Let the People Decide: Why Garfield Heights Should Elect Its Council President

Here’s something most Garfield Heights residents don’t know: you don’t get to vote for your City Council President.

Under the current city charter — in place since 1956 — the Council President is not elected by the people. Instead, the seven council members choose one of their own. It’s an internal appointment with no direct input from the nearly 30,000 residents the council represents.

That needs to change.

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How It Works Now

After each municipal election, the seven council members meet and select a Council President from among themselves. No public vote. No campaign. No opportunity for residents to weigh in.

The Council President:

• Presides over all council meetings — controlling the agenda, discussion, and pace of legislation
• Succeeds the mayor if the mayor’s seat is vacated — stepping into executive power without a citywide vote
• Represents the voice of council to the public, media, and other government bodies
• Wields significant influence over which ordinances get heard, tabled, or buried

The Council President is the second most powerful position in city government — and residents have absolutely no say in who fills it.

Position	Elected By	Accountable To
Mayor	All voters (citywide)	All voters
Council Members	Ward voters	Ward voters
Municipal Judges	All voters (district-wide)	All voters
Council President	6 council colleagues	6 council colleagues

Every elected office answers to voters — except the Council President

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Why That’s a Problem

• Political deals can determine who gets the presidency, rather than qualifications or public trust
• Dissenting voices are less likely to be elevated — members choose someone who won’t challenge the status quo
• Accountability is diluted — residents can’t vote the president out of the presidency, only out of their ward seat
• Mayoral succession is undemocratic — if the mayor leaves office, an internally selected president becomes the city’s chief executive without a single citywide vote

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The Succession Problem

Under the charter, if the mayor’s seat is vacated, the Council President becomes mayor. A person who was never elected citywide — chosen by six colleagues — could become the chief executive of a city of 30,000 people, controlling the budget, directing departments, and making decisions that affect every resident.

If we elect the Council President directly, we ensure that the person next in line for the mayor’s office has been vetted and chosen by the entire community.

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The Democratic Alternative

Amend the charter to make the Council President an elected position:

Option 1: At-Large Election — The Council President is elected citywide by all voters, serving as both a council member and president with a mandate from the entire city.

Option 2: Public Ballot Designation — Council members are still elected by ward, but voters also cast a separate ballot for which council member should serve as president.

Either option puts the decision where it belongs: in the hands of the voters.

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How to Make It Happen

1. Council resolution — A two-thirds vote places the amendment on the ballot
2. Citizen petition — 10% of qualified electors (~2,000–2,500 signatures) forces the question onto the ballot

The final decision, as always, belongs to the voters.

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What You Can Do

• Ask your council representative if they support a public vote for Council President
• Attend city council meetings and raise this issue on the record
• Support a charter review — the 1956 charter is 70 years old and overdue for modernization
• Share this article — most residents don’t know they have no say in this position

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Sources: Garfield Heights City Charter (1956), Ohio Revised Code §705.72, Ohio Municipal League, Ballotpedia.