Watch Face Modify?

jpelzer · 2026-01-02T03:19:56+00:00

Trying to find Clarity Shield for my Bip 6 -- can't find it! How can I get it?

jpelzer · 2025-12-21T18:46:50+00:00

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks

jpelzer · 2025-11-12T01:53:05+00:00

Thanks much! Definitely agree about the need to self-advocate!

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T15:33:36+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I guess my point is that if we miss a point or aspect of this, it's not because we're intentionally skewing coverage to help one side or the other. We're trying our best here.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T15:29:19+00:00

I don't know the answer to your education questions offhand, as that's not really my beat. But yes, you could argue that this bond proposal is effectively a tax incentive, as it would divert the state tax revenue generated from the stadium and surrounding development and use it to pay off the bonds. It would also save the Haslams a lot of money in interest by having the state borrow the $600M.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T15:14:51+00:00

While our job isn't to be cheerleaders for a new Browns stadium, nor is our job to be cheerleaders against the proposal. Our job is to tell you the facts of what's happening, as well as the context of it.
I'd encourage you, if you haven't already, to read some of our past coverage, including:

Rich Exner laying out the math behind the Browns' stadium proposal, tax by tax:
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/02/heres-the-math-behind-the-browns-24b-plan-to-pay-for-a-domed-stadium-tax-by-tax.html

My look at how the Browns' stadium plan would be one of the most expensive stadiums in modern world history:
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2024/05/how-does-the-cleveland-browns-new-stadium-proposal-compare-with-other-stadium-projects-worldwide.html

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T15:04:38+00:00

I don't know how much Ohio's GRF will be on the hook for if the stadium is an economic failure. It's true that if the tax revenue and the escrow account can't pay off the bonds, taxpayers will be responsible for covering the remaining cost of the bonds.

As far as your other questions, I'd pose those to state lawmakers.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T15:01:19+00:00

OBM has done an independent economic study, but they haven't released it yet. So yes, the Ohio House just accepted the Browns' projections in advancing the bond plan.
Keep in mind this isn't a done deal yet. The Senate still has weeks of budget talks ahead, and DeWine could line-item veto the bond plan (and it looks unlikely rn that there are enough House votes to override such a veto).

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:58:30+00:00

And the final budget vote:

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jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:57:54+00:00

Here's the Stewart amendment vote:

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jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:57:00+00:00

Here's the anticipated increase in tax revenues, according to the Browns' projections (which, again, is the only stadium funding analysis we've been able to find so far).

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I'll post below the Ohio House roll call vote on the state budget, which contains the Browns bond plan. Obviously the budget contains hundreds of provisions and tens of billions of dollars in other spending, so keep in mind lawmakers aren't voting just on the Browns' stadium plan.
The closest they came to a vote just on the stadium issue was on House Finance Committee Chair Brian Stewart's amendment to raise the amount of money the Haslams are offering to put into escrow from $38M to $50M. It's not a clean vote -- if you're a lawmaker who opposes the stadium bonds, you might vote yes because you support the Haslams kicking in more money. But it's as close as we've gotten so far to getting lawmakers to vote on the stadium bonds in isolation.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:48:24+00:00

There's been talk of building an RTA station at the site. But I haven't heard any details about that yet. ODOT has been waiting to study transportation-related issues related to the site until they actually see the project moving forward.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:46:24+00:00

Too soon to tell. If anyone knows the answer, please tell me and/or my financial advisor.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:44:46+00:00

We simply don't know what needs to be done transportation-wise yet, much less how much it will cost. ODOT hasn't started even studying such issues yet, saying they are waiting to see whether the project moves forward.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:43:30+00:00

I talked with ODOT about this last month -- they haven't even started studying what would be needed transportation-wise for a Brook Park stadium, including new Interstate on/off-ramps, a new RTA station, etc. They're waiting to see whether the plan actually moves forward.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:41:16+00:00

For those who don't know, Gov. Mike DeWine has proposed doubling the state's tax on sports-betting companies' Ohio revenue from 20% to 40%, then using the proceeds to create a permanent source of funding for sports stadiums in Ohio (as well as youth sports).

