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East Cleveland wants to keep its red-light camera program -- among other things -- as a condition for merging with the city of Cleveland.

(Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - As Cleveland city officials contemplate the next move in the possible annexation of impoverished neighbor East Cleveland, the suburb has submitted a laundry list of conditions for the merger - some of which seem designed to preserve the power of East Cleveland's current elected officials.

Most controversially, East Cleveland City Council members want to continue receiving their salaries as members of an "advisory council" with control over a community development corporation and all of the publicly owned land in the new ward.

And East Cleveland wants to continue operating its own municipal court and maintain its red-light camera program - despite the fact that voters banned the cameras in Cleveland in 2014.

The demands were made in a memorandum of understanding between East Cleveland City Council members and their three newly appointed commissioners, empaneled last month to negotiate the terms of a merger with representatives from Cleveland.

Cleveland now has 30 days to choose its appointees to the commission. After that, the group will have 120 days to hammer out the terms for annexation. If East Cleveland voters approve the proposal, Cleveland City Council members would either vote to adopt it or send the issue to the ballot.

Here is the list of demands:

The city of East Cleveland wishes to be a "semi-autonomous" ward of the city of Cleveland.

The city of East Cleveland plus portions of the University Circle area will become the new ward to be named "East Cleveland."

The initial councilperson representing the new East Cleveland ward will be elected from the current elected government officials, and then will stand for election with current Cleveland City Council members. (It is unclear whether the councilperson will be elected by the public or by other government officials.)

Current East Cleveland council members will become members of an East Cleveland Advisory Council and will continue to be elected and compensated at the same level as current East Cleveland council members. The East Cleveland Advisory Council members will be voting members of the East Cleveland Community Development Corporation. And the five members of the advisory council will be the majority of the CDC's voting members.

The CDC would be funded by Community Development Block Grant Funds or grant donations from foundations.

The state will grant the Cuyahoga County Land Bank $20 million for a revolving loan fund for rehabilitation of housing in East Cleveland. The loans will be approved by the East Cleveland Community Development Corporation, which will jointly administer the fund with the Land Bank.

All city owned property and all property currently owned by the Cuyahoga County Land Bank will be transferred to the East Cleveland CDC.

East Cleveland residents working in the East Cleveland ward will get a 1 percent income tax credit. The state shall reimburse the city of Cleveland for the difference between the city of Cleveland's 2 percent rate and the 1 percent East Cleveland rate in the form of an annual local government fund payment.

The state will issue an annual $10 million "merger incentive payment" to cover East Cleveland's debts, street improvements and capital costs, including police and fire equipment.

East Cleveland will be a separate police and fire district within the city.

East Cleveland will maintain its own municipal court.

East Cleveland shall continue its red light camera program.

Maintenance of East Cleveland parks will be transferred to the Cleveland Metro Park System. However, local management and control will remain with the East Cleveland Park Association.