Three Cleveland City Council members want to streamline how council spends casino tax money on neighborhood projects.
Council members have long complained that the money moves too slowly and the process for spending it is hard to understand. They introduced legislation Monday spelling out what members would be allowed to spend the money on. The new rules are also aimed at getting smaller amounts from the city coffers to neighborhood groups faster.
Cleveland receives around $13 million each year from a state tax on casino revenues. Council members split around $2 million of that — or 15% — for projects they pick in their wards.
