STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY JOSÉ C. FELICIANO, CHAIRMAN OF THE HISPANIC ROUNDTABLE, TO PUBLIC MEETING OF THE CITY OF CLEVELAND COUNCIL ON REDISTRICTING ON OCTOBER 17, 2024.

My name is José C. Feliciano, and I am Chairman of the Hispanic Roundtable, a volunteer grassroots civic organization dedicated to serving and empowering Cleveland's Hispanic community. 

We have historically and consistently engaged in a community process in which we convene the entire community at a convention and obtain input to set our community agenda. 

One of the pressing issues identified at the last convention on September 21, 2024, when we celebrated our 40th anniversary, was the representation of Hispanic residents in our city government. 

Cleveland’s Hispanic population is 47,730, or approximately 14% of the city’s population. 

On the West side, that number rose to 23.3%, up from 19.9% in 2010, and is rising. Even with contracting from 17 to 15 seats, it is time for a second Hispanic influence ward to be drawn. 

Currently, we have only one Hispanic councilman representing Ward 14, where 41.8% of the population is Hispanic. However, Hispanic residents are spread across several wards, with six of these wards having a Hispanic population of 15% or more, and only ward 17 is below 10% Hispanic. As a result, the Hispanic community vote is diluted. 

Despite these numbers, we have only one seat designated as a Hispanic influence district. 

We propose that the city redistrict the wards to create two Hispanic-influenced seats. The first should be approximately 40% Hispanic, while the second should be close to 35%. The focus should be on current Ward 14 and expanding into nearby neighborhoods with significant Hispanic populations. 

Proportionally, there should be two such seats on the West side, where minorities are projected to become the majority. Today, 43.6% of the west side is non-white, up from 36% in 2010. 

This redistricting would allow for a more equitable representation of our community and ensure meaningful opportunities for the election of two Hispanic council members. 

We are eager to work with the city to determine the exact boundaries for these new districts. We will submit a redistricting proposal within the time portal that the City Council has scheduled. 

The Hispanic Roundtable is committed to being a responsible partner in this process and helping ensure our community's growing presence is fairly represented. 

Thank you for considering this important matter. 

Respectfully submitted, 

José C. Feliciano 

Chairman, Hispanic Roundtable
jcfelicianosr@gmail.com
440-570-0448