CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Dozens of angry residents of Cleveland Heights have submitted a petition with 4,425 signatures to the Cuyahoga County Election Board, demanding the immediate recall of Mayor Kalila Seren, the city’s first directly elected leader. This move, which concludes weeks of intense signature-gathering campaigns, is the culmination of months of scandals, accusations of a toxic work environment, and charges of antisemitism connected to the mayor’s wife, Natalie McDanel. In a city proud of its diversity and civic engagement, the petition has become not only a challenge to Seren but also a litmus test for the region’s political culture, where tensions between progress and accountability have reached a boiling point.
“Every day Kalila Seren remains in office, our city is at risk,” — said Josie Moore, a former city council member and one of the petition organizers, during the delivery of 2,79 sheets of signatures to City Clerk Addie Balester. According to her, the 4,425 collected signatures — 1,500 more than the required 2,900 — reflect the deep disappointment of residents. “We cannot allow the 2026 budget to be shaped under his leadership after the chaos of last December,” — Moore added, referring to the recent failure of Seren’s administration to produce a full budget, which led to a temporary three-month funding freeze — an unprecedented step in the city’s history.
The petition, submitted before noon on Monday, is now under review by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, which has up to 10 days to verify signatures. “We are working quickly but thoroughly, considering the simultaneous processing of candidate filings,” — said Brent Loller, candidate and petition manager at BOE. If at least 2,900 signatures are validated, the city council will formally notify Seren by June 30, giving him five days to voluntarily resign. In case of refusal, the council will vote on July 7 to include the recall question on the September 9 ballot — coinciding with the previous mayoral election, thus avoiding additional costs for taxpayers.
The scandals surrounding Seren began mounting as early as March 2025, when former city administrator Den Hurrigan resigned, accusing the mayor of fostering “undue influence” by McDanel, who, although not an employee of the city hall, allegedly acted as an unofficial boss. In May, the situation worsened after a civil lawsuit filed by former aide Patrick Kostigan, who accused McDanel of antisemitic and homophobic remarks, including offensive text messages calling one official “a lousy, glue factory candidate.” These allegations, supported by complaints to the EEOC and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, sparked protests and a “loss of confidence” resolution by the city council, passed on June 6 with a vote of 6:1.
Seren, a 46-year-old politician who worked as a county council advisor and served on the city council for six years before being elected mayor in 2021, dismisses the accusations as “a political maneuver based on misinformation.” In a Monday press release, he stated: “I respect citizens’ right to petition, but this is not about my work or ethics, but about the ambitions of those seeking to destabilize the city.” Seren, who failed to gather enough signatures (only 303 of the required 342) to run in the 2025 elections, accused opponents of “exploiting biases” and pledged to serve until the end of his term, January 1, 2026, unless removed.
However, not everyone in Cleveland Heights supports the petition. Drew Gertzig, a local resident and Seren supporter, called the recall campaign a “futile waste of time” and accused its organizers of inciting conflict. “They themselves created chaos, and now they blame the mayor,” he said, citing Seren’s projects such as the renovation of Cain Park and the Tudor Fairmont update. Gertzig also expressed concern about the racial undertones of the campaign, noting that Seren, the city’s first Black mayor, faces “a racist system.” Moore firmly rejected these accusations, emphasizing the diversity among the petition organizers: “Our signatures are collected from people of all races and religions. This is not about race but about competence.”
According to sources within the city council, the conflicts surrounding Seren have worsened the functioning of the city hall, where 12 department heads have resigned over his 3.5-year term, including three city administrators and several financial directors. In December 2024, the incident with McDanel, caught on camera when she allegedly yelled and cursed at employees, further fueled accusations of creating a toxic work environment. Although 17 city employees signed a letter denying these claims, calling them “exaggerations for political purposes,” complaints to the EEOC and a lawsuit by Kostigan reveal a deep fissure.
For Cleveland Heights, a city of 45,000 known for its progressive culture and integration, this crisis is a test. Five candidates — from Vice President Davida Russell to lawyer Lori Kingsley Hong — are vying for the mayoral seat in the September 9 election, promising to restore trust. But the recall petition, if successful, could change the course of events, leaving the council to appoint an interim mayor until January 2026. “We want the new mayor to start with a clean slate,” — Moore said, highlighting the need for stability.
While the Election Board verifies signatures and the community prepares for a potential vote, Cleveland Heights stands at a crossroads. Whether this petition will serve as a catalyst for change or deepen divisions in the city depends on the coming weeks. But one thing is clear: in a city proud of its civic activism, the voice of the people rings louder than ever.
