departments and order them to do things government wouldn’t work.”
Former Cleveland Law Director Subodh Chandra believes Griffin lacks the authority to block the lawsuit dismissals, while a law professor contends council should have a formal role in finalizing any settlement.
Atassi offers a political interpretation of Griffin’s maneuver: “To me, it looks more like a political statement, really, a way for Griffin to remind the mayor that council expects to be treated as an equal player in this deal, even if the law doesn’t really quite give them that leverage.”
The podcast team clarifies that while council doesn’t have authority over dismissing lawsuits, they do control whether the city can accept and allocate the $100 million settlement from the Browns. This creates a complicated dynamic where different aspects of the same deal fall under different branches of government.
What makes this Today in Ohio segment particularly valuable is how it unpacks both the legal and political dimensions of this power struggle. The hosts explain that there are alternative ways council could exert pressure on the mayor—like refusing to move any administration legislation forward until the mayor addresses their concerns—without overstepping constitutional boundaries.
The podcast leaves listeners with a clearer understanding of this complex governmental dispute while raising important questions about separation of powers in Cleveland’s city government. Later Friday, the mayor announced it would submit the settlement to council for discussion Monday.
Listen to the episode here.
Listen to full “Today in Ohio” episodes where Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with Editorial Board member Lisa Garvin, Impact Editor Leila Atassi and Content Director Laura Johnston.
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