Stories
The long-running issues
Topics that kept coming back to City Council and the School Board over the past 12 months. Each page says what was decided, what is pending, what the documents give as reasons, the debate as recorded in the minutes, and what is not in the public record. Every sentence links to its source.
Power outages and the City's fight with FirstEnergyCity Council · 7 meeting items · last 09.28City leaders have pressed FirstEnergy over repeated power outages in Lakewood, mainly through the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO).City Hall space: expand in place or move offices to Warren RoadCity Council · 16 meeting items · last 03.02Council and the administration have spent the year weighing how to give the Police Department, the court and city offices more space.The schools' 6.9-mill levy (Issue 2)Schools · 4 meeting items · last 03.16The Board of Education asked voters to approve an additional 6.9-mill tax levy for current expenses on the May 5, 2026 ballot.Charter amendments on the November ballot, and ranked-choice votingCity Council · 48 meeting items · last 07.20Council voted on July 20, 2026 to put five Charter amendments before voters, drawn from the Charter Review Commission's recommendations.Short-term rentals: rules for Airbnb-style homes (ORD 28-2026)City Council · 7 meeting items · last 09.08Ordinance 28-2026 would treat short-term rentals as a form of Bed and Breakfast Establishment under city code and add criteria for that use.E-bikes, shared paths and the bike-rules ordinance (ORD 40-2025)City Council · 9 meeting items · last 09.21Ordinance 40-2025 would rewrite the city's rules for bicycles, e-bikes, e-scooters and shared use paths.New elementary attendance boundaries and the Lincoln Early Learning CenterSchools · 6 meeting items · last 09.28The Board approved a plan to run six K–5 elementary schools instead of seven, turn Lincoln Elementary into the Lincoln Early Learning Center, and redraw elementary attendance boundaries.
Picked by objective signals: eComment counts, news coverage, number of meetings and agenda items, split votes, public speakers and discussion time. How this is made