Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne drew a hard line Friday, giving Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority chair David Wondolowski a stark choice: reject Mayor Justin Bibb’s planned appointment to a city seat on the port board or resign his county-appointed seat by 5 p.m. The threat cranked up the tension in a months-long tug-of-war between city and county leaders over who really runs the port. Wondolowski, a longtime labor leader and head of the Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council, says he still plans to take the city nomination if Cleveland City Council signs off.
Ronayne sets a hard deadline
In a letter to Wondolowski, Ronayne said the chair had until 5 p.m. Friday to either turn down the mayor’s nomination or step aside from his county seat, warning he would move to remove him if he did not, according to Cleveland.com. Ronayne cast the standoff as a question of loyalty, arguing county appointees must clearly represent Cuyahoga County’s interests and steer clear of conflicts. His office has linked the dispute in part to disagreements over the proposed public-financing plan for the Cleveland Browns stadium project.
Wondolowski pushes back
Wondolowski told Cleveland.com he intends to accept the city nomination if City Council approves it and that he plans to resign his county seat at that time instead of now. "I know there aren't any grounds to remove me...and I have no plan of resigning," he said, arguing that any attempt to oust him would be political. He added that tensions between city and county officials have been simmering amid disagreements over port policies and recent financing decisions.
Which seat he occupies
Right now, Wondolowski sits in a county-appointed seat that runs through Sept. 30, 2028, under the Cuyahoga County boards and commissions listing, according to Cuyahoga County. The Port of Cleveland lists him as board chair and notes that the authority oversees waterfront financing and development across the region. The current fight turns on that overlap: a county appointee who is also the mayor’s pick for a city seat on the same board.
Legal hurdles to a forced ouster
State law does not make it easy to toss a port director simply over political friction. Under language in the Ohio Revised Code, an appointing authority can remove a director only for misfeasance, nonfeasance or malfeasance, per the Ohio Revised Code. That standard gives Wondolowski some insulation from a purely political removal unless Ronayne can point to conduct that meets one of those thresholds. Any attempt to force him out would almost certainly draw legal scrutiny over whether the behavior cited meets the statutory bar.
Why this fight matters
Wondolowski has long been a lightning rod in Cleveland politics. He drew criticism during the 2021 mayoral race for inflammatory remarks and ties to attack ads many observers viewed as racist, as reported by Cleveland Scene. At the same time, he has been a vocal champion of prevailing wage rules and labor protections at the port, a stance reflected in pieces published by the Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council. That mix of combative politics and staunch labor advocacy helps explain why a single port appointment has blown up into a public showdown between the city and county.
What’s next
The next move belongs to Cleveland City Council, which must confirm any mayoral pick for the port board. Councilmembers now face a politically charged vote under pressure from both City Hall and the county administration. Ronayne has effectively told Wondolowski to accept the city seat and then leave his county term upon confirmation or brace for a removal push. The clash could spill from council chambers into court, depending on how aggressively the county follows through. Watch for whether Council schedules a confirmation hearing soon and whether Ronayne formally starts the process to remove his own appointee.
