蜜桃导航

One hundred years after Cleveland Heights ratified its original charter, residents will elect the city鈥檚 first mayor.

Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly supported Issue 26 with 64 percent of the vote, replacing the city manager form of government with an elected chief executive.

The city鈥檚 first-ever mayoral election will take place in November 2021.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled that the voters of Cleveland Heights agreed that it was time to restructure our government so that it would better serve our current needs and take us into the future in a much stronger way than we鈥檝e been able to, to this date,鈥� said Michael Bennett, secretary of Citizens for an Elected Mayor.

The group collected roughly 4,000 signatures to put the proposal for a so-called strong mayor on the ballot, raising about $40,000 for the effort.

Bennett does not expect anything to change in the city鈥檚 management over the next two years, until a mayor is elected.

鈥淲hat will change is that we hope interested citizens will start expressing maybe some desires to run for mayor or thinking about what that mayor would look like, what the characteristics and qualities and platforms could be,鈥� said Bennett. 鈥淏ut in the meantime, the city should run smoothly and continue to operate as it has as we all look to the day when there鈥檒l be a different structure.鈥�

Several Cleveland Heights City Council members opposed the change, arguing that the city manager form of government provides apolitical management of day-to-day operations. Cleveland Heights Citizens for Good Government (CGG) was formed to campaign against Issue 26, garnering financial support from the International City Management Association.

On Tuesday night, CGG鈥檚 Mike Gaynier called Bennett to pledge that the groups will work together during the transition.

鈥淲e both believe that we were doing what鈥檚 best for the city, for Cleveland Heights, and we all have the same destination in mind,鈥� Gaynier said. 鈥淲e were just debating the route, and I think it鈥檚 time to start the trip together from here forward.鈥�

The city faces challenges in economic development, poverty, education and infrastructure, Bennett said, naming a few issues for the future mayor to tackle. But, he said, Citizens for an Elected Mayor never had a candidate in mind.

鈥淭his entire effort was not about people, it was about structure. It wasn鈥檛 about the current manager. It wasn鈥檛 about the current council. It wasn鈥檛 about any individual person,鈥� Bennett said.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 talk about candidates. We didn鈥檛 have candidates talk to us. We didn鈥檛 interview anyone. That was the furthest things from our minds of who would run for mayor other than a firm belief that in a community like Cleveland Heights, where there are so many concerned and committed citizens, that someone would rise to the top.鈥�

Currently, Cleveland Heights has seven elected city council members. Once elected, the council members vote among themselves to determine who will hold the title of mayor, essentially another term for council president. Council hires a city manager to oversee operations.

Carole Roe, who currently holds the title of mayor and opposed Issue 26, lost her re-election bid Tuesday night. In a five-way race for three seats on city council, Roe came in last, with 16 percent of the vote.

With more 25 percent and as the top vote-getter, Melody Joy Hart will take a seat on council. Kahlil Seren retained his seat with more than 23 percent of the vote. Both candidates supported the elected mayor proposal.

Mary Dunbar, who opposed Issue 26, also will remain on council.

Craig Cobb lost his seat to Davida Russell, who will serve a two-year term. Cobb, who was appointed to council in April, opposed the elected mayor plan but voted against placing a competing measure on the November ballot that would have strengthened the city manager role.

Under Issue 26, Cleveland Heights will elect a mayor for a four-year term and create the position of city administrator, whose appointment must be approved by council. The city manager job will be eliminated.

Earlier in the year, the  , tasked with considering a change to the city鈥檚 form of government, voted to retain the city manager.

With the passage of Issue 26, the last community in Cuyahoga County operating under the city manager form of government will be Bedford.