Seren on his experience and path to mayoral candidacy

Kahlil Seren

When I began serving on Cleveland Heights City Council six years ago, I could not have predicted that I would be running to be the first elected mayor of our city. But I could see as soon as I joined council that we needed a change. Since then, I have worked hard to push my colleagues and the administration to be more proactive, responsive, transparent, and bold. My legislative work has successfully produced policy changes that have made our city stronger. The example I’ve set on council has led to positive changes in how our government works and responds. But there is more work to be done.  

When the voters passed Issue 26, creating this elected-mayor position, we called for change in a clear and commanding voice. We saw a need for strong action, clear accountability, honest communication with residents, and an administration that incorporates the values and priorities of the people in public decisions.

I am running for mayor because I believe that the people of Cleveland Heights need and deserve the substantive change that we demanded from our government—and I know that I am the candidate that is best equipped to deliver.

If you want to know what a candidate can do on behalf of Cleveland Heights, start by asking what we’ve already done for Cleveland Heights. I’ve dedicated my professional and civic life to making government work better for the people it serves. My record on city council and in county government, where I’ve served for a decade as the chief advisor to the Cuyahoga County Council on economic and community development, demonstrates that dedication.

That experience matters. My record of helping to manage a massive government transition at the county level, shaping a true 21st-century government, shows that my experience aligns with the specific challenges that Cleveland Heights will face as it begins this new path. My expertise in residential and commercial development at the regional level will help us become more competitive and attractive to new residents and businesses, and my commitment to equity will ensure that we extend that to every neighborhood and business district in the city. My success creating and implementing scholarship/mentorship, and workforce programming for youth, makes me an ideal partner with our schools, students, and teachers. 

I am running to do something, not to be something. Learn more about what I want to do for Cleveland Heights at SerenForMayor.com.

Kahlil Seren

Kahlil Seren is the vice president of Cleveland Heights City Council and a candidate for mayor in Cleveland Heights.

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Volume 14, Issue 8, Posted 9:26 AM, 07.20.2021