CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Cleveland Heights voters will soon elect their next mayor, and with the race coming down to two candidates that are neck in neck in numbers, constituents are looking for some reassurances before casting their vote.
Jim Petras and Davida Russell are running for the mayoral office.
Both are current sitting members of city council.
The primary election's official results revealed Petras led by only 50 votes.
What do Cleveland Heights voters want from their next mayor?
I asked the Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Chatter Facebook group and received several responses.
Many say they want the following prioritized:
- Fighting crime
- Condition of the road
- Traffic cameras
- Protection of immigrants
- Increased recreational opportunities for all ages
- Business incentivization
- Severance Town Center
- Cumberland Pool
- Helping animals
- Having a confident mayor
Former Mayor Kahlil Seren was recalled earlier this month.
RELATED: Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren recalled, according to unofficial election results
The recall came as Seren has been under the microscope of scrutiny for months, stemming from a civil rights complaint regarding his wife, a discrimination lawsuit, a delayed 2025 budget process and high staff turnover.
Although Cleveland Heights residents never imagined their first-ever mayor being recalled, they're hopeful moving forward.
Eileen Ramerman has called Cleveland Heights home since 2010.
"I love the neighborhood. I love the charisma. Cleveland Heights is great. I see no reason to ever leave," she said.
Whoever steps into the mayor's shoes next, Ramerman said, she would like to see economic development be a top priority.
"Second priority for me is the housing and getting, you know, landlords and whatnot under control, but the economic development, I think, has been problematic and we have to figure out why we're not filling those empty storefronts. We've got beautiful retail space with all the luxury apartments," Ramerman said.
Another Cleveland Heights constituent, Erin Johnson, said she'd like to see a focus on the Noble, Coventry, and Taylor neighborhoods.
"If the mayor comes in and prioritizes that fiscally, I think that it would really assist and help the community and especially with our economic base, it would do well, especially for businesses as well," Johnson said. "I've been here for over 40 plus years, so I do believe if we set up some programs for youth and teens, that would be perfect. Not only that, but we have to do something with the issues with some landlords that are not taking care of their properties as well."
Both Johnson and Ramerman are hopeful for a change of tune with the next mayor.
"We've got some energy, we've got youth, we've got a sense of urgency that can really move us forward," Ramerman said. "We're on the verge of a renaissance for the city. It's gonna be great."
Who are the two candidates running for mayor?
Jim Petras is a project director for Case Western Reserve University's IT division.
He's also the chair of city council's Housing and Building Committee as well as the vice chair for the Administrative Services Committee.
Petras also drafted the temporary budget for the city when there was a delay in approval last year.
"I'm running because there are so many challenges that our city faces, and I think that I have the skills at this time to be a good leader for the city," he told me on Wednesday. "Cleveland Heights faces a lot of challenging problems, and I think that I'm the best person to be able to address those."
I asked Petras for specific problems throughout the city he would aim to fix.
"In the winter time, you'll drive into Shaker or South Euclid. The snow is already cleared from their streets there when it's not here. You'll drive around our city, you'll see trash and brown paper bags sitting on our tree lawns. These are things that if they were easy, they would already be done, but they're not insurmountable," Petras said.
Petras said he is also focused on the city's finances, hiring someone able to finish the 2023 audit, and core city services.
"For example, increasing and resurfacing of our roads, filling potholes, better clearing the streets of snow, better picking up leaves and trash, and then also focusing on, for example, either renovating or rebuilding Cumberland Pool," Petras added.
Petras also noted almost 400 vacant lots throughout the city.
He said he wants to fill those with newly built homes.
"We have a lot of vacant storefronts, particularly along Coventry and Noble Roads. We need to do a better job at helping property owners fill those spaces so that we have vibrant business districts," Petras said. "I've demonstrated that I'm someone who shows up and works hard, and I hope that the residents see that in me."
The second candidate, Davida Russell, is also a current sitting member of city council.
Russell serves as the Vice President of Council.
She's the chair of the city council's Planning and Development Committee as well as the vice chair for the Community Relations and Recreation Committee.
"As I watched things unfold, I just had this feeling that, you know what, it's your turn, it's your time. You've been here 50 years, you know what Cleveland Heights has been, you know what Cleveland Heights is now, and you have the expertise, the connections, the support and the skills to help move Cleveland Heights forward and why not now?," Russell told us Wednesday morning.
Russell said she wants to move with transparency if elected into office.
"Opening up the city to the residents and not shutting them out, bringing in the youth because no one has talked to them to find out what they need to have within Cleveland Heights, putting together a powerful transition team so we can work together to move Cleveland Heights forward with state and local leaders," she explained.
Russell said a main focus of hers would be city services.
"What people want most in Cleveland Heights and in any city, what they want is they want to have a safe community. They want to have a walkable community. They want your trash picked up when it's supposed to be picked up. They want the bulk trash picked up. They want a clean community. They want snow removal. They want leaf removal. Most people want to be able to call City Hall and get an answer," she said.
Severance Town Center is also at the top of mind for her.
"I wanna be a partner with him (the owner of Severance). I don't know if anyone has ever talked to him, but I am dying to get on the plane and find out what's in his head, what is he willing to do, what he wants to do," she said.
The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Stick with News 5's Kaylee Olivas that night for the unofficial results of the Cleveland Heights mayoral election.
