CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — On Tuesday Nov. 2, Cleveland Heights makes a historic move, selecting the first elected mayor in the city’s 100-year history.
The newly elected mayor will replace a city manager form of government in which the manger is appointed by seven, at-large council members who are elected to four-year terms. The title "mayor" was previously given to the City Council's president.
Voters will choose between Barbara Danforth, an executive coach, and Kahlil Seren, City Council vice president, to lead the city’s recovery from the pandemic and take on an array of challenges common to Rust Belt cities — a declining tax base, aging infrastructure and rising crime.
Your Voter Guide: Learn about the candidates, the issues, and how and where to vote
Danforth finished first in the Sept. 14 primary election with 46.5% of votes, and Seren received 38.3% of votes.
Barbara Danforth
Danforth served as chief prosecutor for Cleveland in her early career, and was assistant attorney general in Iowa. A career highlight was when she took the helm of the failing YWCA of Cleveland and turned the organization around to become a model for the nation, she said.
Danforth said her executive experience likely resonated with voters in the primary because that will be necessary for a new mayor.
“It is really going to be important to understand how you restructure the very existence of the government, how you transition the culture,” she said, which is what she did at the YWCA. “I had to transition the culture of the staff, that had really considered themselves sort of second-class citizens in the world of professionals.”
One change way Danforth would bring is to ensure city government is serving the residents, she said.
“One of the things that I will do is help my staff hear the legitimate concerns, legitimate complaints, the legitimate criticisms, and begin to make corrections to begin to answer questions to begin to help the residents understand why we've made decisions and how decisions get made.”
To protect the city’s tree canopy, and increase sustainable practices, Danforth said she would quickly implement an environmental commission, composed of residents with expertise in clean energy, green space preservation and recycling.
“Then, it's about having this commission at the decision-making table when we are doing residential and commercial development, to be top- of-mind with developers about how we do things that are environmentally friendly,” she said.
Danforth said she also would address housing issues, finding ways to assist seniors in maintaining their houses, and evaluating properties in distress, to determine whether they can be renovated or need demolished.
Kahlil Seren
Seren is a policy advisor for Cuyahoga County Council and serves as vice president of City Council.
A notable achievement in his career was when he assisted in County Council’s transition from a three-member board of commissioners to 11 elected representatives and a county executive in 2011, he said.
Cleveland Heights voters’ positive response to Seren’s candidacy was two-fold, he said. Constituents understand that his values of inclusion, advocacy and resident-centered government align with theirs, he said. They also value his experience.
“I have the experience necessary to turn those values into substantive action on behalf of people and I've demonstrated that ability in my professional life, and my public service to Cleveland.”
As mayor, Seren said he would continue displaying his forthright, candid approach from the outset.
“Being willing to listen, and adjust and evolve my position as new information becomes available, but you can't have that conversation in an honest way unless you're willing to go out on a limb and tell people what you believe,” he said. “I am absolutely willing to get a question from somebody that I expect might not like my answer, and give them my real answer. That's the thing that's sort of missing in this conversation, is that forthright, courageous explanation.”
With the environment top-of-mind for many Cleveland Heights residents, Seren said he would continue the city’s partnership with Power a Clean Future Ohio, a nonprofit that works with local leaders on carbon reduction and sustainable practices.
“it's not just about sustainability, it's about the people's experience and their ability to lead healthy, safe lives,” he said.
He also would treat the zoning code as a living document, he said, able to encourage sustainable practices such as permeable driveways, renewable energy sources and, for larger developments, parking minimums.