The Volunteer Roadmap · 2026-04-20 · 55 min
Cleveland is thriving. New restaurants, full parking lots, major development happening everywhere. But six years ago, the city was operating with 65% variable debt - which meant they couldn't predict their budget, couldn't plan accurately, and couldn't attract the kind of investment they needed. The first thing Mayor Kevin Brooks did? The unsexy work. He got Cleveland's debt under control (from 65% variable to 97% fixed) and created the foundation for everything else. Kevin Brooks doesn't call himself a politician. He's a public servant who's been serving Cleveland since he was a college student giving downtown historical tours. In this episode, he shares: Why getting your financial house in order has to come first How fixing the debt allowed Cleveland to budget taxpayer money for real infrastructure improvements How regional collaboration drives growth, even across party lines When you fix the foundation first, it makes everything else a little bit easier. Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com
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