Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

Staff article

COLUMBUS, Ohio-Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, the city's fourth Black mayor and its youngest at 36-years-old since Dennis Kucinich, will participate in the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Columbus this weekend, a gathering for mayors of cities with at least 30,000 residents.

The 91st annual meeting is from June 2-5 and will be presided over by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez with Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther serving as the host. Some 200 mayors from across the country are expected to attend, including some 18 Ohio mayors, also including Akron's new mayor, Kahlil Seren, and the mayors of Cleveland Hts, Elyria and Lorain.

Cleveland's mayor, who leads Ohio's second largest city behind Columbus, is scheduled to deliver remarks on climate issues, gun violence, entrepreneurial programs, business and technology, and the economy. He told reporters that his focus will be gun violence.

In spite of never holding office before, Bibb, a Democrat and native Clevelander, was the top vote-getter in a seven-way primary in 2021  He ran for an open seat as to the retirement of longtime former mayor Frank Jackson, the city's third Black mayor who did not seek reelection after four terms in office.

A former banker and non profit executor, his campaign platform focused on decreasing crime and reforming the city's troubled police department. He went on to win the nonpartisan primary election with then council president Kevin Kelley, a White former White west side councilman and now common pleas judge, placing second. Thereafter, he won the general election with 63 percent of the vote compared to Kelley's 37 percent.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio and in the Midwest Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview, CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.