CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — "You will all have a new mayor in 2026."

Those were the words of Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren back in June, written in a letter to city employees . The letter came after Seren learned his campaign had not secured enough valid signatures to qualify for the 2025 election ballot, just part of what has become a rocky and divisive chapter for one of Cleveland's most notable inner-ring suburbs.

Just four years ago, Seren made history as Cleveland Heights' first directly elected mayor , promising to help usher in a new era for the "progressive" town of more than 40,000 people. Instead, his administration has spiraled out of control in recent months thanks to a fractured relationship with City Council, claims of budget mismanagement, lawsuits alleging a toxi

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