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Cleveland Heights council notified that recall petition against mayor certified with 3,845 signatures
Summary
At its June 30 meeting the Clerk of Council presented a county certification showing 3,845 qualified signatures on a recall petition for the mayor, triggering the timetable in the city charter for resignation or a recall election.
Clerk of Council Addie presented a certification from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections showing that a recall petition seeking removal of the mayor contained 3,845 signatures of qualified city electors, a number the clerk said “exceeds the minimum required under Article, 4 Section 11 of the Charter of the City Of Cleveland Heights to initiate a recall.”
Under the charter, the clerk said, “the mayor shall have 5 days from the date of this notification to resign from office. If the mayor does not resign within that time, council shall call an election upon the question of the removal of the mayor to the electors of the city.”
The certification was presented during the council’s regular meeting on June 30. Councilmember comments and several members of the public that followed included both defenses of the mayor and calls for accountability. Councilwoman Melody Larson framed the procedural moment in constitutional terms: “This is what democracy looks like,” she said during council comments.
Residents who spoke during public comment expressed sharply divided views. Some speakers said the recall is disruptive and urged waiting until the regular election; Melody Joy Hart said a successful recall would place an inexperienced interim mayor in office during budget season and called the move “ill advised.” Other residents said the petition reflected factual concerns about leadership, staff turnover and transparency.
The clerk said a copy of the county certification will be furnished to the mayor in accordance with the charter. The council did not take additional formal action on the floor at the June 30 meeting beyond accepting the clerk’s certification as presented, and the five‑day period for the mayor to resign began with that notification.
No legal or scheduling steps beyond the clerk’s presentation were adopted by council at the meeting; the transcript record shows the certification and the charter provisions read aloud and referenced at the meeting.
