Fifty years ago, when Clevelanders needed to fund schools, pay for parks or expand libraries they relied on booming tax revenue from large companies. General Motors, Republic Steel Corp. and Ford Motor Co. employed thousands of people and provided a tax base to fund services for the community. But Cuyahoga County's economy has changed.
For years, hospitals and public policy wonks have been engaged in an ongoing debate over whether nonprofit hospitals provide adequate benefits to the community to make the tax breaks they receive a good deal for taxpayers. That debate is further complicated by the history of racist policies like redlining that still affect Clevelanders today.
An Ideastream analysis of Cuyahoga County fiscal records shows that the clinic owned at least $2.4 billion in tax-exempt property countywide as of 2018 assessments. If that property was taxable, it would contribute about $84 million to government coffers annually.
Cuyahoga County officials say they’re committed to reducing health disparities through through economic development, but some local racial equity experts and community stakeholders question whether the county’s initiatives are having a real impact.
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