Councilmember· January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2028
Michael J. Houser, Sr.
Cuyahoga County
About
Council Member Michael J. Houser Sr.'s legislative priorities focus on public safety and community protection, highlighted by his sponsorship and successful passage of the Tamir Rice Act to ban gun-shaped novelty lighters in Cuyahoga County.
Campaign promises (1)
- public-safetyIntroduce and pass the 'Tamir Rice Act' to ban the sale and possession of gun-shaped novelty lighters to protect children and the community.
Voice
- Meetings spoken in
- 2
- Total speaking time
- 1:57
- Avg per meeting
- 0:59
- Segments
- 25
Want every word Houser has said?
The OpenCity MCP for Claude.ai answers questions like “what has Houser said about housing this year” with one prompt — full speaking history, with YouTube timestamps.
Top issues during term (20)
Highland Road Bridge replacement
$7.2 million estimated project cost, covered without special assessments.
Homelessness services funding
Up to about $10.4 million in county contracts for shelter operations in the coming year.
Glick Recovery Campus funding gap
$12 million contract pending; no action this meeting.
Jail medical services contract
Up to $161.2 million over five years.
Small Business Program contracts
Up to $3 million over two years.
Charter amendment clarifying Prosecuting Attorney and Director of Law duties
No direct cost to taxpayers identified; the measure goes to voters at the November election.
County parking garage rate increases
Roughly $50 a month per employee who parks in affected county garages.
Mid-year budget amendments
Appropriations draw on the General Fund, HHS levies, and federal grant sources.
Cuyahoga County Airport leases
About $6.25 million in anticipated lease revenue for the county.
Distressed apartment buildings and displacement
ARPA community grants to local nonprofits
Roughly $162,500 in new ARPA grant awards introduced, plus $12,500 adopted.
Bagley Road resurfacing in Berea
Up to $5,671,333.75 for the resurfacing project.
Clean Ohio Fund green space conservation support
Up to $7.5 million in bond anticipation notes.
County parking rate increases
Employees at Gerber would pay $50/month rising to $100/month by 2028; other garages $40–$125 monthly.
ARPA community grant awards
Roughly $35,000 in added ARPA grant funding across three awards.
New county corrections center financing ($984.5M bonds)
Combined commitments of roughly $9.1 million across the two projects.
2026 budget amendments
$7.72 million for out-of-home care and $1.07 million for broadband, mostly state and HHS levy funded.
Grant management ordinance
No direct cost; establishes controls over grant spending.
Residential TIF district objections
TIF districts divert future property tax revenue from schools and county levies.
Administrative Appeals Board creation
Decisions during term (254)
Recorded while Sr. was in office — not necessarily decisions they moved, spoke to, or voted on.
Approval of meeting minutes
R2026-0229: $10,000 to Cleveland Print Room (adopted)
R2026-0230: $25,000 to Cleveland Rocks (adopted)
R2026-0304: Special revenue budget amendment (adopted)
R2026-0305: General fund and HHS levy budget amendment (adopted)
R2026-0306: Objection to Village of Orange TIF districts (adopted)
R2026-0251: Kent B. Cicerchi appointment (adopted)
R2026-0264: Dana Barragate appointment (adopted)
R2026-0265: Matthew Besser appointment as board chair (adopted as substituted)
R2026-0292: University Hospitals Gerber building lease amendment (adopted)
R2026-0293: Enterprise BMV lease amendment (adopted)
R2026-0294: Envision Cuyahoga lease amendment (adopted)
R2026-0296: Summer youth employment contract extension (adopted)
R2026-0297: EDEN women's shelter facility management contract (adopted)
R2026-0298: Emergency shelter operations awards (adopted)
R2026-0299: MetroHealth correctional health care contract (adopted)
R2026-0259: $12 million Glick Recovery Campus grant (adopted 10-1)
R2026-0266: Katherine Hollingsworth appointment (adopted)
R2026-0267: Gabrielle Kelly appointment (adopted)
R2026-0268: Claire Wade appointment (adopted)
Voting record (13)
Oldest to newest — hover a bar for the item.