Citizens League to suspend operations

CLEVELAND (AP) -- A 108-year-old civic group that worked for government reforms and rated political candidates plans to shut down.
"We're breaking up the office," said Dennis Roche, chairman of the Citizens League of Greater Cleveland's affiliated research institute. Roche expects the league's board to vote on shutting down within two weeks.
"Our intent is to suspend operations for the time being so the league can be re-established in the future," said Roche, who also heads the area's convention and visitors agency.
The Citizens League, which relies on donations and membership fees, currently has no chairperson and is down to one full-time employee, Executive Director Mike Thomas, who hasn't been paid in months.
Thomas said he hopes the reform movement advances, even without the Citizens League.
The nonprofit group has championed many issues over the years, from reducing the size of Cleveland City Council to placing term limits on state legislators.
The loss of the league could jeopardize a joint league-Republican Party effort to back a ballot referendum to streamline Cuyahoga County government in Cleveland.
Last year the GOP asked the league to join its effort to replace the three county commissioners with a chief executive and 11-member council.
Republicans, for now, are still trying to get the reform plan on the November ballot. Roche, one of the early backers of the effort, believes the ballot initiative should be dropped.