The mayor of Cleveland is the head of the executive branch of

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

of the City of Cleveland,

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

. As the chief executive in Cleveland's mayor–council (strong mayor) system, the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

oversees all city services and is "responsible for enforcing the city charter, city ordinances, and the laws of the State of Ohio." The mayor's office is located at

Cleveland City Hall Cleveland City Hall is the seat of government for the City of Cleveland, Ohio, and the home of Cleveland City Council and the office of the Mayor of Cleveland. It opened in 1916 and is located at 601 Lakeside Avenue in the Civic Center area of Dow ...

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.

History

Cleveland was established by General Moses Cleaveland and surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company on July 22, 1796. The settlement (then known as "Cleaveland", after its founder) was incorporated as a village on December 23, 1814. At this time, the position of municipal executive was the village president.

Alfred Kelley Alfred Kelley (November 7, 1789—December 2, 1859) was a banker, canal builder, lawyer, railroad executive, and state legislator in the state of Ohio in the United States. He is considered by historians to be one of the most prominent commerci ...

was the first to be elected to that post in June 1815. When Cleveland became a city in 1836, it adopted a mayor–council form of government.

John W. Willey John Wheelock Willey (1797 – July 9, 1841) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the first Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 1836 to 1837. Born in New Hampshire, Willey was educated in Dartmouth, Massachusetts and stud ...

was the city's first mayor. Initially,

Cleveland City Council Cleveland City Council is the legislative branch of government for the City of Cleveland, Ohio. Its chambers are located at Cleveland City Hall at 601 Lakeside Avenue, across the street from Public Auditorium in Downtown Cleveland. Cleveland Ci ...

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. However, after the state granted Cleveland municipal

home rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wi ...

in 1912, the role of the mayor was enhanced in the 1913

municipal charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document ('' charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charte ...

. When the city adopted a council–manager government in 1924, the city manager, selected by council, assumed the role of the municipal executive. However, the council–manager experiment was brief and, in November 1931, voters approved returning to the mayor–council system. For much of Cleveland's history, mayoral elections were partisan, but in 1971, under the mayoral administration of

Ralph Perk Ralph Joseph Perk (January 19, 1914 – April 21, 1999) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the 52nd mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. Early life Born to an ethnic Czech American family in Cleveland, Perk dropped out ...

, the city amended its charter to make elections nonpartisan. 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. According to the Cleveland City Charter, there are currently no term limits for the mayor.

Presidents, 1815–1835

Mayors since 1836

Longest-serving mayors

Mayors of Ohio City, 1836–1854

Prior to its

annexation Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...

on June 5, 1854, Ohio City was a separate municipality and a fierce rival of Cleveland. It had twelve mayoral administrations from 1836 to 1854.Avery, p
179

Notes

References

External links

Office of the Mayor of the City of Cleveland
{{Cleveland

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

Mayors of Cleveland 1836 establishments in Ohio