By  Kathy Wray Coleman, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog. Tel: 216-659-0473. (Kathy Wray Coleman is a 20-year investigative and political journalist and legal reporter who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper, Ohio's Black press)(www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio- Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald gave his state of the county address earlier today, an event sponsored by the City Club of Cleveland.

The front runner for the Democratic nomination for governor this year who did not seek re-election as county executive and a former Lakewood, Ohio mayor and prior FBI agent FitzGerald, 45, caught some people off guard during his 40 minute speech when he said that he and Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson had met and agreed to push for legislation for a takeover of the Cleveland jail by the county, which means that inmates charged with misdemeanor crimes will be housed in the Cuyahoga County Jail with felons and people charged with felonies. Cleveland City Council would have to approve an ordinance to hand inmates over to the county, though Jackson usually gets his way with the 17-member city council.

The Cleveland Municipal Court hears traffic and misdemeanor cases and lawsuits with damages sought at or below $15,000, and the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas hears felonies and accompanying misdemeanors, and lawsuits with damages sought above $15,000, among other legal matters. Arrestees charged with felonies and those serving time relative to felony cases are housed in the county jail.

FitzGerald said that he had discussed the jail merger in detail with Jackson, who is Black and last month began a third-four year term to lead the largely Black major American city. He said that "the county will assume the operations of the city jail."

The city of Euclid has also agreed to give the county authority over housing its jail inmates, FitzGerald told the audience of some 700 people that came to hear the state of affairs of Cuyahoga County, Ohio's largest of 88 counties statewide, and one that is 29 percent Black, is heavily Democratic, and contains 59 cities, villages and townships including Cleveland, neighboring East Cleveland and Warrensville Heights, also majority Black cities.

Jackson did not return phone calls seeking comment on why he, a Black mayor, would agree that the city would house people charged with misdemeanors, a disproportionate number of whom are Black, in the county jail with violent felons.

But FitzGerald did say that the city would save $5 million annually, an indication that money, and not necessarily the safety of inmates, is paramount.

Nonetheless, FitzGerald, also a former assistant county prosecutor, was smooth with his delivery and showed that he is infact a gubernatorial candidate as he closes in on incumbent Republican Gov John Kasich with the Democratic primary and November general election nearing.

A new Quinnipiac poll shows a five point gap with Kasich leading FitzGerald, a virtual unknown, 43 percent to 38 percent.

Responding to the poll FitzGerald said in a press release to Cleveland Urban News.Com that he does not believe the daily financial anxiety Ohio's families have endured under John Kasich should be the new normal and that if he is elected governor he will "ensure that all Ohio families will see their hard work pay off."

His state of the county speech outlined a 12-point plan for countywide improvements that includes consumer and veteran affairs departments, proposed regionalism, $60 million in local infrastructure monies, $50 million in bond monies to address and protect abandoned homes, further development of downtown Cleveland, including PlayhouseSquare and the new convention center, and public health and public safety programs.

The comprehensive plan also includes redevelopment of the Lake Erie waterfront, and enhancements to the east bank of the Flats.

FitzGerald said that under his leadership more attention has been given to missing persons, with a missing persons county website, and to sexual assaults, though additional county resources to address the recent epidemic of rape and murder of women in the county across racial lines are for the most part limited to self-defense training, data show.

Data also show that neither county nor city officials has proposed and followed through with any substantive changes in the midst of at least two serial killers in recent years, one in Cleveland and the other in East Cleveland, and the infamous Ariel Castro, who raped and tortured three women for a decade at his since demolished home on Cleveland's largely White west side.

Castro committed suicide late last year, a month into a life sentence for rape, kidnapping and a host of other crimes.

FitzGerald said that the county must strive for both economic growth and economic equality, "regardless of race or gender."

The county executive also touched on the new county administration building that he said would help people forget the public corruption probe scandal, one that has netted more than 60 guilty pleas or convictions, including prison for two judges, both Democrats, and former county commissioner Jimmy Dimora and former county auditor Frank Russo, also Democrats and both serving lengthy federal prison terms in excess of 20 years. Most implicated in the ongoing probe were businessmen connected to the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party.

FitzGerald took the helm as county executive in 2011 amid a county corruption probe scandal, and after voters dumped a three-member board of commissioners and all elected county offices but the judges and chose a governance structure of a county executive that hires and fires the county sheriff, coroner, treasurer, fiscal officer, clerk of courts, and works in cooperation with a policymaking 11-member Cuyahoga County Council.

Asked during the question and answer session of the City Club forum if he had an explanation for some county council members gripe that he has too much power and can be difficult at times, FitzGerald said that if the community welfare is what's important that "there will always be tension between the executive branch and legislative branch."

FitzGerald implied that the sheriff's office has improved since he fired former county sheriff Bob Reid, a candidate for county executive for this year's Democratic primary along with, state Rep. Armond Budish (D-8), state Sen. Shirley Smith (D-21), former North Olmsted mayor Thomas O'Grady, Walter Allen Rogers Jr., and Tim Russo. The winner will face Republican Jack Schron, a Cuyahoga County Council member, in the Nov 4 general election.

He said that Sheriff Frank Bova, a former Warrensville Heights police chief whom he appointed after he ousted Reid, a former Bedford , Ohio police chief and city manager, has served with "integrity and distinction."

Reid, 61, is under fire by community activists for the documented theft of foreclosed homes when he was sheriff between May of 2009 and January of 2013.

FitzGerald said he took the job as county executive with the belief that he could make a positive difference.

"I began with a belief that something better was possible for this county," said FitzGerald (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)