CLEVELAND (WJW) – The FOX 8 I-Team has found the city of Cleveland has now spent more than a million dollars in tax money trying to stop the Browns from moving to a dome in Brook Park.
Court battles over the Browns keep dragging on and on, and the I-Team has found city of Cleveland legal bills going up and up.
Now, records supplied by the city show bills from an outside law firm have topped just over a million dollars.
Since this involves your money, we went to Mayor Justin Bibb.
“How much is the city of Cleveland prepared to spend for this fight?” we asked.
The city is paying an outside law firm $675 an hour. The Jones Day firm is arguing against the Browns in Cuyahoga County court and federal court.
We’ve been requesting all bills turned in by the outside law firm while adding up the total cost.
We found the mayor prepared to spend what it takes to try to keep the team playing in the current stadium on the lakefront.
“The taxpayers of the city have spent half a billion dollars subsidizing that stadium on our lakefront. So, its important that we continue to make our case in court,” Bibb said. “We’re going to make sure we’re responsible with the conversation with the Haslams and the Browns in court.”
But now, the city also has to respond in court to even more. Last week, former mayor Dennis Kucinich filed suit claiming the city has not done enough to enforce the Modell Law restricting sports teams from moving and giving the city a chance to find new owners for the Browns.
“It’s about keeping the team in Cleveland. It’s about following the law. There’s a number of steps the city skipped,” Kucinich said.
That case is just beginning, and we also checked on what’s happening with the others that have been going on involving the Browns. In short, there’s no end in sight.
“How can the city afford this?” we asked the mayor.
“Well, I think anyone would want the best representation in court and we have the best representation in court,” he said.
We’ve met fans hoping the city keeps fighting the Browns in court, no matter the cost. Others want the city to just let the team go.
Meanwhile, the legal bills keep piling up even as the city struggles with money problems surrounding everyday services for taxpayers.
Records show bills for an outside law firm at more than a million dollars and counting.
Ed Gallek
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