Issue 26: Cleveland Heights To Decide How It Shall Be Governed

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — On Tuesday, Cleveland Heights residents will vote on the structure of their government. Will the city continue to have a city manager or will it transition to a strong mayor? The issue has divided the politically active suburb.

Cleveland Heights is currently governed by an elected city council and a city manager. The city manager is hired by city council and reports to city council, and handles the day-to-day business of running Cleveland Heights. A group of residents believe it is time for Cleveland Heights to choose its executive branch leader. Others worry a shift will open the city to corruption and incompetence.

On one end of the dispute is the Citizens for an Elected Mayor, a group of residents who are advocating for the creation of an elected-mayor position in Cleveland Heights. If residents vote 'Yes' on Issue 26, the first election for Cleveland Heights mayor will be held in 2021. Spokespersons for the coalition argue an elected mayor will be more responsive to public concerns and residents will be able to hold officials more accountable for decisions in the city.

On the other end of the dispute is the Citizens for Good Government, a group of residents and politicians who believe a change to a strong mayor-form of government could produce disastrous results for a city that has been led by a city manager and city council for nearly a century. Several members of the coalition are current members of Cleveland Heights City Council.

On Tuesday, residents will see the following language on their ballot:

Shall various Articles of the Charter of the City of Cleveland Heights be amended to change the form of government from its current elected Council and appointed Manager form, to an elected Mayor and Council form, and to provide for the powers, duties, four-year term, qualifications, and removal process for the office of the Mayor, and to create the position of the City Administrator appointed by the Mayor and subject to Council approval who shall be responsible for assisting the Mayor in overseeing the administrative functions of the City, commencing with the initial election of the Mayor to occur at the regular municipal election occurring in the year 2021; and to eliminate the City Manager position?

How residents respond to that ballot issue will have a major impact on the future of Cleveland Heights.

The Debate

Cleveland Heights has been led by a city manager since 1921. While that form of government suited the city at the time, the challenges facing the inner-ring suburb have morphed drastically, said Michael Bennett, the secretary for Citizens for an Elected Mayor.

"Regionalism wasn’t a thing in 1921, but it’s been a big thing in Cuyahoga County for the last decade plus. Without an elected mayor at the table, working on our behalf, that’s a disadvantage for our city," he told Patch. He believes a mayor would be more effective at creating partnerships with the business community and nonprofits to further the goals of the city.

Like many Northeast Ohio towns, Cleveland Heights faces a slate of sticky, complicated problems: population loss, dilapidating housing, job departures, concern over school district performance. Bennett and his group believe an elected mayor would respond more quickly to resident concerns and be more willing to make bold decisions on the future. Bennett and Tony Cuda, the Elected Mayor campaign manager, pointed to the development of the Van Aken District in neighboring Shaker Heights. The duo noted that creating a mixed-use shopping district in the heart of Shaker was a risk — a risk that appears to have paid off. Meanwhile, they noted, Severance Center continues to lose businesses and appeal. Would an elected Cleveland Heights mayor have been more willing to wager political capital on a city-shifting economic proposition?

Cleveland Heights Councilwoman and member of Citizens for Good Government Melissa Yasinow said the Cleveland Heights city manager position keeps the suburb stable, free of corruption, and is more efficient with resident taxpayer dollars.

"There is no proof a strong mayor would be an improvement, or what he or she would do. We have no idea who will run in two years, their priorities, or how qualified they would be. I have one neighbor saying a strong mayor would expand a project, and another claiming that a strong mayor would have already cut that same project. Strong mayor supporters are encouraging this kind of magical thinking," Yasinow argued.

She believes the city is in a strong position for the future and a move to an elected mayor could jeopardize that foothold. Current Cleveland Heights City Manager Tanisha Briley has nearly two decades of experience in running a city. A mayor could be ill-equipped to grapple with everyday municipal quandaries, Yasinow said.

"Meanwhile, Cleveland Heights is moving forward. Housing prices are up. Our business districts are dynamic. We've got a budget surplus. We have proof of performance, and hard data on our side. Our government is working and worth keeping," Yasinow said in an email to Patch.

Bennett disagrees. "We're not dealing in absolutes. We're not saying a city manager can't be effective in a city, or a mayor is always effective. We're saying that a mayor is the right choice for Cleveland Heights now."

On Tuesday, Cleveland Heights residents will determine who is right, how they wish to be governed and what the future of the city could look like. Tuesday will be one heck of an important election day.