Blacks, Hispanics lose with new redistricting map for Cleveland City Council that cuts 19 wards to 17, Councilmen Johnson and Conwell will face off, racial unrest, city council infighting rampant, State Sen Smith, state Rep. Patmon, Mary Rose Oakar blast Council President Martin Sweeney, Smith wants criminal investigation by Ohio Attorney General, county prosecutor, Mayor Jackson supports Sweeney and says process was legal, Clerk of Council Pat Britt comments, Hispanics say new map violates Voting Rights Act, Latino activists up in arms, Councilman Westbrook's retirement helped, Sweeney says he tried to be fair and that the redistricting process and the new map were fair, lawsuit from Hispanic leaders looms
Cleveland Ward 8 Councilman Jeff Johnson By Kathy Wray Coleman, Editor of Cleveland Urban News.Com and The Kathy Wray Coleman Online News Blog.Com ( www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com ) and ( www.clevelandurbannews.com ) CLEVELAND,Ohio- The redistricting map that Cleveland City Council approved last week that drops council wards from 19 to 17 seats next year based on declining population pits popular Ward 8 Councilman Jeff Johnson and Ward 9 Councilman Kevin Conwell, both of whom are Black, against each other in city council races this year with their two wards combined into a newly established Ward 9. And not one White councilperson is largely impacted by the remapping, though the majority Black major metropolitan city of Cleveland is roughly 58 percent Black, and only 37 percent White. CLICK THIS LINK HERE TO SEE THE MAP FOR THE NEW CLEVELAND CITY COUNCIL WARDS ...