Mayor of Cleveland

The mayor of Cleveland is the head of the executive branch of government of the City of Cleveland, Ohio. As the chief executive in Cleveland's mayor–council (strong mayor) system, the mayor oversees all city services and is "responsible for enforcing the city charter, city ordinances, and the laws of the State of Ohio."[3] The mayor's office is located at Cleveland City Hall at 601 Lakeside Avenue in Downtown Cleveland. Since 1836, the city has had a total of 54 mayors, including the city's current mayor, Justin Bibb, encompassing 58 mayoral administrations, as four mayors have served in non-consecutive terms.[4]

Mayor of Cleveland
Seal of City of Cleveland
Incumbent
Justin Bibb
since January 3, 2022
StyleThe Honorable
SeatCleveland City Hall
Term lengthFour years, no term limits
Constituting instrumentCleveland City Charter
Inaugural holderJohn W. Willey[1]
FormationMarch 6, 1836
Salary$140,888.56 (in 2017)[2]
WebsiteOffice of the Mayor

History

Cleveland was established by General Moses Cleaveland and surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company on July 22, 1796.[5] The settlement (then known as "Cleaveland", after its founder) was incorporated as a village on December 23, 1814.[5] At this time, the position of municipal executive was the village president. Alfred Kelley was the first to be elected to that post in June 1815.[6] When Cleveland became a city in 1836, it adopted a mayor–council form of government.[3] John W. Willey was the city's first mayor.[1]

Initially, Cleveland City Council had greater power in Cleveland's city government, but this changed with the adoption of the 1892 Federal Plan, which significantly strengthened the office of the mayor. When the plan was ruled unconstitutional in 1902 by the Supreme Court of Ohio, the powers of the mayor were lessened in the city's new municipal code.[3] However, after the state granted Cleveland municipal home rule in 1912, the role of the mayor was enhanced in the 1913 municipal charter.[3] When the city adopted a council–manager government in 1924, the city manager, selected by council, assumed the role of the municipal executive.[7] However, the council–manager experiment was brief and, in November 1931, voters approved returning to the mayor–council system.[7]

For much of Cleveland's history, mayoral elections were partisan, but in 1971, under the mayoral administration of Ralph Perk, the city amended its charter to make elections nonpartisan.[8] The term of office for the mayor and members of council was traditionally two years, but was extended to four years in 1981 under Mayor George Voinovich.[3] According to the Cleveland City Charter, there are currently no term limits for the mayor.[9]

Presidents, 1815–1835
Alfred Kelley was elected the first village president of Cleveland (then known as "Cleaveland") in June 1815
# President[10] Term start Term end
1 Alfred Kelley 1815 1816
2 Daniel Kelley 1816 1819
3 Horace Perry 1820 1821
4 Reuben Wood 1821 1821
5 Leonard Case, Sr. 1821 1825
6 Eleazur Waterman 1825 1828
7 Oirson Cathan 1828 1829
8 David Long 1829 1830
9 Richard Hilliard 1830 1832
10 John W. Allen 1832 1835

