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by Abbey Marshall
How are wards drawn? How have they changed over time? How might they change in the future?
Cleveland has 17 city council wards. Many Clevelanders probably think about those boundaries when they elect council members every four years—or if they need to know who to call about a problem with their trash. The number of council seats is expected to shrink by two before 2025 because Cleveland’s population is shrinking. That means the ward boundaries will change.
How does that happen? Who gets to decide which wards are eliminated and which ward(s) takes in those residents?
What is a ward?
A ward is a political boundary used to determine representation on Cleveland City Council. Right now there are 17 wards, a number that can fluctuate based on population change. Unlike other major Ohio cities such as Cincinnati and Columbus, Cleveland has no at-large council members who represent the city as a whole rather than individual wards.
In 2023, Columbus will shift from at-large council seats to seats based on new council districts. Residents citywide can vote for each of the district seats.
Geographic boundaries are created in different ways and serve different purposes. Neighborhoods can be determined informally by residents, census tracts, or historical events and are often used to define community. Ward boundaries are used to break up the city for legislative representation.
City council elections are held every four years. In addition to their legislative responsibilities for creating and passing city laws, a council member will shoulder the responsibility to serve the ward’s best interests. Having clearly defined ward boundaries help council members better understand the residents they serve using census data, which includes demographics of race, income, and more.
How is the number of wards determined?
Cleveland’s charter, the city’s governing document, defines how population determines the number of wards the city will be divided into at the time of redistricting. The number of wards will be an odd number between 11 and 25 based on population data (shown below), reflecting a ratio of roughly one ward for every 25,000 people.
The city’s current population is about 367,000, according to the 2021 population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The last time the wards were changed in 2013, Cleveland’s population had dropped to about 375,000 and the number of council wards was reduced from 19 to 17.
How are ward boundaries determined?
Ward boundaries are determined by census tracts, which include data on population, demographics, and income, but in the end, are approved by the council during the redistricting process.
The council can select a consultant to redraw the districts. Alternatively, the council president can appoint a consultant. Once a consultant is selected, that firm will review census data and survey the community to suggest ward boundaries. The firm then presents that information to the council which approves it as legislation.
What is redistricting, and how often does it happen in Cleveland?
Redistricting, or redrawing ward boundaries, happens once a decade after the census. According to the city’s charter, the ward boundaries must be redrawn and established before the next election cycle in 2025. The city’s current population requires the number of wards to decrease from the current 17 to 15 unless legislative action is taken to change what is currently in the charter. That action has to be approved by voters.
“We want to make sure that we don’t diminish the body to the point where citizens don’t have access to government the way they need to, but we also want to make sure we’re lean enough to not be self-preserving,” Cleveland City Council President and Ward 6 representative Blaine A. Griffin said.
The early stages of redistricting, such as finding a consultant and surveying the community, will likely begin soon, he said. 
Redistricting can lead to divisive political debates. Two council people are slated to lose their wards by the 2025 election, potentially pitting current council members against each other when wards are combined. In previous redistricting processes, some council members fought tooth and nail to keep their wards in place.
“I compare it to a feudal system; of course, lords want to keep their power and seat so they will argue over the data and lines drawn and how that will shift in any direction,” said Lawrence Keller, an associate professor emeritus in Cleveland State University’s public administration program. “There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes negotiation.”
The process can be “contentious,” Keller said, citing instances in recent redistricting efforts where council members pushed for moving boundaries that would keep votes in their favor. “Since council has to approve the boundaries, you can imagine the politics that can come up when you have to get a majority to vote,” Keller said.
Why are neighborhoods sometimes split up?
Griffin said the city attempts to keep neighborhoods as whole as possible, but sometimes population growth or loss in certain neighborhoods makes that impossible. “You always want to keep neighborhoods as whole as possible because people are really attached to their neighborhood—that’s what gives them a sense of community, that’s what people embrace as a built environment,” he said.
Each of Cleveland’s 34 neighborhoods has its own needs, Griffin said. The goal is to try to avoid splitting up neighborhoods—but having diverse wards is also important. “We don’t want to create islands of wealth, and we don’t want to create islands of poverty,” he said. “It’s good to have mixed-income, mixed race—I think they make a neighborhood strong and vibrant and culturally relevant.”
How can residents get involved in the redistricting process?
Council ultimately votes on the new boundaries. Residents also have some voice in the process. The consulting firm and city council will conduct community conversations and surveys, Griffin said, but any residents wishing to speak about redistricting may voice their opinions or concerns at the weekly city council meeting’s public comment period.
How Have Ward Boundaries Changed Over Time? A look back on notable historical moments that shaped the makeup of today’s city council.
CLEVELAND INCORPORATED AS A CITY WITH THREE WARDS
When Cleveland was first established, it was at “the mercy of the state,” City Archivist Charles Mocsiran said. Ohio’s legislature decided how the city was split up. In 1836, there were three wards, each with three council people and one alderman (another representative).
HOME RULE ESTABLISHED
Cleveland first established home rule in 1914, allowing the city to define its own ward boundaries. Lawmakers decided to establish one ward per 25,000 residents. The measure was approved by voters, as required for any charter change.
CITY MANAGER GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHED
Between 1924 and 1931, the city did away with wards entirely and instead split Cleveland into four districts with 25 council members through a city manager form of government, Mocsiran said.
CITY REESTABLISHES
The city manager system of government was changed in 1931 when Cleveland residents voted to give each new ward one council member per 30,000 people. For 50 years, Cleveland had 33 different wards and council people representing them. Though boundaries changed during those times, the number of wards did not.
NUMBER OF WARDS SLASHED
In 1981, the number of wards was slashed from 33 to 21 due to a charter change and population decline. Those boundaries changed two additional times without reducing the number of wards.
NEW (AND CURRENT) CHARTER ESTABLISHED
In 2009, voters approved the current charter amendment, again establishing one councilman per 25,000 residents, and the city went down to 19 wards as steady population loss continued.
WARDS REDUCE AGAIN
The city then reduced its wards once more in 2013 to its current 17, based on census data.
NEXT ELECTION CYCLE
The next election cycle for city council will take place in 2025 when new maps must be finalized. As it stands, Cleveland will lose two wards due to population loss unless a new charter amendment is proposed by council and approved by voters.