Cuyahoga County Issue 30 — City of Brook Park: Proposed Charter Amendment

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Brook Park voters

What it does
Shall Article XV, Section 15.01(c) of the Charter of the City of Brook Park be amended to provide that elected or appointed officials may serve as trustees for the Brook Park New Community Authority?
A YES vote means
Elected or appointed Brook Park officials could serve as trustees for the Brook Park New Community Authority.
A NO vote means
The charter would not be changed to let elected or appointed officials serve as trustees for the Brook Park New Community Authority.
Needed to pass
A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean
Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Explained

Today

  • Brook Park's Charter (Article XV, Section 15.01(c)) says no Council member or other elected or appointed official may hold any other public office with the City or be employed by the City. It allows officials to serve on City boards and commissions only where the Charter itself provides for that service.
  • In July 2026 the City Council created the Brook Park New Community Authority, a separate public body that will own the new Cleveland Browns stadium being built in Brook Park. Its 9-member Board of Trustees includes 4 citizen members, 4 developer representatives, and the Mayor as the local government representative.
  • The ordinance creating the Authority states that it is a separate political subdivision, that its board is not a City board or commission, and that serving on it does not count as holding public office with the City.

If it passes

  • A sentence would be added to Section 15.01(c): "Elected or appointed officials may serve as trustees for the Brook Park New Community Authority."
  • The rest of the section, including the ban on holding another City office or City job, would stay the same.
  • It would take effect if a majority of Brook Park voters approve it on November 3, 2026.

Who would notice

Brook Park's elected and appointed officials, such as the Mayor, who already holds a seat on the Authority's board. It does not change any tax.

How it got here

City Council, with all members listed as introducing it, passed Ordinance No. 11545-2026 as an emergency measure, with two-thirds of members concurring, to send the amendment to the November 3, 2026 ballot. A Charter change needs voter approval.

Council created the New Community Authority in July 2026 (Ordinance No. 11542-2026) to own the Browns stadium, which officials say is on track to open by 2029.

In the news

Written by SpectrumVote from 4 linked sources (1, 2, 3, 4). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

Brook Park City Council established the Brook Park New Community Authority under Ohio Revised Code Chapter 349 on July 15, 2026 (Ordinance No. 11542-2026, adopted 6–0), on a petition from developer HSG BP Development, LLC.

Charter Section 15.01(c) currently says no Council member or other elected or appointed official may hold any other public office with the City, except for service on City boards and commissions prescribed by the Charter; Ordinance No. 11545-2026 would add a sentence allowing elected or appointed officials to serve as trustees for the New Community Authority.

Council passed Ordinance No. 11545-2026, introduced by Council as a Whole as an emergency measure, 7–0 on August 18, 2026, and Mayor Edward Orcutt approved it the same day.

Put on the ballot by Brook Park City Council, 7–0, August 18, 2026 (Ordinance No. 11545-2026).

From official source 1, official source 2, official source 3, official source 4.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Cuyahoga County Issue 30 mean?
Elected or appointed Brook Park officials could serve as trustees for the Brook Park New Community Authority.
What does a NO vote on Cuyahoga County Issue 30 mean?
The charter would not be changed to let elected or appointed officials serve as trustees for the Brook Park New Community Authority.
Who sits on the Authority's board now?
The creating ordinance names four citizen members, makes the Mayor of Brook Park the local government representative, and lets the developer, HSG BP Development, LLC, appoint four members. No board elections are held; the Mayor and the developer appoint successors.
Does this change who can work for the City?
No. The ban on officials holding another City office or being City employees stays in place. Only the sentence about Authority trustees is added.
What vote does it need?
A simple majority of Brook Park voters.
How many votes does Cuyahoga County Issue 30 need to pass?
A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on Cuyahoga County Issue 30?
SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?
The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early voting and mail-ballot deadlines vary by state; check your state or county election office.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Cuyahoga County ballot.

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