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 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." 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.

History

Cleveland was established by General Moses Cleaveland and surveyors of the Connecticut Land Company on July 22, 1796. The settlement was incorporated as a village on December 23, 1814. 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. When Cleveland became a city in 1836, it adopted a mayor–council form of government. John W. Willey was the city's first mayor.
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. However, after the state granted Cleveland municipal home rule in 1912, the role of the mayor was enhanced in the 1913 municipal charter. 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, 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

#PresidentTerm startTerm end
Alfred Kelley18151816
Daniel Kelley18161819
Horace Perry18201821
Reuben Wood18211821
Leonard Case, Sr.18211825
Eleazur Waterman18251828
Oirson Cathan18281829
David Long18291830
Richard Hilliard18301832
John W. Allen18321835

Mayors since 1836

#ImageMayorTerm startTerm endTerms Party
John W. WilleyMarch 6, 1836December 31, 18372Democratic
Joshua MillsJanuary 1, 1838December 31, 18392Whig
Nicholas DockstaderJanuary 1, 1840December 31, 18401Whig
John W. AllenJanuary 1, 1841December 31, 18411Whig
Joshua MillsJanuary 1, 1842December 31, 18421Whig
Nelson HaywardJanuary 1, 1843December 31, 18431Democratic
Samuel StarkweatherJanuary 1, 1844December 31, 18452Democratic
George HoadleyJanuary 1, 1846December 31, 18461None
Josiah A. HarrisJanuary 1, 1847December 31, 18471Whig
Lorenzo A. KelseyJanuary 1, 1848December 31, 18481Democratic
Flavel W. BinghamJanuary 1, 1849December 31, 18491Whig
William CaseJanuary 1, 1850December 31, 18512Whig
Abner C. BrownellJanuary 1, 1852December 31, 18543Democratic
William B. CastleJanuary 1, 1855December 31, 18562Republican
Samuel StarkweatherJanuary 1, 1857December 31, 18582Democratic
George B. SenterJanuary 1, 1859December 31, 18602Republican
Edward S. FlintJanuary 1, 1861December 31, 18622Democratic
Irvine U. MastersJanuary 1, 1863May 18642Republican
George B. SenterMay 1864December 31, 1864Republican
Herman M. ChapinJanuary 1, 1865December 31, 18661-
Stephen BuhrerJanuary 1, 1867December 31, 18701Democratic
Frederick W. PeltonJanuary 1, 1871December 31, 18721Republican
Charles A. OtisJanuary 1, 1873December 31, 18741Democratic
Nathan P. PayneJanuary 1, 1875December 31, 18761Democratic
William G. RoseJanuary 1, 1877December 31, 18781Republican
Rensselaer R. HerrickJanuary 1, 1879December 31, 18822Republican
John H. FarleyJanuary 1, 1883December 31, 18841Democratic
George W. GardnerJanuary 1, 1885December 31, 18861Republican
Brenton D. BabcockJanuary 1, 1887December 31, 18881Democratic
George W. GardnerJanuary 1, 1889December 31, 18901Republican
William G. RoseJanuary 1, 1891December 31, 18921Republican
Robert BleeJanuary 1, 1893December 31, 18941Democratic
Robert E. McKissonJanuary 1, 1895December 31, 18982Republican
John H. FarleyJanuary 1, 1899December 31, 19001Democratic
Tom L. JohnsonJanuary 1, 1901December 31, 19095Democratic
Herman C. BaehrJanuary 1, 1910December 31, 19111Republican
Newton D. BakerJanuary 1, 1912December 31, 19152Democratic
Harry L. DavisJanuary 1, 1916December 31, 19192Republican
William S. FitzgeraldJanuary 1, 1920December 31, 19211Republican
Fred KohlerJanuary 1, 1922December 31, 19231Republican
William R. HopkinsJanuary 1, 1924December 31, 19293Republican
Daniel E. MorganJanuary 1, 1930December 31, 19311Republican
Ray T. MillerJanuary 1, 1932December 31, 19331Democratic
Harry L. DavisJanuary 1, 1934December 31, 19351Republican
Harold H. BurtonJanuary 1, 1936January 2, 19412 Republican
Edward J. BlythinJanuary 3, 1941December 31, 1941Republican
Frank LauscheJanuary 1, 1942December 31, 19452Democratic
Thomas A. BurkeJanuary 1, 1946December 31, 19534Democratic
Anthony J. CelebrezzeJanuary 1, 1954December 31, 19614Democratic
Ralph S. LocherJanuary 1, 1962December 31, 19673Democratic
Carl StokesJanuary 1, 1968December 31, 19712Democratic
Ralph PerkJanuary 2, 1972December 31, 19773Republican
Dennis KucinichJanuary 1, 1978December 31, 19791Democratic
George VoinovichJanuary 1, 1980December 31, 19893Republican
Michael R. WhiteJanuary 1, 1990December 31, 20013Democratic
Jane L. CampbellJanuary 1, 2002December 31, 20051Democratic
Frank G. JacksonJanuary 2, 2006January 2, 20224Democratic
Justin M. BibbJanuary 3, 2022Incumbent2Democratic