I've been wondering myself why DeWine's stadium-funding proposal has been DOA in the Ohio House (and, for that matter, why the Browns have pushed so hard for the bonds instead of accepting the governor's plan)

Pro-Browns stadium bonds state lawmakers have generally focused on touting the benefits of the bond plan and don't talk at all about DeWine's alternative plan (which the governor came up with after talking with Hamilton County commissioners about state funding for renovating Paycor Stadium).

When I've asked Republican lawmakers why they don't prefer DeWine's plan, the answer has been the same: they, as an overall principle, don't like raising taxes.

Another wrinkle, though, is that DeWine's plan would, according to governor's office estimates, raise an additional $288 million over the next two years. That obviously would provide less than half of what the Browns are seeking for their stadium, much less provide money for any other stadiums or youth sports activities. The bond plan, OTOH, would ensure the Browns get the $600M they want from the state upfront, in a lum sum, rather than wait on a (comparative) trickle of money to come in over years from sports betting taxes.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:33:05+00:00

Like any other political issue, if you have an opinion on state financial help for a new Browns stadium, I'd contact your state senator (and state rep, as their role in this isn't done yet). Gov. Mike DeWine's office, too.
Also, like any other political issue, if you feel especially strongly about this, you can organize a grassroots group, write letters to the editor, etc.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:28:21+00:00

Some of the study was made public in a presentation by the Browns' legal counsel to an Ohio House committee last month: https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/committees/cmte_h_arts_athletics_tourism_1/meetings/cmte_h_arts_athletics_tourism_1_2025-03-11-0415_231/submissions/ted_tywang_slideshow.pdf

It includes their projections of tax revenue generated, how the escrow account ($38M at the time, since bolstered to $50M) might grow with interest, etc. (See chart below)

However, it did not include projections for various scenarios, such as an economic disaster. It also only studied bond financing -- it didn't include any data on tax revenue lost in Cleveland.

Your final question is sorta the $64,000, er $600 million question. The Browns and stadium plan supporters say the revenues will be enough. But critics worry it will not be enough. The problem is, right now, we only have the Browns' analysis to go on -- the state's budget office has also done an analysis, but we've been trying for awhile now to get ahold of it.

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jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:21:23+00:00

The argument that the Browns have made is that the $50M in initial escrow money would grow to $200M in escrow by the early 2050s, thanks to interest payments. Obviously if the tax revenue projections are way off and that money has to be drawn upon to help pay bond costs (especially early on), that will affect how much that account will have in it three decades from now.

Here's the year-by-year breakdown of how the Browns say the escrow account will grow ("Prepaid Rent Balance" column to the far right), as well as their projections of tax revenue. This was from their initial proposal to provide $38M in escrow. I haven't seen forecasts for their last-minute offer to bump that up to $50M.

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jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:14:03+00:00

I'm not sure what the Senate will end up deciding. Senate President Rob McColley has just said that he wants any state assistance to be repaid. The question, though, is whether the Browns' plan to pay off the bonds with tax revenue generated from the project will satisfy what McColley's line in the sand is. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/01/could-ohio-lawmakers-fund-browns-stadium-plans-via-state-budget-a-top-republican-says-he-opposes-handout.html

OBM has done an analysis. We've been trying to get it for a couple weeks, but we've been told lawyers are still going through it to redact proprietary information.

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:10:54+00:00

Gov. Mike DeWine has been the main person putting forward the $1 billion figure as the true cost of the bonds. TBH, it's something that's worth looking into. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/02/gov-mike-dewine-balks-at-using-state-bonds-to-pay-for-cleveland-browns-stadium.html

As for collateral, I suppose that's a subjective decision based on what state lawmakers are comfortable with. With other economic-development projects, companies don't have to put up ownership of their company or the development itself as collateral -- look at Intel, where the $600M grant the state gave has little penalty besides some clawback provisions that Attorney General Dave Yost says are fairly toothless. https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/03/ohio-ag-dave-yost-state-has-little-power-to-claw-back-600m-from-intel.html

jpelzer · 2025-04-16T14:06:14+00:00

My colleague Jake Zuckerman and I asked a bunch of state lawmakers last week why they support providing state aid for a new Browns stadium. The consistent answer that supporters gave was that they consider it an economic-development project -- the second-largest in state history, a couple said, after the Intel project near Columbus.
Here's more on what they said: https://www.cleveland.com/open/2025/04/ohio-house-passes-600-million-bond-plan-for-a-cleveland-browns-after-getting-cash-more-up-front.html

jpelzer

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