Proclamations
Proclamations are official announcements and/or public declarations issued by the Mayor. They are ceremonial in nature.
Purpose
These ceremonial declarations are issued for the following reasons:
- Recognition of action or service above and beyond the call of duty;
- Recognition of extraordinary achievement;
- Supporting actions that improve the quality of life of the City of Cleveland community or
- Raise public awareness of issues that directly affect the City of Cleveland community.
Please note, ceremonial documents do not have any legislative value.
A proclamation request must be sponsored by a resident of the City of Cleveland; requests from outside the city cannot be processed.
All requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The City of Cleveland reserves the right to decline any request or make exceptions to these guidelines. Please refrain from making any announcements regarding a proclamation until you have been officially notified of its acceptance.
Due to the high volume of requests, submissions must be made at least three weeks (21 days) prior to the event date.
Upon approval, proclamations and/or certificates can be picked up at Cleveland City Hall, located at 601 Lakeside Avenue, Room 227, Cleveland, Ohio 44114, during business hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. You may contact the office by phone at 216-664-2000 for any further inquiries.
Please refer to this article for additional guidelines regarding your inquiry.
City of Cleveland
Recognition, Proclamation, and Honor Policy
I. Purpose
To define the parameters and qualifications for Certificates of Recognition, Mayoral Letters, and Proclamation recipients.
II. Definitions
A. Mayoral Recognitions: A recognition of a citizen or organization for outstanding achievement or service to the community. These are typically read at City Council Meetings.
B. Certificates of Recognition: A certificate typically recognizing a sports team, band, academic team, or local organization. These will be available for pick-up at Cleveland City Hall.
C. Mayoral Letter: Letters of welcome, recognition, or congratulations/celebrations.
D. Proclamations: Documents proclaiming a public or official announcement in honor of significant events, organizations, and persons who have made a meaningful contribution to the community.
III. Requirements
- Mayoral Recognitions will be issued to commemorate events such as:
- Retiring City employees or military service personnel with more than 10 years of service
- Outstanding meritorious achievement (e.g., heroic lifesaving actions)
- Service to the community (e.g., service across multiple boards or commissions)
- Certificates of Recognition will be issued to teams from educational organizations (public and private schools) for athletic or academic achievement, or local organizations that have made a significant contribution benefiting the community.
- Mayoral Letters will be issued to welcome conferences, conventions, seminars, etc.; significant birthdays (age 80 and above); wedding anniversaries (50th and above); and organization anniversaries (25th and above).
- Proclamations will be issued for:
- Significant events (e.g., local versions of Federal or State Proclamations)
- Proclaiming a named day for outstanding meritorious achievement (e.g., heroic lifesaving actions, nationally recognized weeks, or organizations)
- Raising public awareness (e.g., alcohol awareness)
IV. Procedure
- Certificates of Recognition, Mayoral Letters, Recognitions, and Proclamations are requested by filling out the form on the City's website and are subject to approval by the Mayor.
- Requests must be completed at least three weeks in advance, including any sample draft information.
- Staff will review the proclamation draft included in the request and make any necessary edits to finalize the document.
- The Mayor shall sign recognition documents.
V. For Internal Employee Use:
- Proclamations must come from a department chief for internal submissions.
- The completed proclamation request must be submitted at least three weeks before the desired date for approval.
VI. Exclusions
- The following events will not be recognized in any form:
- Matters of political controversy, ideological or religious beliefs, or individual conviction
- Recognitions contrary to City policy or ordinances
- Attempts to influence government policy
- Personal, political, or business endorsements
- Commercial purposes
- Common events (e.g., engagements, children’s birthdays, death of a resident unless the resident has served in a prominent capacity within the city or state, or meets the requirements noted in Section II, D)