Mayors since 1836
John W. Willey, the first mayor of Cleveland
# Image Mayor[1][4] Term start Term end Terms   Party
1 John W. Willey March 6, 1836 December 31, 1837 2 Democratic
2 Joshua Mills January 1, 1838 December 31, 1839 2 Whig
3 Nicholas Dockstader January 1, 1840 December 31, 1840 1 Whig
4 John W. Allen January 1, 1841 December 31, 1841 1 Whig
5 Joshua Mills January 1, 1842 December 31, 1842 1 Whig
6 Nelson Hayward January 1, 1843 December 31, 1843 1 Democratic
7 Samuel Starkweather January 1, 1844 December 31, 1845 2 Democratic
8 George Hoadley January 1, 1846 December 31, 1846 1 None
9 Josiah A. Harris January 1, 1847 December 31, 1847 1 Whig
10 Lorenzo A. Kelsey January 1, 1848 December 31, 1848 1 Democratic
11 Flavel W. Bingham January 1, 1849 December 31, 1849 1 Whig
12 William Case January 1, 1850 December 31, 1851 2 Whig
13 Abner C. Brownell January 1, 1852 December 31, 1854 3 Democratic
14 William B. Castle January 1, 1855 December 31, 1856 2 Republican
15 Samuel Starkweather January 1, 1857 December 31, 1858 2 Democratic
16 George B. Senter January 1, 1859 December 31, 1860 2 Republican
17 Edward S. Flint January 1, 1861 December 31, 1862 2 Democratic
18 Irvine U. Masters January 1, 1863 May 1864 2 Republican
19 George B. Senter May 1864 December 31, 1864 1⁄2 Republican
20 Herman M. Chapin January 1, 1865 December 31, 1866 1 None
21 Stephen Buhrer January 1, 1867 December 31, 1870 1 Democratic
22 Frederick W. Pelton January 1, 1871 December 31, 1872 1 Republican
23 Charles A. Otis January 1, 1873 December 31, 1874 1 Democratic
24 Nathan P. Payne January 1, 1875 December 31, 1876 1 Democratic
25 William G. Rose January 1, 1877 December 31, 1878 1 Republican
26 Rensselaer R. Herrick January 1, 1879 December 31, 1882 2 Republican
27 John H. Farley January 1, 1883 December 31, 1884 1 Democratic
28 George W. Gardner January 1, 1885 December 31, 1886 1 Republican
29 Brenton D. Babcock January 1, 1887 December 31, 1888 1 Democratic
30 George W. Gardner January 1, 1889 December 31, 1890 1 Republican
31 William G. Rose January 1, 1891 December 31, 1892 1 Republican
32 Robert Blee January 1, 1893 December 31, 1894 1 Democratic
33 Robert E. McKisson January 1, 1895 December 31, 1898 2 Republican
34 John H. Farley January 1, 1899 December 31, 1900 1 Democratic
35 Tom L. Johnson January 1, 1901 December 31, 1909 5 Democratic
36 Herman C. Baehr January 1, 1910 December 31, 1911 1 Republican
37 Newton D. Baker January 1, 1912 December 31, 1915 2 Democratic
38 Harry L. Davis January 1, 1916 December 31, 1919 2 Republican
39 William S. Fitzgerald January 1, 1920 December 31, 1921 1 Republican
40 Fred Kohler January 1, 1922 December 31, 1923 1 Republican
41 William R. Hopkins[lower-alpha 1] January 1, 1924 December 31, 1929 3 Republican
42 Daniel E. Morgan[lower-alpha 1] January 1, 1930 December 31, 1931 1 Republican
43 Ray T. Miller January 1, 1932 December 31, 1933 1 Democratic
44 Harry L. Davis January 1, 1934 December 31, 1935 1 Republican
45 Harold H. Burton January 1, 1936 January 2, 1941 2 1⁄2 Republican
46 Edward J. Blythin January 3, 1941 December 31, 1941 1⁄2 Republican
47 Frank Lausche January 1, 1942 December 31, 1945 2 Democratic
48 Thomas A. Burke January 1, 1946 December 31, 1953 4 Democratic
49 Anthony J. Celebrezze January 1, 1954 December 31, 1961 4 Democratic
50 Ralph S. Locher January 1, 1962 December 31, 1967 3 Democratic
51 Carl Stokes January 1, 1968 December 31, 1971 2 Democratic
52 Ralph Perk January 2, 1972 December 31, 1977 3 Republican
53 Dennis Kucinich January 1, 1978 December 31, 1979 1 Democratic
54 George Voinovich January 1, 1980 December 31, 1989 3 Republican
55 Michael R. White January 1, 1990 December 31, 2001 3 Democratic
56 Jane L. Campbell January 1, 2002 December 31, 2005 1 Democratic
57 Frank G. Jackson January 2, 2006 January 2, 2022 4 Democratic
58 Justin M. Bibb January 3, 2022 Incumbent 1 Democratic

Longest-serving mayors
Years in office Term Name
16 January 2, 2006 – January 2, 2022 Frank G. Jackson
12 January 1, 1990 - December 31, 2001 Michael R. White
10 January 1, 1980 - December 31, 1989 George V. Voinovich
9 January 1, 1901 - December 31, 1909 Tom L. Johnson
8 January 1, 1954 - December 31, 1961 Anthony J. Celebrezze
8 January 1, 1946 - December 31, 1953 Thomas A. Burke

Mayors of Ohio City, 1836–1854

Prior to its annexation on June 5, 1854, Ohio City was a separate municipality and a fierce rival of Cleveland.[11] It had twelve mayoral administrations from 1836 to 1854.[12]

# Mayor[12] Term
1Josiah Barber1836
2Francis A. Burrows1837
3Norman C. Baldwin1838–1839
4Needham M. Standart1840–1841
5Francis A. Burrows (second)1842
6Richard Lord1843
7Daniel H. Lamb1844–1846
8David Griffith1847
9John Beverlin1848
10Thomas Burnham1849–1850
11Benjamin Sheldon1851–1852
12William B. Castle1853–1854

See also

Notes
  1. Although both Hopkins and Morgan held the position of city manager, the city recognizes them as the 41st and 42nd mayors respectively.

References
  1. "Cleveland Mayors by Year". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. June 14, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  2. DeRoos, Dan (August 17, 2017). "How much does Cleveland's mayor make?". WOIO. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  3. Kollar, Mary Ellen (June 14, 2018). "Cleveland City Government". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  4. "Former Mayors of the City of Cleveland". City of Cleveland. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  5. "Timeline". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. April 5, 2022. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
  6. Avery, Elroy McKendree (1918). A History of Cleveland and Its Environs: The Heart of New Connecticut. Volume I. Chicago and New York: Lewis Publishing Co. p. 98.
  7. "City Manager Plan". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. May 11, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  8. Swanstrom, Todd (1985). The Crisis of Growth Politics: Cleveland, Kucinich, and the Challenge of Urban Populism. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. p. 273n. ISBN 9780877223665.
  9. Pinckard, Cliff (October 23, 2017). "Group wants term limits for Cleveland mayor, council members". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  10. Avery, p. 100.
  11. Roy, Christopher. "Ohio City (City of Ohio)". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  12. Avery, p. 179.

Further reading
  • Seven Making History: A Mayoral Retrospective. Cleveland: The League of Women Voters of Cleveland and the Western Reserve Historical Society. 1990.
  • Rose, William Ganson (1990). Cleveland: The Making of a City (2nd ed.). Kent, OH: Kent State University Press. ISBN 9780873384285.
  • Miller, Carol Poh; Wheeler, Robert A. (1997). Cleveland: A Concise History, 1796–1996 (2nd ed.). Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253211477.
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