John Cranley

John Cranley is a Democratic member of the city council of Cincinnati, Ohio and a partner of City Lights Development. John is a Harvard law school graduate and co-founder of the Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. John and his wife, Dena, reside in Price Hill.

Cincinnati City Council

Cranley has served on city council since 2000. As chairman of the Finance Committee since 2001, John has led the city to a balanced and bipartisan budget every year while reducing property taxes and increasing Cincinnati's police force. In 2003 Cranley led the push to create Tax Increment Finance districts in Cincinnati which have spurred economic development in the city since their initiation. [http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2003/04/07/story3.html?page=1] John also serves on the following committees: Arts, Culture, Tourism & Marketing; Economic Development; Law and Public Safety; and the Transportation & Infrastructure sub-committee.

While serving on city council, John has successfully led efforts to:
-increase the size of the Cincinnati police force. [http://citybeat.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/at-least-it%E2%80%99s-official-crime-is-priority/]
-pass an $8.70 living wage for city employees [http://cincyweb.cincinnati-oh.gov/cmgr/pages/-13316-/]
-expansion of the city's hate crime ordinance [http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/01/24/loc_hatecrimes24.html]
-hold landlords of vacant properties accountable through the Vacated Building Maintenance License program [http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/03/13/daily48.html]
-implementing property tax rollback [http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/10/21/loc_taxes21.html]
-establish Cincinnati's Office of Environmental Quality [http://city-egov.cincinnati-oh.gov/Webtop/ws/council/public/documents/Record;jsessionid=3A6C0AC8D7099B6CD8FFB29CB6E4F389?rpp=10&upp=0&m=31342&order=CALENDAR_DATE]
-impose stricter penalties for littering [http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2002/09/19/loc_councilman_proposes.html]
-expand the city's Human Rights Ordinance to protect individuals from discrimination based on sexual orientation and transgender status [http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2006/03/13/daily40.html]

John is currently working to provide affordable health care for the residents of Cincinnati through his CincyCare proposal. [http://citybeat.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A142227]

City Lights Development

As a partner at City Lights Development, John is working to restore the historic Incline District of East Price Hill. [http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=13ba4ede-06be-4dcd-abf9-085abba6bfb9] City Lights is developing a $50 million project which consists of condominiums, health care facilities, restaurants, and a banquet hall. [http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080222/NEWS01/302220091/1056/COL02] City Lights has already purchased Queens Tower Apartments and converted them to upscale condominiums and purchased and renovated homes in the district to spur other residential renovation. [http://queenstower.net/]

Ohio Innocence Project

In addition to his work on city council, Cranley co-founded the Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, where he served as administrative director from 2002-2006. The Ohio Innocence Project has thus far exonerated two innocent men. [http://www.law.uc.edu/current/rij060214/index.html] Cranley's argument before Ohio's 5th Appellate District Court led to the reversal of Christopher Lee Bennett's conviction of aggravated vehicular homicide. Bennett had already served four years of a nine year sentence before Cranley and the University of Cincinnati's Innocence Project were able to use DNA to help overturn his conviction. [http://www.uc.edu/news/NR.asp?id=3549]

Education

John earned his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School and a masters degree in Theological Studies from the Harvard Divinity School. John taught two undergraduate legal and philosophy courses at Harvard College while attending graduate school. During John's second and third years at Harvard Law School, he worked as a student attorney for people who could not afford legal counsel. In his third year of law school, he was elected First Class Marshal and delivered the Harvard Law School graduation speech on behalf of his class.

John arrived at Harvard from John Carroll University where he graduated magna cum laude in Philosophy and Political Science and served twice as student body president. As a Junior, he was awarded the prestigious Truman Scholarship -- a national award granted to 65 college juniors each year who share a commitment to public service, leadership and academics.

Background

Cranley was born in Green Township, Ohio, and grew up in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Price Hill. He attended St. Williams School and graduated from St. Xavier High School. John's long term commitment to public service emerged while at St. Xavier. John served as a tutor in Winton Place Schools, as a big buddy at the Espy Boys Club in Lower Price Hill, as a volunteer at St. John's Social Services Center in Over-the-Rhine, and as a participant on a summer mission trip with Jesuit priests to the Dominican Republic. Upon graduating from St. Xavier High School, he was awarded the Jesuit Secondary Education Association Award for demonstrating the ideals of leadership and service.

Congressional Campaigns

In 2000 and 2006, Cranley made very strong showings in Ohio's 1st congressional district by capturing 45% of the vote in 2000 and 48% of the vote in 2006.

External links

* [http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/council/pages/-3243-/ Cincinnati City Council Profile]
* [http://www.johncranley.com/ Cranley official campaign site]