CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — In less than a month, 54 people circulated petitions seeking a voter’s recall of Mayor Kahlil Seren, with 2,900 valid signatures needed to make the ballot.
Four of the organizers arrived at City Hall Monday morning (June 23) to turn in a total of 4,425 petition signatures that have since been forwarded to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections for an official tally.
“The group aimed to collect at least 150 percent of the required signatures to account for any that may be invalidated during the verification process,” a news release stated.
“Their target number was 4,350, which they surpassed by 75 signatures.”
If the minimum number of signatures pan out — at least 2,900 of them from registered voters who live in Cleveland Heights — organizers hope to get the recall on the September 9 ballot.
It would coincide with the mayoral primary where five candidates will vie for Seren’s seat — after his validated signatures turned into the election board fell short of the 342 he needed by the local candidates’ June 11 deadline.
If the mayoral recall petitions are verified, the press release noted that Seren would have five days to resign.
That probably won’t be happening, based on a statement Seren sent out in a city email blast to residents Monday evening.
“You elected me to serve a full term,” Seren said. “Unless you decide otherwise through due process, that is exactly what I intend to do.”
Seren started out his “statement on the submission of recall petitions” calling Cleveland Heights a city rooted in civic participation.
“I honor the right of residents to petition their government,” Seren said. “But I would be doing a disservice to the people I serve if I did not also speak plainly about what’s happening here.”
Seren contends the recall effort is not about his performance in office, questionable ethics or even disagreement.
Instead, Seren called it a “political maneuver rooted in misinformation and fueled by personal ambition” as part of an ongoing attempt to undermine his administration.
“In the absence of actual wrongdoing, they have chosen to elevate accusation over evidence,” Seren said. “And now they hope that confusion will do what credibility cannot.”
Reasons cited in the petition include:
- Failure to submit timely financial audits to the State of Ohio dating back to 2023, risking compounding fees, state sanctions, and legal action
- High staff turnover, including three city administrators in as many years. The position currently remains vacant, in violation of the City Charter
- Submission of an incomplete 2025 budget, missing required information for council review. “The mayor’s confrontational handling of the situation fostered public alarm and distrust,” petitioners said
- Allegations of a hostile workplace, including an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EOCC) complaint, Human Resources complaints, and possible retaliatory actions against employees, placing the city at risk of litigation.
Seren said he has “prioritized aggressive progress, new investment in underserved areas and more accountability and reform in government.”
He accused his detractors of “exploiting the current climate to sow doubt and bias, distort facts and rally outrage.”
At the same time, Seren said he remains committed to strengthening public safety, investing in neighborhoods and building a more equitable future.
“I did not run for mayor to do what is easy,” Seren said, “I ran to do what is necessary.”
The petition language asserts that “each day (Seren) holds office the City of Cleveland Heights continues to be put at risk and harmed.”
Delivering the petitions to Clerk of Council Addie Balester June 23 were James Bates, Susan Efroymson, Len Friedson and former City Councilwoman Josie Moore, who resigned in 2022 after about a year.
They issued a joint statement after the drop-off, citing urgency in removing Seren before the 2026 budget process begins.
“Now that he is a lame duck — after failing to qualify for the ballot — our concerns about his willingness to lead with integrity and humility are only heightened,” the group stated.
“We do not trust him to approach the next budget in good faith or to set up the next administration for success,” the petitioners added.
Seren invited every resident to “look past the headlines and sensationalist tactics and remember what this recall would actually do.”
He believes the effort will only “distract from actual service to residents, inject chaos into our government, and allow a small group of political actors to seize power through disruption rather than dialogue.”
At this point, the petitioners say that if there are enough valid signatures the conversation will turn to City Council, which would be obligated to put the recall measure on the ballot.
They noted that if it goes on the Sept. 9 ballot, there will be no extra cost to taxpayers, since there’s already a regular election scheduled.
In the meantime, council has already scheduled a special meeting on June 30, the eve of the July recess, which could now be shortened with another special meeting tentatively called for July 7.
Looking back over the past 3-1/2 years, “I am so proud of what we’ve built together,”Seren said. “And I will continue to lead with vision, integrity, and resilience.”
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